Red cabbage recipe wanted please.

floyd

I think the salting and adding the vinegar cold is more to do with retaining the crunch in the vegetables when pickled than actually killing any nasties. Botulism cannot grow below pH 4.6 and vinegar is 2.4 to 3.4 so you should be fine

ravylesley

I always just soak my red cabbage in brine and then pack it into jars with vinegar.I've never sterilised the jars or even boiled the vinegar.I dont even use any pickling spices as my lot dont like them and in all the time I've been doing it no-one has died or even got a little bit sick so I think you are pretty safe

Lesleyxx

Caterina

Thank you all for your reply.

Floyd I had a feeling that the vinegar would protect the stuff from botulin, thanks for the reassurance.

After all, it is an experiment and as we say in Rome: "what does not choke you fattens you" (for the Italians among us: quello che non strozza ingrassa) so if you see me (and Annegeddes) still around in a few weeks, the experiment has worked!

Caterina

purpleivy

I think the salting process is to remove some of the water from the vegetables, as it's hygroscopic I think, at least this is what I thought it was for.

Primrose

Last night I sprinkled some shredded red cabbage with salt to prepare it for pickling. This morning I've rinsed it but it's so salty as to be inedible. It's currently soaking in cold water to try and remove some of the salt but should it be like this? I've never pickled red cabbage before and don't know whether the salt flavour disappears once it's been soaked in the vinegar. I've never had this problem when I've pickled onions in the past and wonder whether I just used too much salt.

squeaky

I don't actually know bout how it should be - but if you keep changing the water that you are soaking the cabbage in the level of salt will continue to drop.

Farway

I've pickled red cabbage in the past, can't say I ever tasted it before pickling, but it was not salty once pickled

ANNEGEDDES

im too scared to taste it now!!


was planning on giving one jar to my dad for christmas!!!

paddy's_mum

I did exactly this last year and even came on this forum to ask if my short cut was being foolish or dangerous.

I'm sure you'll be relieved to know that we have been eating the red cabbage all this year with no ill effects and the only down side that I have seen from the shortcutting is that the colour in my home made fades more quickly than in a commercial jar sat right next to it. However, it may be because the commercial product has chemicals or preservatives in it rather than anything I did wrong.

If I was planning on keeping the red cabbage for a long time or to give as gifts, I'd do it the long and proper way but doing it the easy way doesn't seem to have caused any harm in this household.

Caterina

Thanks Paddy's mum, I am reassured now, and I am sure it will be edible (e.g. not poisonous).

Sorry, two more questions for you experts:

1 - How long should I leave it there before tasting? It looks so good and appetising I feel like dipping in it already after one day!

2 - Can I keep chopping and adding new cabbage to the vinegar as I use the original stock?

Thank you all!

Caterina