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Fermented Sweet Red Cabbage Recipe
Learn How to Make Fermented Sweet Red Cabbage to create a tasty side dish that’s rich in probiotics and natural sweeteners. This easy recipe is perfect if you’re new to making fermented vegetables.
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Why Ferment Red Cabbage?
As I shared with you in my How to Make Sauerkraut video, fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut are rich in good bacteria—probiotics—that contribute to our good gut health. And scientists tell us that good gut health contributes to our overall good health.
A drawback about fermented foods is that they can taste quite tangy to folks who are new to eating them. So when you are making the transition from a processed foods kitchen to a traditional foods kitchen, being able to make a ferment that has a touch of sweetness can help train our palates to enjoy fermented foods.
And that’s where red cabbage comes in handy. It’s already a bit sweeter than its cousin green cabbage. Once we ferment it and add a bit of natural sweetener, our red cabbage develops into a delightful treat at the dinner table when you serve it as a condiment or a side dish.
But Can I Warm It?
Great question! And the good news is that, yes, you can warm your fermented red cabbage when serving it as a side dish. Just be sure to warm it and not boil it. You do not want your red cabbage to be any warmer to the touch than a warm bath, approximately 110°F. This will keep your fermented red cabbage a “living food” by maintaining the integrity of all those good bacteria that will be nourishing our gut health.
More Fermented Videos
Now that you’ve learned How to Make Fermented Sweet Red Cabbage be sure to try your hand at these other tasty ferments. I even share my secret to crisp pickles…not to be missed!
- How to Make CRISP Lacto Fermented Pickles – A Probiotic Rich Food
- How to Make Fermented Carrots – A Probiotic Rich Food for Gut Health
- How to Make Fermented Salsa – Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners
- Simple Fermented Ketchup Recipe That Tastes Like Store Bought
- Easy Homemade Fermented Mustard – 3 Tasty Recipes
Masontops Mason Jar Fermentation Kit Discount Coupon
Although you don’t need any special equipment to start making ferments, the Masontops kit can help you simplify the process and enable you to create your ferment successfully. In my Masontops unboxing video, I show you my Masontops Complete Mason Jar Fermentation Kit and go over everything the kit includes.
- Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com. (This is not a sponsored post. Masontops provided me with a special discount code for my viewers. I like their products, and I think you will too.)
- Masontops Unboxing – Fermentation Made Easy
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
- FREE 36 Page Traditional Foods Pantry List – Printable Pantry Staples List
Kitchen Academy Videos
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos, live streams, and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
In the following members-only video series, I talk about the Art of Fermentation.
- How to Master the Art of Fermentation – Part 1 – Overview
- How to Master the Art of Fermentation – Part 2 – Anaerobic Fermentation
- How to Master the Art of Fermentation – Part 3 – Aerobic Fermentation
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Fermented Sweet Red Cabbage
5 from 4 votes
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 0 minutes mins
Fermentation Time: 14 days d
Total: 14 days d 15 minutes mins
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Mary Bryant Shrader
Print RecipeSave RecipeRate Recipe
Enjoy this tasty side dish that's perfect if you're new to making and eating fermented vegetables.
Equipment
1 half gallon sized jar or 2 quart sized jars
Small 4 ounce jars to be used as weights or glass fermentation weights
Jar lid or "pickle pipes" (if using pickle pipes, you will also need canning rings)
Ingredients
- 1 3 pound Red cabbage
- 1 Apple, optional but highly recommended Any variety.
- 2 tablespoons Coarse ground sea salt Can substitute with 1 tablespoon fine ground sea salt. You can also use Himalayan Pink Salt or Redmond's Real Salt as substitutes.
- 1/4 cup Maple syrup, honey, or other natural sweetener Additional sweetener can be added.
Instructions
Remove outer cabbage leaves and set them aside.
Core cabbage and set cores aside.
Slice or shred cabbage as fine as possible and it place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and set the cabbage aside. The salt will begin to soften the cabbage and extract liquid from the cabbage.
Grate cabbage core and add to bowl.
If using, grate apple and add to bowl.
Pound cabbage mixture with a "kraut pounder" or "pickle packer" (see video) or use clean hands to squeeze the cabbage until it softens and releases a considerable amount of liquid.
Pack cabbage mixture into one half gallon-sized jar or two quart-sized jars.
Fold outer cabbage leaves into quarters and place them on top of the cabbage mixture in the jar.
Place 4-ounce jelly jar or glass fermentation weights on top of the cabbage leaves in the jar. Gently press down until all the cabbage is submerged under the liquid. If the cabbage is dry, add a bit of filtered water (chlorine-free) to ensure all the cabbage is submerged under the liquid.
Place a cap on the jar and tighten.
Place the jar in a bowl (to catch any overflow) and place the bowl in a warm undisturbed area that is approximately 68°F to 70°F.
As bubbles begin to appear in the jar, loosen the lid daily to release some of the gases that have built up, and then retighten the lid. (This step is not necessary if you are using the pickle pipes.)
After a few days of fermentation, use a clean fork to taste the red cabbage. If the taste is to your liking, refrigerate your red cabbage. Generally, it will take approximately 7-14 days for the red cabbage to reach its proper level of fermentation. Keep in mind that initially, it will taste salty, but the saltiness will mellow over the coming weeks.
If you want, you can sweeten your red cabbage after the fermentation process is complete. Transfer the red cabbage to a bowl and add in maple syrup, honey, Sucanat date sugar, or another natural sweetener, starting with a 1/4 cup and working up to the amount that pleases your palate.
Once sweetened to your liking, return the red cabbage to the jar, put the lid on the jar, and refrigerate it.
Video
Notes
You can find this recipe and accompanying video at https://marysnest.com/fermented-sweet-red-cabbage-recipe/
Copyright © 2020 Mary’s Nest, LLC, All Rights Reserved
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Keyword: Fermented Red Cabbage, Fermented Sweet Red Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Red Cabbage Sauerkraut, Sweet Red Cabbage
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Fermentation Supplies
- Half Gallon Canning Jars
- 4-Ounce Jelly Jars
- White Storage Lids
- pH Strips
- Masontops Complete Fermentation Kit
- Silicone Pickle Pipes
- Fermentation Glass Weights
- Wooden Pickle Packer
- Wooden Kraut Pounder
Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!
Recommended Reading
Disclaimer:I am not a medical doctor, a medical professional, a dietician, or a nutritionist. All content found on the MarysNest.com website, including text, images, videos, eBooks or eGuides, social media, or other formats, were created solely for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or proper nutritional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have watched in a video or read on this website. Use caution when following the recipe in this video. The creator and publisher of this video and website will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of this recipe and method or any other recipe and method on this website or corresponding video channel.
Posted in: Fermented Vegetables, Ferments
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