With all the ways that we can prepare a cabbage, you may be wondering if it is possible to juice a cabbage. Juices are a great way to have a drink that is both refreshing and healthy, and with how cabbage if full of nutrients, it could make the ultimate juice to get you through the day.
Can you juice cabbage? With the help of a juicer or blender, you can make cabbage juice! First, you need to wash your cabbage and cut it up into chunks that are small enough to fit into your juicer or blender. Then, run the cabbage through the juicer or blender to make the drink.
Cabbage juice is a great drink that you can enjoy without any guilt. There are many possible health benefits, and the juice you will make is full of vitamins and nutrients. Keep in mind though, cabbage juice is not for everybody, as drinking it can bring on some unwanted side effects for some individuals.
In This Article
Juicing a Cabbage
When picking a cabbage for juicing, make sure that it looks fresh. Some things to keep in mind when looking for the best cabbage are: (1) find one with firm leaves that are not wilting, (2) the cabbage head should be heavy, and (3) make sure it is solid without blemishes (or as few blemishes as possible). This video by expert village is a good visual example of what to look for.
Now, onto preparation. The first thing that you want to do is thoroughly wash the cabbage under a stream of water. That way, you can ensure that any excess gunk like dirt particles will not end up in your drink.
Now, before you do anything else, make sure that you have these kitchen items on hand:
- A knife
- A cutting board
- A juicer or blender
- A glass for the juice
Since that head of cabbage you bought probably isn’t going to fit in your juicer or blender, you are going to want to get out your knife and cutting board and begin slicing. Cut the cabbage into wedges that are small enough to fit into your juicer or blender. After this, you are just a few more steps away from having fresh cabbage juice!
Making Cabbage Juice with a Juicer
Take the cabbage that you have cut into wedges and slowly feed it through the feeding tube. Use the pusher to get the cabbage down into the juicer. Never use your hands or fingers to do this; that is unless you fancy a trip to the ER to get some stitches. Now, all you have to do is collect the cabbage juice in a glass and enjoy your drink!
Oftentimes, it is recommended to mix the cabbage with fruits or vegetables. That way, you get more juice, and also have a drink that tastes a lot better. Websites like Everyday Healthy Recipes and Eating Well have some delicious cabbage juice recipes to try at home.
You can also juice red cabbage at home, it goes really well with beetroot and red cabbage juice tastes better than plain cabbage juice.
Making Cabbage Juice with a Blender
Making cabbage juice with a blender is a bit different and has a few more steps to it. But you can still get that cabbage juice that you are craving.
When using the blender, the process differs depending on whether you are using just cabbage or adding the extra goodies to your drink.
If you are just using cabbage, you’ll first boil the cabbage for 30 minutes, and then blend it with some of that water. That way, you don’t just have a small layer of ground-up cabbage at the bottom of the blender. If you are adding extra veggies and fruits though, there should be enough produce that you do not need to add extra water.
After this, you want to use a strainer or straining bag to separate the juice from the fiber. Put the fiber/pulp from the blender into the strainer or straining bag and push the juice out. While the fiber is good for you, it will be too chunky and will come out more like a smoothie than a juice if you skip this step.
When you are done juicing, some recommend fermenting the juice for about three days at room temperature. You will want to put the juice in a covered glass during fermentation. This is done to let healthy bacteria called probiotics grow! After it is fermented, strain it one more time to filter out any extra, unwanted particles. For more information about fermented foods and drinks, Healthline has an awesome article that goes in-depth on this.
Finished Juicing? What Else Should I Know About Cabbage Juice?
Whether you choose to use a juicer or blender, you will have a healthy and delicious drink once you finish making it. But it is good to keep in mind that despite the nutrition it offers, drinking cabbage juice is not for everyone.
The Health Benefits and Nutrients.
Raw cabbage juice has many health benefits and nutrients, and many see it as a miracle cure, especially when it comes to stomach issues.
Many websites tout it as being able to fix a multitude of stomach issues. Some say that it helps to keep ulcers down. Others say that it helps to reduce acid reflux, especially if they drink the cabbage juice the same day they eat foods that typically cause their acid reflux to act up.
Many even believe that it does far more than just help with stomach issues. Some studies show that cabbage may have anti-cancer properties. According to a BBC article, a team at Francis Crick Institute, “found anti-cancer chemicals were produced as the vegetables were digested.” It is important to note that there is no solid evidence that cabbage juice helps with stomach issues or helps fight cancers.
Whether cabbage juice helps with those issues or not though, it is still a very healthy drink that is full of nutrients to help get you through the day.
According to the website verywellfit one cup of raw cabbage has many nutritional benefits as it:
- Provides 54% of your daily recommended vitamin C
- Provides 85% of your recommended vitamin K
- Provides 6% of daily recommended vitamin B6
Whether you are headed in for a long day at the office, getting ready for a workout, or just looking for an afternoon drink, cabbage juice is a great way to go if you want to give your body a nutrient boost!
The Potential Side Effects
While cabbage juice is a nutrient-filled drink that may have health benefits, it is not a drink that will work for everyone.
There are potential downsides and side effects that you should know about before drinking cabbage juice:
- Thyroid problems: drinking too much cabbage juice (or eating too much cabbage) could cause issues with your thyroid. Some studies even contradict the thought that it prevents cancer, saying that drinking too much cabbage juice could lead to thyroid cancer. Although, like before, this study is also inconclusive (Source Link).
- Less fiber: Earlier in the article, it was mentioned that you want to sift out the fiber when juicing cabbage. Unfortunately, that means that you get less of the healthy fibers that you would otherwise get if you were to eat the cabbage.
- Medications: vitamin K in cabbage may mess with blood thinner medication. (Source link).
- The stomach: despite the fact that many believe cabbage juice has helped with their stomach issues, it can have the reverse effect on others. As cabbage produces gas, cabbage juice may cause stomach pain for people with IBS. Healthline also states that it can cause bloating and diarrhea (Source Link)
Cabbage is one of many vegetables that you can juice. It is full of nutrients and potentially has amazing health benefits. But, depending on the person, drinking cabbage juice may not be good as it can have negative side effects. If that’s the case you might be better with other vegetable juice or you can have cabbage soup to keep up the cabbage intake.
Related Reading
Leave a Reply