It is not for nothing that various cabbage dishes are considered the basis of the Russian feast - after all, since its appearance in Rus', both on princely farmsteads and in peasant huts, no one has ever disdained sauerkraut or salted cabbage. In our hasty times, not every housewife has an extra minute to put cabbage into sourdough with feeling, sense and soul, and even wait the allotted time from several weeks to several months until the moment when you can enjoy the aromatic crispy pickled appetizer.
In the modern world, quick recipes are becoming increasingly popular, so preparing quick pickled cabbage will most arouse the interest of housewives. After all, it is marinating that allows you to taste a cabbage dish within a few hours, and after a day it will be able to acquire a completely complete taste and aroma. And pickled cabbage with beets instant cooking is considered one of the most elegant and delicious dishes that can be made from cabbage. It is quite suitable for both the daily menu and a formal feast.
What is needed for pickling cabbage
How to pickle cabbage with beets will be discussed in this article.But before delving into the intricacies of recipes, it is necessary for inexperienced cooks to understand what exactly makes pickled cabbage.
It is this that allows you to speed up the fermentation process significantly and in the shortest possible time get a delicious salad that tastes not much different from pickled and salted dishes.
But on the other hand, not everyone likes the vinegary taste in prepared dishes, and many people who lead a healthy lifestyle often fundamentally refuse to use ordinary table vinegar in their preparations. What can be advised in such cases?
First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind that, in addition to traditional table vinegar, there are many varieties of vinegar of natural origin in the world. Their use is even good for health, but the taste is much softer and can satisfy the most demanding requirements of real gourmets. After all, natural vinegars are obtained as a result of the fermentation of alcohol-containing liquids such as grape wine, apple cider, beer wort and others. Due to the rich composition of the starting components in the finished products, in addition to acetic acid, you can also find malic, lactic, citric, ascorbic acids, as well as esters, pectin substances and many other organic compounds that give natural vinegar a pleasant aroma and mild taste.
The following types of natural vinegar are most often used for pickling:
- Apple vinegar, which is made from apple cider. Cabbage marinated with apple cider vinegar acquires a delicate apple aroma and a sweetish taste. If you have apples growing in your garden, the easiest way is to make your own apple cider vinegar and then use it for a variety of salads and preparations.
- Vinegar can be prepared from white or red wine. It is able to give cabbage marinated with beets a tart and unique taste and a slightly woody aroma. There is also balsamic vinegar, but thanks to many years of aging in special conditions, it is so valuable that only true gourmets can afford to use it for pickling.
- Rice vinegar is very popular among lovers of Asian cuisines. Its richness in amino acids makes it one of the healthiest varieties of vinegar. If you are planning to pickle cabbage using it, you are guaranteed a slight touch of oriental exoticism.
- Malt vinegar It is prepared from fermented beer wort, and is most widespread in the islands of Great Britain. It is rarely found outside of their borders, but if you are lucky enough to get it or even make it yourself, pickled cabbage will have a delicate and mild taste with a fruity aroma.
Quick cooking recipes
There are many recipes for quick preparation of pickled cabbage with beets, but among them stand out those that are prepared in just a few hours and the so-called daily recipes. The difference between them is mainly in the way cabbage heads and other vegetables used in the recipes are cut.To make super-quick pickled cabbage with beets, cabbage heads are usually chopped into narrow pieces or thin slices no larger than 4x4 cm. It is most convenient to grate carrots and beets.
But when making daily pickled cabbage, the size of the cut and its method do not matter at all; moreover, small heads of cabbage are often cut into only 6-8 pieces. And carrots and beets are often cut into thin slices.
These methods also differ in the composition of the ingredients for the marinade, but so slightly that the recipe for the fastest method can be used to prepare cabbage a day in advance and vice versa.
The table below shows the difference in ingredients for both cooking methods.
Necessary components | Cabbage in 4-5 hours | |
Cabbage | 2 kg | 2 kg |
Carrot | 2 pieces | 2 pieces |
Beet | 1 large | 1 large |
Garlic | 3-4 cloves | 1 head |
Purified water | 200 ml | 1 liter |
Salt | 1 tbsp. spoon | 2 tbsp. spoons |
Sugar | 100 g | 100 g |
Table vinegar 9% | 100 ml | 150 ml |
Sunflower oil | 130 ml | 150-200 ml |
Allspice and hot pepper | — | 3-5 pieces |
Bay leaf | — | 2-3 pieces |
The process of preparing cabbage is very simple. Mix the appropriately chopped vegetables with the chopped garlic in a separate container. Set aside and prepare the marinade.
To prepare the marinade, mix water with salt, sugar, heat to a boil, pour in sunflower oil and add spices if necessary. Wait until the mixture boils again and remove from heat. At the end, add the required amount of vinegar.
The fastest method is to place all the vegetables in a glass jar and gradually pour boiling marinade over them. At first it may seem like there isn't enough marinade to cover all the vegetables. You need to wait about 20 minutes until the juice comes out. Then there should be enough liquid. Cover the jar loosely with a lid and leave to cool at normal room temperature. After about 5 hours, the cabbage can be served. During this time, it will acquire a beautiful beetroot hue and lightly salted taste and aroma.
If you prefer a recipe for cooking cabbage within a day, then it is better to leave the vegetables in the pan, also pour boiling marinade over them, then press them on top with a lid or plate and place a small weight. Under these conditions, the cabbage will be completely ready to serve after a day.
Using the above recipes and experimenting with different varieties of vinegar, you can surprise your guests and family with the varied flavors of this beautiful cabbage dish.
