Can anyone advise on the best way of removing the outer cabbage leaves for making cabbage rolls.?

I have tried the hot water approach as well as the freezing method. Is there a better and easier way than either of these?
Can anyone advise on the best way of removing the outer cabbage leaves for making cabbage rolls.?
drop in boiling water for a few and they come right off.....then when they start getting hard to remove again drop back in boiling water....this make them even easier to stuff as they are flexible....and soft...
Reply:After removing the outer leaves, core the cabbage by cutting around the stem at an angle with a paring knife. Remove as much of the tough white flesh of the core as possible without damaging the inner leaves.

Place the whole cabbage, stem side down, into a pot of gently boiling salted water.

As the outer leaves loosen, pull them away from the head and rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking. You may need a paring knife to cut the base of the inner leaves off what's left of the core. Give the inner leaves a little more time to soften in the pot before rinsing them. You may want to use a rubber glove; the leaves and water will be very hot. Continue this process until you have separated all but the smallest leaves; it should take about 15 minutes.

When the leaves are cooled, cut away the ridged part of the rib running down the center of the leaf, to make it roughly the same thickness as the rest of the leaf. This will make the leaf less rigid and easier to stuff. (Incidentally, the savoy cabbage is preferable to green cabbage precisely because its leaves are thinner, flatter, and less rigid).
Reply:The easiest way I've ever found to loosen those outer leaves is to pick up the head of cabbage with the core end facing your toes. . .



. . .and then drop it from about four feet off the ground, straight down. The impact breaks the core loose from the rest of the head, and then stripping the outer leaves is a lot easier.



I know, I know -- I thought it was crazy, too, when my friend told me her secret. But crazy or not, it works! :-)
Reply:My mom would always use the hot water approach as well. Those cabbage leaves need to be partially cooked in order to roll them. I remember hearing about a microwave oven method, but I'm not sure how it's done. Hopefully someone out there has done this and can let you know.
Reply:I don't know but can i please have some? my mom used to make those yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrsssssss... ago and i would love to know how to get her to make me some now.