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Cabbage is one of the oldest garden crops and is actively used in national cuisines around the world. Despite the fact that it can be stored fairly well, under suitable conditions for up to six months, many have long preferred to make sauerkraut, pickled or pickled cabbage and keep it that way throughout the winter. The fact is that this vegetable in this form even surpasses the fresh one in the content of vitamins and minerals. And when properly cooked, cabbage tastes so good that it’s hard to find anything more tempting for the cold winter months.
Despite the fact that many people associate pickled or salted cabbage with narrow and thin stripes, in many cuisines of the world, the traditional harvest of cabbage, cut into pieces and often quite large, has been preserved.
And using quick-making techniques, you can cook pickled cabbage, literally in 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". Plus, keeping food cool 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 for different nations. First of all, they consist in the application of a wide variety of additives to the main ingredient. So in the Russian 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 to be very tasty.
In the southern Caucasian countries, great importance is attached to the use of beets, hot peppers and numerous herbs and spices. Moreover, the pungency of the dish in itself is not at all the goal, rather the main thing is that the cabbage becomes as aromatic as possible, thanks to the variety of spices used.
In the southern eastern countries, for example, in Korea, the sharpness of the dish plays an important role, therefore, using hot chili peppers in Korean pickled cabbage recipes is absolutely necessary.
In Ukraine, the dish is prepared in almost the same way as in Russia, but a traditional vegetable, beet, is often used as an additive. And since when making cabbage in large pieces, they are beautifully laid out in the form of petals, hence it got its name - "pelyustka", which means "petal" in Ukrainian. By adding beets, the "petals" of cabbage turn crimson, and a dish of unimaginable beauty is obtained.
Delicious pickled cabbage "Provencal" takes its origin from the countries of Western Europe, and there they love to add fruits to its composition: plums, apples, dogwood 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 provides for the production of pickled cabbage in a saucepan or any other container without subsequent rolling. But in a cold place, under the cover of the marinade, the finished snack can be stored for up to several months.
A couple of top leaves must be removed from each head of cabbage. Then, on a large cutting board, cut each head of cabbage into two parts with a sharp long knife, so that the stump remains in the middle. Carefully cut the stump from one and the other half 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 sit tightly on each piece.
If you take a traditional Russian recipe, then for making cabbage you will also need:
- 3 medium carrots;
- 4 apples;
- 1 head of garlic;
- 200 g of cranberries or lingonberries.
Carrots can be sliced partly into thin strips and partly into coarse strips to enjoy the distinct flavor of pickled carrot slices. Apples are usually cut into slices, after cutting out a core with seeds from each fruit. Garlic can also be chopped coarsely, but the berries can be simply rinsed under running water.
At the bottom of a clean saucepan, place a few sheets of lavrushka, 7-8 allspice peas and chopped garlic. Then put the pieces of cabbage in the same place, shifting them in layers of chopped carrots, apples and sprinkling with 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, with the exception of vinegar, are mixed in one container, heated to a boil and the container is removed from the heat. The required amount of vinegar is added to it and everything is mixed well. Finally, the finished marinade is poured from above into a saucepan with cabbage and other vegetables while still uncooled. It should completely cover the contents of the pot. 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 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 entire cooking technology remains the same, only the following are added:
- 2 large beets, cut into thin slices;
- Several pods of hot pepper, peeled from the seed chambers and cut into strips;
- A tablespoon of coriander seeds;
- One bunch (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 locally: from Peking and Chinese cabbage. But otherwise, the recipe for instant pickled cabbage in pieces 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 daikon cut into strips to the marinade.
According to any of these recipes, cabbage, pickled in pieces, will have an unsurpassed taste, and you can experiment endlessly, adding new spices and fruits in various combinations to it.
