Pickled Red Cabbage is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of pickling red cabbages by salting, packing into jars and covering in spiced vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Pickled Red Cabbage.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
PICKLED RED CABBAGE.
498. INGREDIENTS.—Red cabbages, salt and water; to each quart of vinegar, 1/2 oz. of ginger well bruised, 1 oz. of whole black pepper, and, when liked, a little cayenne.
Mode.—Take off the outside decayed leaves of a nice red cabbage, cut it in quarters, remove the stalks, and cut it across in very thin slices. Lay these on a dish, and strew them plentifully with salt, covering them with another dish. Let them remain for 24 hours, turn into a colander to drain, and, if necessary, wipe lightly with a clean soft cloth. Put them in a jar; boil up the vinegar with spices in the above proportion, and, when cold, pour it over the cabbage. It will be fit for use in a week or two, and, if kept for a very long time, the cabbage is liable get soft and to discolour. To be really nice and crisp, and of a good red colour, it should be eaten almost immediately after it is made. A little bruised cochineal boiled with the vinegar adds much to the appearance of this pickle. Tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place.
Seasonable in July and August, but the pickle will be much more crisp if the frost has just touched the leaves.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
red cabbages
plenty of sea salt
For each 1l of Vinegar:
15g ginger, well bruised in a mortar
30g whole black peppercorns
cayenne pepper, to taste
Method:
Remove any decayed outer leaves from the red cabbage then quarter and remove the cores. Shred the cabbage crossways very finely then arrange these in a non-reactive dish, strew plenty of salt over the top then cover with a second dish. Set aside for 24 hours then turn into a colander to drain. Remove from the colander and wipe with a clean cloth to remove the excess salt.
Pack the cabbage into jars then boil enough vinegar to cover them completely, along with the spices in the proportions give above. Continue boiling for 5 minutes then set aside to cool completely before pouring over the red cabbage. Seal with vinegar-proof lids and set aside to mature for 2 weeks before eating.
This is best eaten as soon as mature, as this preserves the crispness of the cabbage. After a few months the cabbage will become soft (but is still edible).
