This year, I picked all my vegetables, starting with cucumber slices, carrot strips, and the classic pickled red onion.

Having a jar of pickled vegetables in the fridge is like having a jar of homemade condiments or sauces to elevate and transform a week’s diet.

What would otherwise be a bland grain bowl or burrito becomes memorable once it’s laced with tart pies and tangy vegetables.

A layer of pickles can make your favorite lunch sandwich pop – quick pickles taste fresher than canned ones.

I was quick to praise cabbage as a generally underrated cruciferous plant. I guess it’s just a matter of time. I’ll be making pickled red cabbage soon, and now I want to put it on everything!

Quick pickling 101

When you think of homemade pickles, you probably conjure up images of a giant canning bath, tongs, and sterilizing canister—basically, a bunch of specialized equipment.

This is true for pickles that must be kept for a long time, just as homemade jams or jellies are kept in the pantry before opening.

Quick pickles, like the pickled red cabbage I will share today, have a different effect.

Also known as refrigerator pickles, fast pickles do not require a water bath or proper disinfection. The pickling process is as simple as pouring hot or cold pickling liquid over vegetables and letting them marinate.

The curing process is enough to give the quick pickles a rich, salty taste, but as the name suggests, it’s brief.

Because quick pickles do not undergo a water bath, they should not be stored indefinitely. They also need to be refrigerated.

But I rarely make a batch of pickled vegetables that will last two weeks.

They are so versatile and versatile that it’s hard not to finish a can in a few days.

Is sauerkraut the same as Sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut and Sauerkraut: They are similar, and I love both, but they are not the same.

Sauerkraut, like sauerkraut, has a strong, salty taste. It is unique because it is lactic acid fermented: bacteria convert some of the sugars in cabbage into lactic acid.

Lactic acid-fermented vegetables have a distinctive sour and “funky” taste; Quick sauerkraut is also very sour but not as complex as sauerkraut.

For the record, sauerkraut isn’t hard to make. But this pickled red cabbage is simpler, faster, and more versatile.

Why red cabbage?

Easy: Color! I love the electric pink of pickled red cabbage as much as the deep purple of braised red cabbage.

Both green and red cabbage are rich in vitamins C and K, phytosterols, and dietary fiber.

You can read more about my love for this vegetable and the many recipes I’ve made with it in my roundup of 20 cabbage dinners and side dishes.

Red cabbage is unique in that it is also a source of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are a plant pigment found in red and purple foods (such as blueberries, beets, grapes, etc.) and have antioxidant activity.

There is evidence that a diet rich in anthocyanins may have a protective effect on the heart.

You can follow this sauerkraut recipe and use green cabbage instead of red cabbage. But if red cabbage is readily available, know its color is as nutritious as its eye healing.

How to make sauerkraut

Preparing sauerkraut couldn’t be easier. As proof, I’ve been making a big pot every week since I first started testing a recipe to write.

Here are the steps.

Step 1: Prepare the cabbage

You can use a food processor’s shredder, a food slicer (I swear to use this), or a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cabbage into slices for the marinade.

Always core the cabbage before cutting it.

Unless you are making two or three batches, you will use half a small head of cabbage or medium-sized cabbage. If your red cabbage is large, you may only need to use a quarter of the head.

Finally, prepare four cups or 200 grams of thinly sliced cabbage.

At this point, you will stuff the cabbage into the container and marinate it.

I like to use a 32 oz / 950 ml / 1-quart glass bottle; I keep them in my apartment for food storage, so there’s always some spare.

Suppose you don’t have a giant glass bottle at home. In that case, you can use several smaller glass bottles or other non-reactive, airtight containers stored in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Prepare the pickling solution

There are two ways to prepare a hot pickling solution. Either way, you’ll start by mixing the vinegar and water in a heat-resistant measuring cup.

You can pour this mixture into a saucepan, bring it to a simmer, add the sugar and salt—the core ingredients of the pickling solution—and stir until they dissolve.

Alternatively, microwave the water and vinegar for 3 minutes, then stir in the sugar and salt until they dissolve.

Step 3: Pickle the cabbage

The next step in making pickled red cabbage is to pour the hot pickling liquid over the cabbage in the jar. A funnel can help with this, but it is optional.

Be sure to submerge the cabbage entirely and push it down with the back of a spoon if needed. Gently put the cap on the bottle (you don’t need to tighten the cap yet).

Step 4: Let the cabbage rest at room temperature

Wait to put the cabbage in the fridge. Instead, let it sit at room temperature for an hour. This helps to soften the cabbage.

Step 5: Store in the refrigerator

After an hour, you can close the lid on the jar (or other container) and transfer the container to the refrigerator.

Pickled red cabbage is ready to eat the next day but becomes more flavorful after a few days. It can be kept for two weeks.

Why must the pickling solution be hot?

Good question!

Recipes for quick pickling sometimes call for heating the pickling liquid, but many recipes do not.

Technically, it is unnecessary to boil the pickling solution before pouring it over the vegetables being pickled.

At the beginning of the marinating process, the hot liquid softens the vegetables. High temperature is not the cause of pickling; in fact, the acid and salt in the pickling solution give quick pickles their flavor.

But when it comes to tenderizing, heat is helpful.

This is especially important for cabbage, a problematic vegetable to cook.

I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to heat liquids quickly, such as pickle cucumber slices, because they’re already thin and soft.

However, I did see a difference when I quickly pickled red cabbage with and without heat in a pickling solution. The jar I prepared with the hot liquid turned into a more tender sauerkraut.

The pure “fridge-cured” version—the kind I made with cold-curing liquid—was a bit firm and squeaky to eat.

If you don’t heat the liquid while marinating the cabbage, I don’t think any stretching will destroy the finished product. But I would suggest that you marinate it in hot brine, as you might like the texture better.

A perfect taco top

Once you have a jar of cold pickled red cabbage in the fridge, you can find many delicious uses for it.

One thing I like to do is use it as a crunchy topping for soft tortillas.

Ingredients

1/2 head of red cabbage (or 1/4 extra large red cabbage)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar (180ml)

3/4 cup water (180ml)

One and a half tablespoons of cane sugar

1 TSP fine salt

Optional trimmings :1: clove garlic, minced, two teaspoons mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, a pinch of red pepper

Instructions

1. Using a vegetable slicer, a food processor equipped with a chopping attachment, or a sharp chef’s knife, thinly slice or finely chop the cabbage. You should have about 4 lightly packed cups (200g) when ready. Stuff the cabbage into a 32 oz / 950 ml / 1 quart mason jar or another airtight container.
2. Stir vinegar and water in a heat-proof measuring cup. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, then stir in the sugar and salt until they dissolve. Alternatively, microwave the water and vinegar for 3 minutes, then stir in the sugar and salt until they dissolve.
3. After pouring the hot pickling liquid over the cabbage in the jar, ensure that the cabbage is completely submerged. Then, gently put the cap on the bottle without tightening it yet. This process is safe and straightforward, providing the delicious pickled cabbage is ready to enjoy. Let the cabbage sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, seal the jar and put it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy cabbage in tortillas, sandwiches, salads, or bowls.