Remember fridge pickles? This is just another variation on that theme, and a really good way to use up cabbage if you are finding that the cabbage moths have ramped up to a level where the last of them have to be harvested now. You can lacto-ferment (aka sauerkraut) red cabbage (or any cabbage) too, and it is arguably better and it uses only water and salt and lasts for a long time. But it won’t be ready to eat for a few weeks, and if you want quick and easy, ready tomorrow, very delicious, failsafe, and will last for at least two or three weeks in the fridge (but you will have it eaten well before then anyway), this is the method.
Shred your cabbage finely. Pack it into clean jars. It’s not a bad idea to sterilize the jars in a dishwasher, microwave, oven, or pressure cooker, just to make sure your pickle doesn’t grow white mould on top. But the vinegar will protect it from any real nasties. Cover with cooled pickling mix. Leave your pickle sit in the fridge at least overnight, better for a few days, before using.
The pickling mix is just water mixed 50:50 with good vinegar (apple cider, or a nice white or red wine vinegar), with sugar and salt dissolved in it. (Ie, half a cup of water, half a cup of vinegar). How much sugar and salt? About 1/4 cup of sugar and a heaped teaspoon of salt for every cup of water-vinegar mix. Taste and adjust to your taste. You can also add any spices you like – I like a good pinch of caraway seeds and some black peppercorns – but you don’t have to – simple is sometimes best.
Pickled cabbage is great as a crunchy, tangy side dish for just about anything. On sandwiches or tacos, in Buddha bowls or rice paper rolls, with fish or chicken, on a cheese platter … And it’s beautiful, which I think is always important with food.
