Fruit and vegetable juices are conventionally made using a juicer since this is a convenient way to grind down hard and tough vegetables such as cabbage and leafy greens.
However, not all of us have access to a juicer, so how can we get the benefits of cabbage juice without eating plates and plates of the green vegetable?
Fortunately, you can make cabbage juice without a juicer. If you have a blender in your kitchen, then you can use that to produce your own wonderfully smooth and nutritionally dense cabbage juice. Blenders can be an affordable way to juice produce and other foods.
If you want to get the most out of cabbage, but you don’t fancy chowing down on the vegetable in its raw state, making it into a juice is a good alternative.
Even though it’s easy to think that the only way to juice fruits and vegetables is by using a juicer, this simply isn’t true.
It’s a well-accepted fact that the blender can do just as good a job at blending produce, albeit with a little extra effort involved.
Use a Blender
To give yourself the best chance of producing smooth cabbage juice to drink by the liter, you’re going to want to get the blender out of the kitchen cupboard and put it to work.
The process for making cabbage juice with a blender is similar to making it with a juicer, but for a few differences here and there.
To make sure you have a clear idea of what’s involved in the process for a seamless blending experience, here’s a step-by-step guide to blending cabbage juice:
Blending
- Blending is a lot easier when you soften the cabbage beforehand and combine it with liquid, so the first thing we want you to do is to go ahead and boil around 1 ¾ water. Use filtered water, if possible.
- Next, chop up around 3 cups of cabbage or enough that you feel like it will fill around two-thirds of the blender. Filling a blender to the top is a surefire recipe for failure and cabbage shreds on the kitchen walls.
- Throw the chopped cabbage into the blender, and then top it up with the water you’ve just boiled.
- Now comes the fun part: switch the blender on, starting off at the lowest speed setting. You want to have the blender running at this low speed until you notice that it starts to change in appearance and take on the green color of the cabbage. On average, depending on the power of the blender, this should take just a minute or two.
- After the water turns green, switch to the blender’s highest speed setting for around 10 seconds until all that’s left are a few stray shreds of cabbage in the liquid.
Fermentation
- The storage of the newly-made cabbage juice is almost as important as the blending process, since the liquid will expand once settled, so find a container that has a lid and can be filled to within an inch of the top.
- Tightly seal the lid, and leave the container somewhere with room temperature for approximately 72 hours so that it can ferment and grow the cultures that your stomach needs for optimal digestive health.
- After three days have passed, grab a clean container and a mesh strainer, placing the latter instrument over the former. The smaller the holes in the strainer, the easier it will be to retain as much juice as possible.
- Now all that’s left to do is to pour the liquid through the strainer slowly so that the pulp doesn’t build up too much and overflow.
- Place the newly filled container of cabbage juice in the fridge, wait for it to chill, and then it should be ready to consume.
Why is it Good to Juice Cabbage?
Cabbage is one of those vegetables that can be hard to implement in your diet unless you know what you’re doing in the kitchen and can bring the best out of it.
This is a shame since cabbage can have a variety of health benefits, especially when consumed as a fermented juice.
It has plenty of vitamin C and K, nutrients, and antioxidants.
Here are some of the most compelling reasons to juice your own cabbage:
Improves Digestion
One of the biggest reasons many people juice cabbage is for the benefits it can have on gut health and digestion.
Primarily, cabbage juice is used as a form of treatment to treat stomach ulcers, and there is even some research to back this up.
By fermenting the juice – letting it sit at room temperature for several days after blending it – you can take some healthy probiotics on board, balancing out the gut flora and improving overall gut health.
Can Reduce Inflammation
Cabbage juice can also reduce inflammation due to some of the compounds it contains, such as kaempferol and sulforaphane.
Inflammation in the long run can lead to sickness, so it’s something you want to mitigate as much as possible.
That’s why many people turn to cabbage juice, since it has some anti-inflamatory benefits that could help lower the inflammation in your body.
Antioxidant-rich
Cabbage juice is antioxidant-rich, which means it can help reduce the risk of disease and inflammation in the body.
It also contains a lot of vitamin C, which is one of the best antioxidants for boosting your immune system and fighting off sickness.
It’s even been shown through various studies that cabbage juice could potentially have anti-cancer properties too.
How to Improve the Taste
Let’s be honest: fermented cabbage juice isn’t that appetizing.
While it may be easier to consume a large quantity than eating the raw form of the vegetable, cabbage juice won’t be to everybody’s taste.
As such, here are some ingredients that you can add to your cabbage juice for further health benefits and to make it much more palatable which will make it easier to drink on a regular basis for better gut health and more:
- Carrots
- Apples
- Cucumber
- Melon
- Beetroot
- Orange
These fruits and vegetables will taste great when combined with cabbage juice, and they can complement each other.
So there’s no excuse; even if you don’t like the taste of cabbage juice, you can still make it palatable and enjoy the health benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cabbage Juice
Can you juice cabbage raw?
Yes, you absolutely can juice cabbage in its raw state.
The key thing here, though, is to make sure you add some liquid to the blender so that you won’t cause any jams or clogging during the juicing process.
Some people like to add olive oil and garlic, for example, but you can use other liquids if you wish if you think they would be good in a glass of cabbage juice.
Can I make cabbage juice in a blender?
Yes, you can make cabbage juice in a blender if you don’t have a juicer at home.
To do so, either chop raw cabbage and chuck it in with some liquid like olive oil, or for a smoother blending process cook the cabbage beforehand.
As you blend the cabbage, keep an eye on the consistency, as you don’t want it to be so thick that it’s unappetizing to drink. You can manage consistency and texture to an extent by using the pulse function on your blender if it has one and experimenting with the speed settings.
Is Cabbage good for juicing?
Yes, cabbage is a great vegetable to juice, and there are plenty of health benefits to reap from drinking it.
Cabbage juice is particularly known as an effective way to treat ulcers due to its high content in vitamins and antioxidants.
While it might not taste as good as your typical green juice or smoothie, there are many reasons to consider cabbage juice as an addition to your diet.
A Final Word From Wellness Nova
Cabbage juice has been shown to contain all kinds of good stuff such as vitamins and antioxidants, which the body craves and needs.
Particularly if you suffer with stomach ulcers, blending your own cabbage juice can be an excellent idea.
