Pickled Red Cabbage

When I was little, around September/October every year, my mum and Grandma would always make lots of different types of pickles for us to open up when Christmas came and that we would enjoy over Christmas and long into the winter. My favourite thing that they would make was always pickled red cabbage.

Tangy and sharp but delicious, it makes a great accompaniment to lots of dishes. If you've never had it before and can't imagine what it would be like, the closest thing I can think of is sauerkraut. It can be added to salad, and as a side on pretty much anything you can imagine! My favourite thing to have it with though, has to be a simple sandwich.

You need to make it in advance, and keep it in airtight jars for at least two weeks, but it will last for months afterwards. The recipe couldn't be simpler, either.

Pickled Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 head red cabbage
White wine or apple cider vinegar (appox 1 litre)
Salt
2x 1 litre sterilised glass jars with airtight lids
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Boiling water - just enough to dissolve sugar

Method:

Remove the outer leaves of cabbage and the stalk and finely slice - long, thin strips are best. Put in a big bowl and add the salt, mix it all together and then leave overnight. The next day, if using, add 1 tsp sugar to just enough boiling water to dissolve it - usually about 1/4 cup. Leave to cool completely. Rinse the shredded red cabbage in water to get rid of all the salt. Pack into your sterilised glass jars - you can pack it in quite tightly. Pour half of the sugar water into each jar, and then fill up with vinegar. You want the vinegar to go right to the top of the cabbage. You can use a fork and push the red cabbage just underneath the line of the vinegar. Close up the jars, and then store in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks before opening up and enjoying!