Pickled cabbage for winter – crunchy, full of vitamins and keeps for a long time

Pickled cabbage for winter – crunchy, full of vitamins and keeps for a long time recept

Name: Pickled cabbage for winter – crunchy, full of vitamins and keeps for a long time
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 2–2.5 kg white cabbage; 1 medium carrot; 3–4 bay leaves; whole allspice or black pepper to taste; 1.5 l boiled lukewarm water; 40–50 g salt (non-iodized); 2 tablespoons sugar

Easy to prepare
20 portions
40 minutes

Jan, 17. 12. 2025

Print recipe

Pickled cabbage is one of the most traditional methods of preserving vegetables. It is rich in vitamins C, B, K and minerals and, thanks to fermentation, is also a great natural probiotic. If you want to have a stock of healthy side dish for the whole winter, prepare pickled cabbage according to a proven recipe. The cabbage will remain crunchy, tasty and will keep until spring.

For 20 portions

Ingredients

2–2.5 kg white cabbage
1 medium carrot
3–4 bay leaves
whole allspice or black pepper to taste

For the brine:

1.5 l boiled lukewarm water
40–50 g salt (non-iodized)
2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation procedure

Preparing the brine: Dissolve the salt and sugar in the boiled lukewarm water.
Preparing the cabbage and vegetables: Remove the outer leaves and core from the cabbage heads. Cut or finely grate the cabbage. Peel the carrot and grate it coarsely. Mix the cabbage and carrot.
Filling the container: Start layering the cabbage and carrot into a clean glass or enamel container. Add a bay leaf and spices between the layers. Pour the prepared brine over so that the vegetables are completely submerged.
Fermentation: Loosely cover the container (not hermetically) and place it in a bowl, because some brine may overflow during fermentation. Leave it at room temperature for 2–3 days. Occasionally pierce the cabbage with a skewer to let gases escape and to prevent a bitter taste.
Finishing and storage: After 7 days the cabbage is ready to eat. For long-term storage, move it to a cool place with a temperature around 0 °C.

Preparation time and yield

Active preparation: about 40 minutes
Total time: 7–10 days (including fermentation)
Yield: approximately 3 liters of crunchy fermented cabbage

Conclusion

Homemade pickled cabbage is a great source of vitamin C and other beneficial substances. It tastes excellent as a side dish to meat, in soups and kapustnica, in stuffed dishes or simply with oil and onion. If you prepare and store it correctly, it will last the whole winter and remain tasty and healthy until spring.