Unlike my quick pickled cabbage, which is on the softer side, this pickled cabbage remains crunchy as it's not exposed to a hot brine. Instead, this cabbage is slowly pickled in a delicious salty, sweet, and sour cold brine over a few days in a fridge. Sure, it takes longer to pickle, but the cabbage retains most of its crunch, stays plump, and tastes fresh. I prefer this variation of pickled cabbage and make it more often than the quick pickled one or fermented cabbage - sauerkraut. It is superbly delicious, almost addictive. It's a great accompaniment to meats and a great addition to salads.
The pickling brine used in this recipe is the secret to making this pickled cabbage so irresistibly delicious. It's perfectly salty, sweet, and sour at the same time. It reminds me of Thai food that emphasizes the perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy, except that there is no spicy taste here. If you like spicy food, you can easily add a spicy component to this recipe.
This recipe was inspired by pickled cabbage from my local Eastern European supermarket. Every time we shop there, which isn't often as it's on the other side of the city, we would get a container or two. The brine the cabbage is in is so delicious that you can literally drink it. I do. I love it. Unfortunately, the cabbage would be gone within 3-4 days. That's a problem. So, I decided to recreate it at home. Not only would I solve the supply problem, but I would also save quite a bit of money.
Ingredients for pickled cabbage
There are only a few basic ingredients required for this recipe:
- White cabbage
- Carrots
- Frozen cranberries
- Pickling brine
For the pickling brine, you will need:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Sunflower oil
- Water
It took me a few tries to recreate the brine recipe. It wasn't too difficult to obtain the same taste initially, but cabbage, during the course of pickling, releases some water. This dilutes the brine, which requires the initial brine to be a touch stronger but not too strong. Just strong enough to become perfect after the pickling is done. But, in the end, I think I nailed it.
The best cabbage for this recipe is white cabbage. I've tried making this recipe with green cabbage, but it wasn't the same. It lacked the thickness, the beautiful beige color, the crunch, and the sweetness. So, I strongly recommend finding and using white cabbage for pickling.
Making pickled cabbage
Shredding the cabbage
Rinse and dry the cabbage before shredding. I like to shred my cabbage about 3/16" - 1/4" wide, give or take. Sometimes, I go a little wider; I like chunkier pieces. But, please, feel free to shred however you like; there is no right or wrong here.
Mixing cabbage with other ingredients
Next, shred carrots and add to the cabbage, along with frozen cranberries. Mix the ingredients together.
Fill the jar
You will need a jar to pickle your cabbage. I use quart-size Mason jars to make pickled cabbage as I find them large enough to make a good amount of cabbage but small enough to store in the fridge. Of course, you can use larger or smaller jars, plain Mason jars, or fancy pickling jars.
This step is a little bit tricky. You must pack the cabbage while filling the jar as tightly as possible before topping it with the pickling brine. For this step, you will need a cabbage smasher/stomper. If you don't have one, get creative and find something similar in your kitchen. I am sure everyone's kitchen has a utensil or two suitable for completing this task.
Fill the jar(s) to about 1/2" from the top.
Top the jar(s) with brine
Combine the brine ingredients in a bowl and stir with a large spoon or a whisk until the salt and the sugar are fully dissolved.
Pour the brine into the jar(s), leaving a 1/4" headspace. Close with a tight lid.
Pickling in the fridge
The final step is to allow the cabbage a few days to pickle. I simply put my cabbage in the fridge for a week, at which time it is ready for consumption. It only gets better in the fridge and will stay fresh for several weeks or even longer.
Enjoy!
Crunchy Pickled Cabbage (Sweet, Salty & Sour)
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb white cabbage approximately about 1/4 to 1/3 of a head
- 2 oz shredded carrot approximately about 1/3 of a carrot
- 1/4 cup frozen cranberries
For the brine
- 2 cups water at room temperature
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 3 tsp white sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the cabbage and shred it about 3/16" - 1/4" wide, or however you prefer. Transfer to a medium bowl. Shred the carrot and add to the cabbage. Add the frozen cranberries and mix with the shredded cabbage and carrot.
- To prepare the pickling brine, combine the brine ingredients in a separate bowl and stir with a large spoon or a whisk until the salt and the sugar are fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Pack the cabbage mix into a quart-size Mason jar tightly, using a cabbage smasher/stomper. If you don't have one, use something similar to help with this task. Leave about a 1/2" headspace.
- Top the jar with the pickling brine, leaving a 1/4" headspace. Close tightly with a lid.
- Transfer to the fridge and refrigerate for a week before consuming. This cabbage only improves with age and will stay fresh in the fridge for several weeks.
Leave a Reply