Chinese Pickled Cabbage (A Quick Pickle Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Which vinegar is best for quick pickling? ›

Choosing the Right Vinegar

I recommend using Champagne vinegar, any white wine vinegar or rice vinegar when pickling. They all have a softer, less harsh flavor than a distilled white vinegar and will result in a more nuanced flavor in your pickles.

Place 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.

A big difference between Chinese sour cabbage and sauerkraut is that the latter is made of regular cabbage, while Chinese suancai is made of baicai, Chinese cabbage (or napa cabbage) with crunchier petioles and softer leaves that form the compact head.

Suancai (also called suan tsai and Chinese sauerkraut; lit. 'sour vegetable') is a traditional Chinese pickled Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage) or Chinese mustard, used for a variety of purposes.

No, there are other methods for pickling, including quick pickling and refrigerator pickling. But this pickling method does call for boiling the brine. This process helps bloom the flavors of the ingredients and help speed up the pickling process when it's added to the fresh vegetables or fruit.

Because apple cider vinegar is made from apples rather than barley, corn rice or wine, it gives pickles a mellower taste. Using a white distilled vinegar, for example, will create a harsher flavour. But as well as being gentler on your palate, using apple cider vinegar also adds health benefits to pickles.

Whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add vegetables and let sit, squeezing gently with your hands occasionally to help them pickle more quickly, 10 minutes.

Once the brine is hot and ready, pour it into your jars—leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid and the rim for liquid-induced expansion—and screw on the lids. The heat will soften your veg a little and speed up the pickling process. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then transfer them to the fridge.

Traditional pickle making includes canning, which uses high temperatures to sterilize and create an airtight seal that further preserves the contents from spoilage. Quick pickling uses the same basic ingredients as traditional pickling but you skip the canning process and store them in your refrigerator.

Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis) with an oval head of light green leaves. Its common names include Chinese white cabbage, Peking cabbage, or celery cabbage (due to its white stalks). The word “napa” comes from the Japanese word for leaves, but in Japan, it's called hakusai.

What are the two types of Chinese cabbage? ›

Chinese cabbages (also known as Chinese leaves or celery cabbage) are broadly divided into the headed types and the loose-headed types, depending on their propensity to produce tight, compact heads of internal leaves.

Chinese Cabbage

Napa cabbage, with its mild taste and crunchy texture, is used to make kimchi, the traditional Korean sauerkraut. In Korea, kimchi is used as both a side dish and a condiment.

Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis, or Brassica rapa Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas, and Australia.

Sauerkraut is incredibly nutritious and healthy. It provides probiotics and vitamin K2, which are known for their health benefits, and many other nutrients. Eating sauerkraut may help strengthen your immune system, improve your digestion, reduce your risk of certain diseases, and even lose weight.

Both sauerkraut and kimchi are fermented foods make by pickling fresh cabbage leaves (and other veggies) with lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria). They're gluten-free and packed with probiotics.

Pickling vinegar is more acidic than regular vinegar. It makes pickles crispier and their shelf life longer.

No. White vinegar is a more purified vinegar that is made by fermenting acetic acid in water. White vinegar is colourless, simple, and easy to make, and is often the more affordable option. Malt vinegar is sweeter, milder on the palate, and less acidic than white vinegar.

You can use any kind of vinegar, as long as it is at least 5% acid. Some vinegars will add another layer of flavor to your pickles. Some vinegars will add color to your pickles, this may or may not be desirable.