Pickled Cabbage Recipe
This foolproof pickled cabbage recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and can be prepared in just a few minutes and enjoyed after refrigerating (about 12-24 hours). By pouring the warm brine over sliced cabbage in a jar, you'll have a condiment that boasts a perfect balance of sweetness, zest, and tanginess.
INGREDIENTS
For Cabbage
- 3 pounds green cabbage or red, (about 5-6 cups)
- 1 medium beet, about 6-7 ounce, peeled
- 8 small garlic cloves, about 1 ounce, cut into medium thick slices
For Pickling Brine
- 6 cups clean filtered water
- 3 tablespoon salt, fine sea salt or kosher salt
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 5-6% acidity
- 10 black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 tablespoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the cabbage and beets. Remove the outer leaves and with a sharp knife cut out the core. Divide the cabbage into 4 wedges and chop each roughly into about 1 ½ inches slices.
- If you like, you can also slice it like you would for a simple cabbage slaw.
- For the beetroot, cut it in half and then into thin slices.
- In sterilized jars place a layer of cabbage, beet, and garlic. Repeat the layers until the jar is full.
- Make the vinegar marinade. In a saucepot place sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves. Pour 6 cups of water on top and take it to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 3 minutes until salt and sugar have dissolved in the liquid.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Let cool slightly for 1 minute before pouring into the jars. Be careful when handling the hot pot with liquid!
- Pour the liquid until all the cabbage is fully submerged leaving an inch on top to close the lid easily and let the cabbage marinate.
- Refrigerate. Seal the lids tightly and let them fully cool at room temperature (it took me about 5 hours). After that refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy! For more flavorful pickles, let marinate for 2 days.
- For this recipe, I used 1 32-ounce and 1 x 64 ounce jars (thsi recipe makes about 3 litre of brine in total).
VIDEO
NOTES
- This recipe makes about 8-10 servings.
- TASTE & TEXTURE Once pickled, cabbage takes on a slightly softened texture while maintaining a delightful tangy crunch. The zesty brine, complemented by a hint of sweetness from the beets, is simply delicious.
- For your crunchy cabbage to last longer: allow the jars to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Avoid putting them in the fridge while they are still hot. While you can eat the cabbage after 12-24 hours, letting it sit longer in the fridge will intensify its delicious taste (2-3 days is even better).
- Cabbage - My go-to is green cabbage because it's tender and complements the color of the beets beautifully. However, red cabbage works well too. When selecting, opt for a large head of cabbage (you need to look for a denser and not very loose cabbage head which won’t yield crunchy results) to ensure the best flavor and texture.
- Beets - When pickled, beets bring a delightful, sweet, and juicy texture to the mix. For the best results, go for red beets as they tend to be sweeter. Alternatively, you can also experiment with carrots or other root vegetables if that's more to your liking. You can also make it just cabbage pickles, and leave the beet out entirely (I just love the sweet flavor and color it adds).
- Pickling liquid - The best vinegar to use for pickles is anything with 5-6% acidity. Distilled white vinegar or milder versions like apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or you can also use red wine vinegar. All are great for quick pickles.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 2132mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 139IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
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