Article: Regardless of the specific variety, fresh cabbage has crisp leaves without any marks or signs of browning. There should not be many loose outer leaves, and the stem should not look dry or cracked. Green cabbage should have dark green outer leaves and pale green inner leaves. The head of cabbage should be round. White cabbage has very light outer leaves with patches of white around the veined areas. It has firm leaves packed tightly around the head. Red cabbage should have tough outer leaves and a reddish purple color. The head of cabbage should be round. Savoy cabbage has crinkled leaves and consists of fairly loose leaves that range in color from dark to light green. The head of cabbage should be round. Napa cabbage is tall, rather than round, and generally has pale green leaves. Bok choy has tall white stalks with dark green leaves. These leaves should be loose enough to peel away with your hands. Damaged leaves include any that are discolored or wilted. For round heads of cabbage, like green cabbage, red cabbage, and savoy cabbage, you should also remove the thickest outer leaves. Hold the cabbage still with one hand. Pick up a large, sharp knife in your other hand and cut the cabbage in half through the stem end. If desired, cut the cabbage further into quarters by cutting each half in half again lengthwise. Cabbage will take longer to cook if left in halves, but otherwise, it is just as easy to prepare as quartered cabbage. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet1.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet1.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If you see any signs of insects or worms inside the cabbage, you do not need to toss the whole thing out. Instead, soak the head of cabbage in heavily salted water for 20 minutes. Cut away the damaged portions and prepare as normal. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/bb\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet2.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/bb\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet2.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-3Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Cut wedge-shaped sections from the bottom of each half or quarter to remove the rough stem pieces. The stems will need to be cut out at an angle. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet1.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Note that for cabbage with long, loose leaves, such as napa cabbage and bok choy, the leaves should be left intact and on the stem. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0d\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet2.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0d\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet2.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-4Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If you want to shred the cabbage before steaming it, slice each quarter into thin pieces and separate the layers by hand. Alternatively, you could shred the cabbage by sliding quartered heads across a sharp mandoline. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/82\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/82\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet1.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If shredding napa cabbage or bok choy, slice the cabbage crosswise rather than lengthwise and separate the layers. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ad\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet2.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ad\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet2.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-5Bullet2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Place the cabbage in a colander and rinse it under cool, running water. Place the colander over clean paper towels and let it drain for a couple of minutes before continuing. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-6Bullet1.jpg\/v4-459px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-6Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Steam-Cabbage-Step-6Bullet1.jpg\/aid3221944-v4-728px-Steam-Cabbage-Step-6Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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What is a summary of what this article is about?
Choose fresh, crisp cabbage. Removed damaged leaves. Cut the cabbage into halves or quarters. Remove the core. Shred the cabbage, if desired. Wash the cabbage.