Cabbage is one of the oldest garden crops and is actively used in national cuisines around the world. Despite the fact that it is quite well stored, in suitable conditions for up to six months, many have long preferred to make sauerkraut, salted or pickled cabbage and store it in this form during the winter. The fact is that this vegetable in this form even surpasses fresh in the content of vitamins and minerals. And the taste of properly cooked cabbage is so inviting that for the cold winter months it is difficult to find anything more tempting.
Despite the fact that many people associate pickled or salted cabbage with narrow and thin strips, in many cuisines of the world, the traditional preparation of cabbage, cut into pieces and often quite large, has been preserved.
And using quick-cooking techniques, you can cook cabbage pickled in pieces in just a day. Although for full impregnation and the best taste it is better to wait a few days. During this time, the appetizer will be able to reach the desired condition and fully “ripen”. In addition, when stored in a cool environment, the dish will only get better every day.
Different cuisines – different additives
Despite the similarity of the recipes for preparing pickled cabbage in pieces, there are some differences in the recipe among different peoples. First of all, they consist in the use of a wide variety of additives to the main ingredient. So in the tradition it is customary to ferment or pickle cabbage with the addition of carrots, sweet and sour apples and berries: cranberries or lingonberries. Everything turns out very tasty.
In the South Caucasian countries, great importance is attached to the use of beets, hot peppers and numerous herbs and spices. Moreover, the sharpness of the dish in itself is not the goal at all, rather, the main thing is that the cabbage becomes as fragrant as possible, thanks to the variety of spices used.
In southern eastern countries, for example, in Korea, it is the spiciness of the dish that plays a big role, so using hot chili peppers in Korean pickled cabbage recipes is absolutely necessary.
In Ukraine, the dish is prepared in much the same way as in Our Country, but a traditional vegetable, beets, is often used as an additive. And since, when making cabbage in large pieces, they are beautifully laid out in the form of petals, this is where it got its name – “pelyustka”, which in Ukrainian means “petal”. Due to the addition of beets, the “petals” of cabbage are painted in raspberry color, and a dish of unimaginable beauty is obtained.
Delicious pickled cabbage “Provencal” originates from the countries of Western Europe, and there they love to add fruits to it: plums, apples, cornelian cherry and grapes. Thus, there are a great many recipes for pickled cabbage and everyone can choose something suitable based on their taste preferences.
Basic recipe
According to this recipe, you can pickle cabbage with any additives. Use the basic technology, which involves the manufacture of pickled cabbage in a saucepan or any other container without subsequent seaming. But in a cold place, under the cover of the marinade, the finished snack can be stored for up to several months.
From each head, you need to remove a couple of top leaves. Then, on a large cutting board, with a sharp long knife, cut each head of cabbage into two parts, so that the stalk remains in the middle. Carefully cut the stalk from one and the other halves so that the leaves do not move. Cut each half into 4, 6 or 8 more pieces. The main thing is that the cabbage leaves should sit tight on each piece.
If you take a traditional recipe, then to make cabbage you will also need:
- 3 medium carrots;
- 4 apple;
- 1 garlic head;
- 200 g of cranberries or lingonberries.
Carrots can be partially cut into thin rings, and partially into large strips, to enjoy the separate taste of pickled carrot pieces. Apples are usually cut into slices, after cutting out the core with stones from each fruit. Garlic can also be cut coarsely, but the berries can simply be rinsed under running water.
At the bottom of a clean saucepan, put a few sheets of parsley, 7-8 peas of allspice and chopped garlic. Then put pieces of cabbage there, shifting them with layers of chopped carrots, apples and pouring berries.
Now you can start making the marinade. For the specified amount of pickled cabbage, you need to take about 2 liters of water, 60 grams of salt, 200 grams of sugar, one glass of sunflower or other vegetable oil and a glass of 6% table vinegar. All ingredients except vinegar are mixed in one container, heated to a boil and the container is removed from the fire. The required amount of vinegar is added to it and everything is well stirred. Finally, the finished marinade, still warm, is poured on top into a saucepan with cabbage and other vegetables. It should completely cover the contents of the pan. It is better to press down all the vegetables on top with a plate or lid, which will act as a light weight.
The next day, you can already try the cabbage, but it is better to rearrange it from room conditions to a cooler place and wait another 2-3 days.
South Caucasian recipe
As already mentioned, the southern peoples attach great importance to the use of all kinds of spices and herbs. They also often pickle cabbage with the addition of beets, due to which the workpiece acquires a noble raspberry hue. The whole cooking technology of the dish remains the same, only the following are added:
- 2 large beets, cut into thin circles;
- A few pods of hot pepper, peeled from the seed chambers and cut into strips;
- a tablespoon of coriander seeds;
- One bunch each (about 50 grams) of the following herbs: parsley, basil, cilantro and tarragon, coarsely chopped.
When laying cabbage, pieces of it are sprinkled with herbs and spices, otherwise the manufacturing process is no different from the basic recipe.
Korean recipe
In the countries of Southeast Asia, pickled cabbage is prepared primarily from those varieties that grow in local conditions: from Beijing and Chinese cabbage. But otherwise, the quick-cooking pickled cabbage slices recipe does not differ significantly from the basic one. It is only necessary to add a few pods of red hot pepper, 2 teaspoons of dry ginger and 250 g of chopped daikon to the marinade.
According to any of these recipes, cabbage pickled in pieces will have an unsurpassed taste, and you can experiment indefinitely, adding new spices and fruits to it in various combinations.
