Pickled Red Cabbage

People have been eating fermented foods for thousands of years and in many cultures, these foods are a regular dietary staple.  There is a great deal of evidence to support the health benefits of eating these types of foods, although most of them didn't come about for health improvement reasons per se, but were born out of the need for preservation and just the natural processes of decay (sounds gross, right? But that's nature for ya).

Fermented foods have been shown to improve digestion, boost beneficial gut flora, improve immune function and many studies have shown that these types of foods can help with common ailments such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Allergic Rhinitis, Atopic Dermatitis and even the common cold.  Examples of fermented foods include wine, cider, beer, kefir, yoghurt, leavened bread and pickled vegetables.   Most of the pickled and fermented foods you will find in the grocery stores have been pasteurized or processed to make them shelf-stable and thus, the health benefits have been eliminated or severely reduced in the process.  Fortunately, it's easy to make your own pickled/fermented foods at home and actually kind of fun!

This week I decided to try out some pickled cabbage using a classic Russian technique for salted fermentation.  There's a lot of room for experimentation with this type of recipe so don't worry about being too exact with ingredients.  This process is part science mixed with artistic license so just relax and have fun with it.  Here is what I used for my first try:

Picked Red Cabbage:

2 Small-Med Heads of Red Cabbage
5-6 Carrots
2-3 Cloves FRESH Garlic, minced (Optional)
2-3 TB Himalayan or other good quality salt, (anything but that processed white "table salt" garbage)
2 TB Whole Peppercorns (I used a tricolor blend) - (Optional)
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 TB Honey or sugar (Optional)

Shred or thinly slice the cabbage and carrots.  You don't want the cabbage too thin or your finished product won't be very crunchy.  I used the slicer/shredder function on my food processor for the cabbage/carrots and it took just a few minutes to get both heads evenly sliced/shredded with the perfect width, but if you prefer old school, a knife and a manual shredder will work just fine.

I placed the cabbage and carrots into a large stainless steel pot and mixed well - then I added in the salt and thoroughly massaged the salt into the mixture.  I didn't really measure the salt but I used approximately 1/4 cup.  You want the cabbage to be pretty salty but not overwhelmingly so.  Spend a good amount of time mashing the salt into the cabbage, you really want to make sure it's dissolved and massaged in.  You can smash it with a fist, squish it in your hands, whatever - just have fun with it - great way to take out some frustrations!

Mix the peppercorns, garlic and the bay leaves in and then smash the whole mixture down firmly into the bottom of the pot.  I waited until after day 2 to add in the honey, and only because when I tasted the mixture it just seemed like it needed a tiny bit of sweetness.  Cover the mixture with a plate and something heavy.  I used some canned goods for this but a large clean rock would work or a couple jars of liquid, a small kettle bell, whatever you've got on hand.  You can cover the pot with a towel or just use the pot lid if it fits over the weights.

Now comes the hard part! WAITING!! I really struggled with this part, because it smelled absolutely heavenly (especially with all that garlic) but this is where all the magic happens, so be patient!  Place your pot in a spot where it won't be disturbed and where it will remain at room temperature.  Fermentation will occur slightly faster the warmer the ambient temperature so just keep this in mind when you are determining how long to let it sit.  It will take approximately 3-6 days or so for the cabbage to get to the point where it's ready to be eaten.  

After the first day or two, there should be a visible quantity of liquid surrounding the plate (it won't be floating, but the cabbage should look like it has some 'sauce') - this is from the salt pulling the juices out of the cabbage.  If your cabbage looks too dry, add in a little bit of water, just enough so that the liquid is visible around the edges of your pressing plate.

Every day, remove the weights and poke holes down to the bottom of the pot with the end of a wooden spoon to allow the mixture to off-gas.  Replace the weights and lid and continue to let it sit.  After about 2 days you might want to give it a taste to see if it needs more salt or spice - this is where I decided to add in my honey.

I decided my cabbage was done at the 4 day mark.  When yours is ready, jar it up and refrigerate.  It's ready to be eaten immediately, but will keep for quite some time in the fridge.

NOTE:  The peppercorns will soften during the fermentation process and will add in a nice spicy bite to the cabbage, especially if you use a mixed blend like I did.  The amount I used was a bit spicy so if you don't like pepper/spice then I recommend adjusting this - either reduce the quantity, use a bit of ground black pepper instead, or leave it out completely.

I like to eat this just plain by itself, but it's also good dressed with a little Olive Oil, vinegar and fresh herbs.  Makes a great topping for rueben sandwiches or on a burger.  All kinds of possibilities!!

ENJOY in good health! :)