How To Make Pickled Red Cabbage. Easy Veggie Hacks!

Pickled Red Cabbage is incredibly easy to make and can add whole deal of flavour to your dishes. It can last for weeks in your fridge, making it the perfect addition to your salads, sandwiches, burgers, or whatever your heart desires. We all eat with our eyes, which means the pretty bright purple colour is just another bonus!

Pickled Red Cabbage

Pickled cabbage is incredibly versatile and is one of my favourite veggie hacks! I believe that one of the best ways to eat pickled red cabbage is in a salad. You can try my Mexican Bean Salad here if you are looking for ideas.

Pickled Red Cabbage Ingredients

There are many ways to make pickled red cabbage, but the absolute essential ingredients are:

• Red cabbage (duh)
• Vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar but you can use any type including white, red, etc.)
• Water (to dilute the vinegar)
• Salt
• Sugar

Optional ingredients include:

• Crushed garlic
• Chilli's or chilli powder
• Grated ginger

Ingredient Quantities

The quantities for the essential ingredients can be quite flexible. However I find that the following is always just right:

• 1 small or ½ a medium red cabbage
• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• ½ tablespoon of salt

The Method 

Slice the red cabbage into thin long pieces 

Start with a fresh red cabbage and remove the hard outer leaves. Cut it in half, from top to bottom, then slice into thin slices lengthwise. Once you have all your pieces ready, place them in a large bowl or container. Make sure there is enough room for the liquid so that all of the cabbage gets immersed. Place the cabbage from the cutting board into a large bowl or container. Make sure you leave enough room for the liquid so that all of the cabbage pieces are fully immersed. 

Add vinegar, water, salt & sugar (and any other additional optional ingredients you choose)

Now it’s time to add in the vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Combine ½ cup of vinegar with ½ a cup of water, ½ a tablespoon of salt (I like to use pink Himalayan salt, but you can choose any), and 1 tablespoon of sugar (I like to use coconut sugar, again, you can use any). Stir the mixture together until everything is evenly combined before pouring it over the red cabbage. Finally give it another good stir, so that all of the pieces get fully immersed in all of that delicious pickling liquid.

You might also want to really creative here and add in some additional flavours such as fresh chilli, grated ginger, or crushed garlic. Either one of these, a combination of these, or all of these additions go really well with the pickled red cabbage!

Toss the cabbage until completely covered by the wet mixture

Once you have evenly added the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to your red cabbage, use a pair of tongs to toss it in the liquid until all of the pieces have been fully covered. Make sure nothing is stuck underneath and that every part of the vegetable has an even coverage from the wet mixture.You don’t want any parts left out!

Cover with a cloth and let sit for 2 hours

Once the cabbage is properly coated in the wet mixture, cover it with a cloth and let it sit for at least two hours in order to give it enough time to flavour the red cabbage fully. The longer it sits, the more flavors you’ll be able to capture from this delicious pickling recipe!

Remove the cloth and transfer the cabbage to an airtight glass jar

Using a pair of tongs, transfer the cabbage to a jar. You can then pour the liquid over the jar to keep the cabbage submerged, however note that this is not necessary. 

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks 

This recipe yields a flavorful pickled cabbage that can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To make sure your dish remains fresh, make sure to store it in an airtight container or jar. The vinegar and salt will help preserve the red pickled cabbage, but it's still important to check it before eating, just in case. Enjoy!