Many people know that the most delicious preparations for the winter are made from cabbage; it is not for nothing that this vegetable has long been considered the most popular in Rus', and dishes from it took up up to 80% of the main menu in the winter. Perhaps there is not a single one of all currently known vitamins that would not be found in cabbage. And if you take the numerous varieties of this vegetable, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage and others, then the amount of nutrients and beneficial substances contained in them is such that it is quite possible to provide yourself with a complete diet by eating only a variety of its types. After all, for example, Brussels sprouts even contain proteins with amino acids. A broccoli can really play a decisive role in the fight against cancer, which is so common today.
In today's fast-paced world, quick recipes are becoming increasingly popular. That's why cooking cabbage in a quick way cannot but interest modern housewives. And perhaps this happened with the use of acetic acid for pickling cabbage. Moreover, for supporters of a natural lifestyle, there is also a way out - in recipes instead of the usual table food vinegar, you can use apple or wine vinegar.In this case, no one can question the usefulness of your preparations. There are even recipes for making quick pickled cabbage in just a few hours. This is achieved mainly by pouring hot marinade over the vegetables. Additional condition quick cooking cabbage in these conditions, the cutting method is important - the smaller and thinner the pieces of the vegetable are, the faster it will marinate.
A simple and tasty assorted recipe
According to this recipe pickling cabbage lasts only 24 hours. Almost the next day you can treat your family to this dish. And since it turns out very beautiful, this appetizer is good to prepare just before any holiday celebration. You can marinate not only white cabbage according to this recipe, but also any other variety.
If you take cabbage weighing about 2 kg, then additionally you will need:
- Bell pepper, preferably red – 1 piece;
- Medium-sized carrots – 2 pieces;
- Cucumber – 1 piece;
- Onions – 1 pc.
It is probably unnecessary to say that all vegetables need to be thoroughly washed. But you don’t need to wash white cabbage at all; the main thing is to remove a few outer leaves from the fork, even if they seem completely clean at first glance.
It is best to cut the pepper into thin strips, grate the carrots and cucumber on a Korean grater, and chop the onion into thin rings.
White cabbage is best shredded using a special grater.But if you don’t have one, then sharpen a kitchen knife and use it to cut the heads of cabbage into thin noodles. If possible, avoid the stalk area and 6-8 cm around it, since at the very base of the head of cabbage the cabbage often has some bitter taste, which can affect the taste of the finished dish.
Cauliflower and broccoli are divided into small sprigs with florets, and Brussels sprouts are divided into heads. The largest of them can be cut into 2 or 4 parts.
Now all the chopped vegetables must be placed in one container and mixed with your hands. Please note that you should not crush or crush the cabbage, you just need to mix it thoroughly with all other vegetables.
After mixing, the vegetables can be temporarily set aside and you can start making the marinade. For one liter of purified water, add 30-40 grams of salt and 100 grams of sugar, then heat the mixture to a boil. If the housewife wishes, you can add black and allspice peas, bay leaves, dill and coriander seeds and cumin to the marinade to taste. Often a few cloves of finely chopped garlic are also added to the marinade.
After boiling, the heat under the marinade is removed, and an incomplete tablespoon of 70% vinegar essence is poured into it. Then the still hot marinade is poured over the vegetables waiting in the pan. Cabbage marinated in this way will be completely ready the next day. If you want to make a preparation from it for the winter, then you need to do it differently.
The crushed mixture of vegetables is placed in sterilized glass jars and first filled with ordinary boiling water.
At the same time, the marinade is prepared and poured in boiling form into jars with vegetables, and they are immediately screwed on with sterilized lids. After which the jars must be turned over and stored wrapped until completely cooled. This vegetable preparation is best stored in a cool place.
Cabbage "Provencal"
Among quick cooking recipes, Provencal cabbage is especially popular. And this is no coincidence, since it usually consists of a very beautiful salad of vegetables, among which cabbage occupies the main place. The main feature of preparing quick cabbage with such a poetic French name is the mandatory use of vegetable oil in the process of making the marinade. Below we will describe in detail the recipe for Provencal cabbage, the production of which using the hot pouring method will take you from several hours to a day.
For a minimum serving for 3-4 people, you will need 1 kg of white cabbage, 1 medium-sized beetroot, 1-2 carrots, 1 bell pepper and 4 cloves of garlic. If you have the opportunity to get fresh herbs, then adding one bunch of cilantro or parsley to the salad would be a good idea.
Salting cabbage according to this recipe is best done using apple cider vinegar, and usually this dish is not prepared for the winter, but stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
The easiest way is to cut all vegetables, including cabbage, into thin strips, and chop the garlic using a special crush. Cut the greens into pieces 1 cm long, and rinse the raisins well and scald with boiling water before using.
Mix all ingredients for Provençal cabbage thoroughly in a large container. The marinade for this recipe includes a minimal amount of water. Therefore, it is necessary that the cabbage be juicy. If you have doubts about its juiciness, you can take a double portion of water.
So, in 125 ml of water, dissolve 60 grams of sugar and 30 grams of salt by heating. When the marinade boils, add a few peas of allspice, cloves and a couple of bay leaves. Remove it from the heat, add 75 ml of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
For cooking cabbage hot method pour the marinade over all the original ingredients without waiting for it to cool. In this case, the cabbage will be ready in 3-4 hours. You just need to cover the vegetables on top with a plate and place any weight.
Just make sure that the level of cabbage juice that appears after pouring the marinade and installing the weight goes beyond the plate and the cooked vegetables are completely covered with it.
If you pour the already cooled marinade over the vegetables, the dish will take a little longer to prepare – about 24 hours. And in any case, after a day it will need to be hidden for storage in the refrigerator.
Pickled cabbage: useful tips
Each business has its own subtleties and features, without which it is sometimes impossible to achieve a meaningful result.
- To ensure that the taste of the finished marinated dish does not let you down, never skimp on the quality of the starting products - use only fresh, strong, hard-to-touch vegetables and fruits.
- You can cut cabbage in any way and preference for one or another shape of pieces is just a matter of your taste. But keep in mind that the larger the pieces to marinate, the more time you will need to cook them.
- To diversify and improve the taste of pickled cabbage, plums, apples, lingonberries and cranberries are often added to it. At the same time, berries not only have a positive effect on the taste, but also improve the preservation of canned vegetables.
- If you want to experiment, try improving the taste of a vegetable dish by adding spices such as cumin, ginger, coriander, rosemary, horseradish root and hot pepper to the marinade.
- Instead of regular table vinegar, you can use apple, wine, rice and other types of natural vinegar, as well as lemon juice or simply diluted citric acid.
Pickled cabbage prepared according to these recipes will not only serve as an excellent appetizer, but can also become the basis for a variety of salads, aromatic first courses, and also as a filling for pies.
