Breaking down the basics of how to add delicious and tangy crunch to your life with this guide to easy Pickled Red Cabbage!
We all have someone in our life that won’t go near a pickle. In my life, that person is me. Something about the flavor of them just does not do it for me. So I assumed all pickled things were the worst. That is until I moved to San Antonio for a while and fell in love with the pickled cabbages found on some of the best tacos in town.
I didn’t realize how much I was missing out by swearing off pickled things. Pickled cabbage adds crunch, color, and zesty flavor to any dish you add it to. Do you feel like your Vegan Sloppy Joes need a little color? A little zest for your Tofu Banh Mi? You could even replace the pickled red onions that fit so well on a charcuterie board with pickled red cabbage to change things up a bit.
So in the name of swaying all of the other pickle-haters out of the dark side, today I’m breaking down the basics of easy Pickled Red Cabbage.
Ingredients For Pickled Red Cabbage
Red Cabbage: Red cabbage is high in vitamin C and iron, making it an ultra-healthy choice. Who needs vitamin C packets when you’re fighting off a cold when you can just pickle some cabbage? And, I mean, that color! The deep purple adds an automatic eye-catcher to any dish, making it an overall win. We all know that a balanced diet starts with a variety of colors!
Vinegar: Any basic vinegar can be used to pickle, so take your pick. The most common is distilled white vinegar, a great option that you might already have in your pantry. With lighter-colored vegetables, you have to worry about the vinegar affecting the color, but since red cabbage is dark and rich in color you have the green light to spice it up with some apple cider or red wine vinegar. Rice vinegar is also a delicious option! Keep in mind, different kinds of vinegar have different flavors. For example, distilled white will be sharp and acidic while apple cider vinegar will be on the more mild side.
Seasonings: Finish it off with a quick blend of spices. I use sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper, but feel free to throw in your favorite dried herbs or spices! Sugar adds a little sweet, buttery flavor to the cabbage that’ll leave your taste buds satiated. Mustard seeds or red pepper flakes are also good options for a unique, memorable flavor.
How to make pickled cabbage
Making homemade pickled cabbage is so easy.
Step 1: Cut
For this you can use a mandolin or a knife. I like the mandolin for speed and the consistency of the slices, but the recipe will still be delicious with just a knife. You want nice, thin slices of cabbage so that your final product can be a subtle but well incorporated addition to any dish.
Step 2: Assemble
Mix it together with our brine – a combination of vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper. This is where your creative freedom comes in! Add your own mix of spices, choose your favorite vinegar, and change it up as you see fit with the proportions provided.
Step 3: Pickle
Let it sit for at least 2 hours. We won’t ferment this (like we would do with napa cabbage to make kimchi), but rather set it in the fridge where the flavors will continue to develop and soak into the cabbage. That’s how you’ll bring out the flavor of the spices you choose to put in and really make it your own.
Storage tips
To lid or not to lid? You’ll want some sort of jar with a lid if you want to store this in the fridge for future recipes. A glass jar is optimal as it’s less porous. Plastic jars can make for some off flavors once the vinegar has been sitting in it for a while.
Can you can it? Keep in mind, this isn’t canning, it’s quick pickling, so it will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge with a sealed jar. Tight fitting lids will keep longer than loose lids or just a covering.
Shelf Life: Raw ingredients will make your shelf life lessen. For example, raw garlic, while a delicious edition, guarantees that your final product won’t last longer than the 2-3 weeks. Try to store in the middle of the fridge, as storing it in the back will risk freezing and storing in the doors can lessen the shelf life.
What to do with pickled cabbage
I already mentioned some things you can do with your finished product, but pickled cabbage is the perfect zingy condiment to all sorts of meals! Try sprinkling a handful of it onto:
Love Pickles?
Be sure to try our other pickling recipes! Similar to this pickled cabbage recipe, these are all quick pickle recipes (meaning they’re ready in just a few hours instead of a few weeks!)
- Pickled Onions
- Refrigerator (Cucumber) Pickles
- Pickled Radishes
- Spiced Pickled Grapes
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Pickle Any Veggie
Ingredients
- ¼ of a red cabbage
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 120 mL
- ½ cup water 120 mL
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut: Remove the core from the cabbage then shred with a mandolin slicer or knife.
- Assemble: Add cabbage to a large glass jar or bowl, along with all other ingredients. Seal jar and shake, or simply stir bowl and cover.
- Pickle: Set on the counter for at least 2 hours (up to 6), shaking/stirring occasionally. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Serve over salads, wraps, tacos, or burgers!
Michelle Howard says
Thank you ! So easy to make . Wanted to use up left over half a cabbage and this was just great . 2 medium sized kilner jars sterilised and now full in the fridge 😀
Richard says
How long does red cabbage stay good in fridge
Sarah says
Should stay good for many weeks if you keep it dry!
Jessika says
Just made this, but I adjusted the amount of ingredients for a head of red cabbage. The only change I made was to use one part white vinegar and one part apple cider vinegar. I tasted the brine and it was delicious. I taste-tested the cabbage after it was mixed with the brine, which was also delicious. I anticipate the pickled cabbage is going to taste amazingly after it marinates. What I would change next time is to quickly blanch the red cabbage before mixing it with the brine. This is a great recipe-I will make again. Thank you, Sarah, for sharing. 🙂
Summer says
The photo looks like white vinegar yet the recipe calls for apple cider or red wine vinegar… those would both discolor the cabbage wouldn’t they? How do you have a clear jar?
Sarah says
I used apple cider vin here! 😀
Harmony says
Should the cabbage be completely covered? Should I double the brine if there’s a bunch of cabbage not under the brine level?
Sarah Bond says
Yes it should be covered! And yes, you can add some brine if it needs help being totally submerged.
Amber says
Can it be frozen?
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe. I think you would lose a lot of that nice crunch if frozen!
Orlando says
If the goal is for the cabbage to be covered the measurements are completely off. I followed the recipe for a half cabbage and split between 3 stuffed jars, the liquid only came up to 1/5 of the jar. I then made the liquid using 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and following the ratios for the rest and it was barely enough for my half head of cabbage.
Lara says
Did you simmer the brine ingredients, cool, then poor over cabbage?
Sarah Bond says
Nope! You can certainly simmer to dissolve the salt and sugar more quickly, but it’s not necessary.
Sandee says
The longer you leave it before open the jar will it taste better ?
Sarah Bond says
The longer it sits in the vinegar, the stronger the flavor will be!
Sandee says
What is the shelf life before the pickle spoils .
Sarah Bond says
Stores for 2 to 3 weeks tightly sealed in the refrigerator!
Sandy says
My daughter can’t have sugar. Could I use honey instead.
Sarah Bond says
Honey can act funky in fermentation situations, so I would avoid it. Maple syrup, agave, or Stevia would work well!
Peter says
Honey, maple syrup etc all have sugar in
Kelly says
Do you recommend pickling salt or is regular table salt okay?
Sarah Bond says
I would recommend non iodized salt!
Bronwyn says
No – just find another recipe.
Marns says
Sarah, your easy pickled red cabbage recipe is delicious. I seriously want to eat it with everything! I have also just finished your easy refrigerator pickles… I look forward to the end result…keep you posted 🙂
Chloe Ridley says
Hey! Quick question: Would I be able to water bath all the cold ingredients in the jar in order to create pantry staples? Thank you, can’t wait to try the recipe!
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t tried long term storage prep of this recipe so I can’t say for sure!
Laurina says
Wanted to use left over cabbbage after making coleslaw
Noris says
How essential is sugar here? I’m trying to reduce my intake 🥲
Sarah Bond says
You can omit it! 😀
Kim says
Do you use a whole head of cabbage ?
Sarah Bond says
1/4 of a head! 😀
Ds says
Yes I made it,it was easy and delicious and going to make some more.
Allison says
Can I water bath can this recipe?
Sarah Bond says
We haven’t personally tested it with this one!
Evey says
Great taste and very fast and easy to make. Thank you
Kate Roth says
I’m making this tonight, I used quart jars (the pints were too small) with me luck.
I am wondering how much room to leave at the top of the container you’re using?
Sarah Bond says
It doesn’t matter how much room is in the top of the container! Enjoy!
Robert says
The pickling is improved if you bring the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil first. Imho. Good recipe, thanks for sharing! 😀
Kim says
Hey what is the severing size to match the calories thanks
Sarah Bond says
Simply 1/6th of the recipe! 😀
Francesca says
What is the brine that people are referring to? I don’t see mention of it in the recipe.
Thank you
Sarah Bond says
It’s just the combination of the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt 🙂
Alara Mert says
what size jar did you use?
Sarah Bond says
16 oz glass mason jar!
Janice says
Pickled cabbage is delicious middle eastern dish that goes well with shish kabobs and Peta bread BBQ and is a good healthy side dish
JAMES says
brilliant…not very good at culinary things.i have put jar in fridge and will leave for 2 weeks. looks good so far.[this is pickled red cabbage]
Gaylene says
the shelve life is 2 to 3 weeks so don’t leave it that long to try it. It is ok to eat after about 24 hours in the fridge. 🙂
Baker Marilyn says
It was pretty good. Next time I will add more brine to cover.
Nik says
Hi, how would I make itnif I wanted the pickled cabbage to last months on a shelf ?
Sarah Bond says
This will last for a while in the fridge, but to make it shelf stable you would need to pay a bit more attention to the exact acidity and sugar levels, and you would have to treat it in a water bath (here is a guide to that).
Gloria says
Just finished making this and am anticipating trying out later tonight for dinner! Although as some others have said, the brine didn’t cover my cabbage all the way even though I packed it into the jar as much as I could. No biggie though, just doubled the brine recipe and it filled up 🙂 I guess the weight of the cabbage would be a better indicator of how much to use rather than the size of the head, as different cabbages have different densities and size is pretty relative. Anyways, still looking forward to eating this! Thank you~
Jenn says
Can I reuse the water vinegar mixture for another chunk of cabbage or should I start from scratch with a new jar?
Sarah Bond says
Yes you can!
Lydia says
I love how easy this is. It’s my go to when I’m making tacos but especially poke bowl! My hubby can’t get enough of this😋😜
Wilma says
I can make 4 jars of pickled cabbage and give three away.
I too have a small fridge.
I never know what to do with an entire head of cabbage now with your recipe using 1/4 cabbage I CAN SHARE.
Thank you soooo much for your healthy recipes.
Sheila Morris says
Awesome!! Whole family loves it!! Livens up every dish!! I always wanted to try pickling things – and this recipe and post made it fun, easy to try and super successful!!
Steve Clarke says
Brilliant easy to follow recipe. Had great results. 😉
Doug says
Sarah, Thank you for your recipe. I’ve made pickled cabbage for years but now making red cabbage. You have given several nice ideas to spice it up a little. Good job!