This Is The Only Kitchen Tool You Need For Shredding Cabbage (And It's Cheap)

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Cabbage is like lettuce but on steroids. Where iceberg and leafy red lettuce have a soft, crisp bite, cabbage is dense, tough, and crunchy. When using it to make stir-fries or homemade sauerkraut, size matters, and to shred into uniform pieces that evenly cook or absorb fermenting liquids, instead of reaching for a knife, break out the mandoline. This essential kitchen tool will make this task quick, easy, and efficient, producing shreds of this veggie that are nice and thin. 

To use a mandoline for shredding, first clean your cabbage head to remove any dirt and damaged leaves. Then, cut the cabbage in half, starting at the top and going to the bottom. Next, you want to remove the root and the triangle-shaped core by cutting it out with a knife. Removing the core is a beginner tip for cutting cabbage, but one you should master. It will make it easier to handle the cabbage as you slide it over the blade of this tool. Then, cut the halves into quarters, and you are ready to start shredding. If you find that quarters are too large for your mandoline, slice them into eighths. It is important that the cabbage pieces aren't too large, or they won't shred as well. 

Most mandoline slicers have a dial that will allow you to control just how thick your cabbage shreds will be. You want to set it on the thinnest setting. Then place the cut side of your cabbage across the mandolin's blades and start moving it back and forth using the handguard so you don't cut your fingers in the process. 

If you are in the market for a new mandoline, the OXO Good Grips handheld mandoline slicer has nearly 20,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.5 rating. This model is under $20, and one reviewer writes, "I like that the 'knob holder' keeps your fingers up and away from the blade as you slide/slice. Adjustable thicknesses ... easy to change size and slices beautifully. Good quality and easy to wash. Way easier than trying to evenly hand-slice! Good value!"

However, if you want the best mandoline on Amazon, you will have to spend a little more. The Mueller Austria mandoline slicer has over 37,700 reviews and a 4.5 rating. It runs just under $35. One reviewer shared, "This has cut my chopping time down to a third for the time it was taking me previously." And still another noted, "I purchased this at recommendation of YouTube cook, it did not disappoint, very easy to operate, clean, and store. Highly recommend."