Taiwanese Pickled Cabbage
This is a very refreshing and appetizing side dish that goes perfectly with dumplings, fried food, spicy food, BBQ, any meat. Almost everything!
I particularly craved for the lightly spicy, sweet and sour taste of the pickled Cabbage this past Summer that I made it twice. I usually make several jars each time and share with my family and friends. The second batch I made this Summer, I kept all 3 jars knowing they would last several weeks, and could come very handy as a veggie dish. I even had it as breakfast!
Feel free to increase amount of the garlic cloves, Sichuan peppercorn and hot red pepper if you like it more piquant. Just remember to keep the golden ratio for marinade as water: rice vinegar: sugar = 1 : 1 : 0.5.
*Sterilize glass jars/containers in boiling water for 5 minutes. Cool and dry completely before using.
*Avoid contact with tap water for all vegetables and containers including lids. Only use cooled, boiled water for washing. (Filtered water is ok, but boiled water is the best!)
Serving: about 3 34oz glass jars
Ingredients:
2.5- 3 lb Taiwanese (flat) cabbage
1-2 medium sized carrot
1/4 -1/3 cup salt
10 cloves garlic
2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn
3 long hot red pepper
8-10 Licorice slices (甘草)
4 cups water
4 cups Taiwan Kong Yen rice vinegar (or any rice vinegar)
2 cups white sugar
3 tbsp honey
Instructions:
1. Make the marinade first by heating up water, rice vinegar, and white sugar in a pot till sugar dissolves, liquid gets warm, but not boiling. Turn off the heat, add Licorice slices and hot red peppers. Let cooled before stirring in honey. Remove Licorice slices before pouring.
(water : rice vinegar : sugar = 1 : 1 : 0.5)
2. Without washing. Discard blemished outer leaves of the cabbage. Tear cabbage leaves into large pieces (about 2.5” x 2.5”) by hand, cut thick stems into smaller pieces using a knife if needed.
3. Shred or cut the carrots, mince garlic cloves, and slice hot red pepper into long rings.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrot and salt. I usually do a layer of vegetable, a layer of salt sprinkle, repeat, then hand toss everything together to ensure even distribution of salt. Let sit covered in room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Can mix again in between.
5. When the cabbage pieces look soften, shrunk and more translucent. It’s ready to wash off the salt. Rinse the pickled vegetables with cooled boiled water several times (till leaves don’t taste salty), then squeeze out excess water. Keep drained vegetables in a clean bowl.
Pickled cabbage looking soft and translucent.
6. Put some Sichuan peppercorn and minced garlic in the jars/ containers before adding a layer of pickled cabbage and carrot, pour in some cooled marinade with hot red peppers. The idea is to alternate layers of all ingredients to make sure flavors will be even. Repeat the layering process till filling the jars/ containers and cabbage is completely submerged in marinade.
7. Keep tightly sealed jars of pickled cabbage in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, better 12-24 hours before serving.
