Quick Pickle Red Cabbage

So here’s the thing.

This week’s assignment from George Brown was to do some kind of fermented or preserved food. And I was so excited because if you didn’t already know, fermented foods are awesome for gut health–they contain healthy probiotics that can improve digestion and help your body better assimilate vitamins and minerals.

So I had all these big plans: umeboshi plums, fermented ketchup, fermented apple cider…I was all set. Except…I have never fermented a thing in my life. I’ve never canned a thing in my life. So instead of hearing magical words like ‘gut microbiome’ and ‘immune boost’, I heard ‘botulism’ and ‘food poisoning’.

I panicked. I decided I just wasn’t going to do the assignment. And then Allie told me she knew a simple pickling recipe from her old job working in a kitchen, that involved zero chance of botulism. Sold. It’s a quick pickle red cabbage, so it uses vinegar to pickle, instead of lacto-fermentation.

 

To me, this tastes like bread n’ butter pickles–aka pure heaven. It has a tangy sweet crunch, and it’s oh so pretty and pink. And it keeps for a good couple of days. Very impressed.

This would be perfect in a salad, on a sandwich, or just to snack on, if you’re a big pickle eater (I am). Unfortunately this red cabbage recipe does not  have the same probiotic effects. And the sugar/vinegar combo can effect your blood sugar levels, because vinegar can slow down digestion and sugar is, uh, sugar. But if you’re looking to dabble in the world of pickling, but like me, you find it super intimidating, this is great recipe to try out!

QUICK PICKLE RED CABBAGE

Ingredients

1 Tbsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 small red cabbage, thinly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix all the ingredients except the cabbage into a large jar and mix well.
2. Add cabbage and make sure it is completely covered under the liquid.
3. Screw on lid, and place in fridge for 24 hours.

Enjoy 🙂