Pickled red cabbage - as easy as anything to make, though you'll need some raspberry vinegar if you use the recipe below. I got mine at Earthy - it tastes so delicious I'm going back for more to use in all sorts of other things - but you can also find Womersley bottles with their beautiful labels for sale online here.
Core and roughly shred the cabbage (I had only 1/2, which made the two jars you see here, but the recipe as follows is for a whole one). Layer it in a bowl, sprinkling it with sea salt and leave it, covered, for several hours or overnight. Rinse and dry it and pack it into sterilised jars. Boil 700ml red wine vinegar, 500 ml raspberry vinegar, 3 large bay leaves, 6 cloves and 12 juniper berries, for 3 minutes, then pour over the cabbage so that it's covered with the liquid. Add more vinegar if you're short (I needed a bit extra).
I can't tell you yet how this tastes as it has to be left in a cool dark place for at least a month, but apparently it's good with stews and roast meats, and the colour alone would add zing to any dish.
Pickled red cabbage is the traditional accompaniament to Lancashire hot-pot, basically a lamb stew with thinly sliced potatoes on top, which form a crunchy crust. A hot-pot supper is lovely on a cold wet winter evening.
Posted by: Janet | 04 July 2011 at 01:09 PM
We love Lancashire hot-pot, Janet, so that's a must with the pickle once it's ready to eat! Thankyou for suggesting it.
Posted by: Cornflower | 04 July 2011 at 01:52 PM
As someone who makes beetroot chutney (the web has lots of recipes) I really must give this a try. I am the only one of the family who eats this stuff and I just love it!
Posted by: Barbara MacLeod | 31 August 2011 at 09:46 PM