Do you like pickled cabbage, not sauerkraut, but in brine with salt, or that's something only Romanians do?

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I've been making Pickled Cabbage for years. My kids love it. I'm always making pickles during the summer when the garden is producing a lot of cukes. One year I decided to do the same with cabbage ( I also make sauerkraut too) . The kids ( and we ) love it, so I continued to do it. How do you make you pickled cabbage ?
 
I've been making Pickled Cabbage for years. My kids love it. I'm always making pickles during the summer when the garden is producing a lot of cukes. One year I decided to do the same with cabbage ( I also make sauerkraut too) . The kids ( and we ) love it, so I continued to do it. How do you make you pickled cabbage ?
I put the cabbage as a whole in a brine mixture made mostly from water and salt during mid or late autumns. It does take some time until the pickling process is done but it's very easy to make, a child's play. Cabbage pickled like this is a base ingredient for many recipes, especially during Christmas time where there is no Christmas without minced meat rolls in pickled cabbage. Is your recipe for pickling cabbage different? I would love to try something new.
 
I put the cabbage as a whole in a brine mixture made mostly from water and salt during mid or late autumns. It does take some time until the pickling process is done but it's very easy to make, a child's play. Cabbage pickled like this is a base ingredient for many recipes, especially during Christmas time where there is no Christmas without minced meat rolls in pickled cabbage. Is your recipe for pickling cabbage different? I would love to try something new.
My brine is mostly salt and water too. Ill usually put a few garlic cloves in and sometimes a splash of vinegar ( not a lot). We usually just snack on it ( I love pickled anything ). Many times Ill make a recipe that only uses 1/2 a cabbage ( or just the other big leaves) so Ill usually pickle the rest so it doesnt go to waste. I hope the cabbage ( not too fine).
 
So, exactly how is pickled cabbage different from sauerkraut? If it's in a salt water brine, doesn't it ferment? How exactly is it made? How much salt in the brine? I'm so confused.
 
I guess technically they are the same, my addition of garlic, maybe a bay leaf splash a vinegar gives it more of a 'pickle - like flavor. When I make Pickled cabbage, I cut the cabbage more in chunks or thick strips rather than shredding it. I'd bicurious to hear RH's response since it's more cultural and traditional for her. For me it's a way to use up cabbage and get the kids to eat it ( they love pickles, pickled anything must be good).
 
So, exactly how is pickled cabbage different from sauerkraut? If it's in a salt water brine, doesn't it ferment? How exactly is it made? How much salt in the brine? I'm so confused.
Firstly, the brine is a bit different. It's made from salt, water, a dried corn cob and dried dill. The cabbage gets pickled as a whole and not shredded. When I pickle cabbage I need a huge barrel, it cannot be made in a jar. It does not contain one single drop of vinegar, garlic or other condiments and also needs an "airing process" every 3 days while the pickling takes place. I hope my english didn't failed me and you guys can understand my explanation.
 
I guess technically they are the same, my addition of garlic, maybe a bay leaf splash a vinegar gives it more of a 'pickle - like flavor. When I make Pickled cabbage, I cut the cabbage more in chunks or thick strips rather than shredding it. I'd bicurious to hear RH's response since it's more cultural and traditional for her. For me it's a way to use up cabbage and get the kids to eat it ( they love pickles, pickled anything must be good).
Firstly, the brine is a bit different. It's made from salt, water, a dried corn cob and dried dill. The cabbage gets pickled as a whole and not shredded. When I pickle cabbage I need a huge barrel, it cannot be made in a jar. It does not contain one single drop of vinegar, garlic or other condiments and also needs an "airing process" every 3 days while the pickling takes place. I hope my english didn't failed me and you guys can understand my explanation.
 
As I understand the making of sauerkraut, it is a brine of either salt water or of just salt and the juices from the cabbage, no vinegar. I understand that there would be some difference between doing it with whole cabbage or shredded cabbage. How is the "airing" done? How long would it take to pickle a small cabbage?
 
As I understand the making of sauerkraut, it is a brine of either salt water or of just salt and the juices from the cabbage, no vinegar. I understand that there would be some difference between doing it with whole cabbage or shredded cabbage. How is the "airing" done? How long would it take to pickle a small cabbage?
Pickling cabbage the "Romanian way" requires a brine made from water + salt = salted water. It goes 1 tbsp of salt to every 10 liters of water used (2,6 gallons). I never pickled just one cabbage. Whenever I start this pickling process (usually autumn season) I pickle on average about 100-120 kilograms (220-265 pounds) of cabbage. It takes about 6 maybe 7 weeks sometimes for the pickling to be done. Depends very much on the weather since this pickling method relies on temperature, time and salt. You also need to scoop the core of each cabbage and fill it with rock salt before adding into the brine. The airing process consists in literally airing the brine with a hosepipe for a couple of minutes every 3 days. Based on my calculations, if you want to pickle one single cabbage just to try it out, it would be done in a week or so, only if you keep the cabbage in a controlled temperature environment of 25 degrees Celsius. (77 F)
The waiting time changes for each degree under 25 degrees Celsius.
Is not a hard process at all, but it is different from making sauerkraut for sure.
That's why I asked what I asked, I was curious to see if other people use this method or is it something more specific to our country / region.
 
Ive never done a whole cabbage , but I'm definitely curious to try it. How does the rock salt stay in the hollowed out for when submerged into the brine ?
I have a videoclip on YouTube I made with all the steps necessary plus waiting time, but I am not sure If I am allowed to post the link here or even message you in private. After you scoop the core and add rock salt, you arrange the cabbage in a method that will block the scoop with salt. You arrange it either with the hole up, or sideways. It needs a 24h rest so the cabbage softens a bit, after the 24 h rest you add the brine.
 
I had never heard about this before. It's interesting. Does the pickled cabbage taste similar to sauerkraut? I am also curious to try doing this. But, it will take a bit longer, if I do it before next summer. My house is not going to be 25°C during the winter.
 
I had never heard about this before. It's interesting. Does the pickled cabbage taste similar to sauerkraut? I am also curious to try doing this. But, it will take a bit longer, if I do it before next summer. My house is not going to be 25°C during the winter.
No, not really. It has a unique taste. I don't know how or with what to compare it. It's not very sour per se, stingy or vinegary, it's more like salty taste I'd say, mixed with a bit of sourness. On a temperature of 20 degrees C (68 F) it should take about 27 days to complete the pickling process. It can be made under any temperatures except 0 degrees (the freezing point). The temperature factor will only slow the pickling process, not ruin it. At 5 degrees Celsius for example, it will take over 3 months to achieve a perfectly good, pickled cabbage.
 
I have a videoclip on YouTube I made with all the steps necessary plus waiting time, but I am not sure If I am allowed to post the link here or even message you in private. After you scoop the core and add rock salt, you arrange the cabbage in a method that will block the scoop with salt. You arrange it either with the hole up, or sideways. It needs a 24h rest so the cabbage softens a bit, after the 24 h rest you add the brine.
I would love to see the video. feel free to PM me the link if you want. im very interested.
 
Thanks for the info. Do you ever make this with red cabbage?
No problem. It was my pleasure to provide you with all the information you wanted and no, I haven't pickled red cabbage with this method so I don't have a legit and tested answer on how red cabbage might behave with the salted brine. Only regular, green/whiteish cabbage.
 
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