The simplest and most delicious recipes for salting Chinese cabbage at home

People get no less benefits from Chinese cabbage than from the more familiar white cabbage. But this variety of crop with soft and tender leaves is not stored fresh for a long time, so it is prepared at home for the winter in various ways. Read our article on how to salt Chinese cabbage.

Selection and preparation of Chinese cabbage for pickling

Truly healthy and tasty preparations are made only from high-quality raw materials.

Which heads of cabbage do you choose:

• rich white-green color;
• with elastic, well-developed leaves;
• no unpleasant odor;
• loose, but not flaccid.

Before preservation, each head of cabbage is carefully inspected, damaged and dried leaves are removed. Then rinse under running water and leave to dry.

Reference. Heads of cabbage with signs of severe wilting are not used for pickling. Such specimens are only suitable for immediate preparation of fresh and hot dishes after cleaning from damaged parts.

How to pickle the classic way

For regular pickling, you only need salt, water and a container of a suitable size. The cabbage itself is pre-prepared: the lower parts of the heads are removed, then each is cut in half or quarters.

Ingredients and proportions

For 10 kg of cabbage you will need 1 kg of salt and 1.2 liters of water. The amount of salt can be reduced to 0.5 kg.

Add spices to taste - bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns.But even without additional ingredients, you get a rich, pleasant taste.

Cooking instructions

The liquid is pre-prepared: water is brought to a boil and salt is dissolved in it.

Then follow the instructions:

1. Prepared vegetables are placed in a clean, dry container.
2. Fill in dense layers, leaving minimal gaps between the pieces.
3. Place a lid or a wooden board of a suitable shape on top of the filled container and press it with pressure.
4. Pour in the brine.

Properly placed vegetables will be covered with a layer of brine. The cabbage is left for 7 days. During this time, fermentation occurs at room temperature.

Reference. To ensure fermentation proceeds evenly, once a day the pressure is removed and the lid is lifted briefly, allowing gases to escape over the entire surface.

Recipe Variations

Many housewives adapt the classic recipe to their taste. Spicy herbs, hot seasonings, other vegetables and even fruits are added. The preparation time is reduced if you need to get quick results.

Fast way

A quick, spicy, crispy snack can be made in 6-8 hours if you use a marinade with the addition of vinegar.

First prepare the vegetables:

• 500 g cabbage cut into large pieces;
• 1 large carrot, chopped on a Korean grater;
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped;
• Place the ingredients in one bowl and add a pinch of coriander.

Then prepare the marinade:

1. Mix 70 ml of vegetable oil, 2 tsp. table vinegar (9%), sugar and salt 1 tsp each.
2. Heat the mixture slightly, pour it into the vegetables and stir.
3. After cooling, put it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Kimchi in Korean

This spicy preparation is a national Korean dish.Spicy Korean cabbage is also eaten as a vitamin-warming product during colds.

For 1 kg of cabbage you will need:

• 1 liter of water,
• 3 tbsp. l. salt,
• 4 tbsp. l. chopped pepper,
• 8 cloves of garlic.

Garlic and pepper are turned into a homogeneous mass using a blender or meat grinder and put into the refrigerator.

Step-by-step recommendations for salting:

1. Cut the heads of cabbage into 4 parts.
2. Boil water and dissolve salt in it.
3. Place the cabbage in a container and fill with brine.
4. Leave in a warm place to ferment.
5. After a day, drain the brine and coat all the cabbage pieces with the spicy mixture.
6. Place the workpieces back into the container, fill with brine, and press with pressure.

The appetizer is ready in 2-3 days. All this time it is kept in a warm room so that the fermentation process does not stop.

Reference. Wear rubber or plastic gloves when using and preparing hot paste. This will protect the skin of your hands from burns.

With vegetables

Salad for storing for the winter is made with a vinegar-based marinade.

Prepare:

• 1 kg coarsely chopped cabbage;
• 0.5 kg bell pepper in large strips;
• 0.5 kg finely chopped onions;
• 1 chopped hot pepper.

The marinade is prepared from 1 liter of water, 100 g of sugar, 50 g of salt and 100 ml of apple cider vinegar. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the stove and add all the ingredients.

Chopped vegetables are mixed in a large saucepan and seasoned with hot marinade. The salad is placed in clean, dry jars and sealed with sterile lids.

Reference. Thanks to its mild taste Chinese cabbage goes well with almost all vegetables. As a base, it is suitable for both spicy and regular salty preparations.

With pepper

Sweet pepper lovers will love this quick and easy recipe.

Prepare:

• cabbage pieces - 2 kg;
• bell pepper and onion into strips – 1 kg each;
• finely chopped chili pepper - 1 pc.

The vegetables are mixed and placed tightly in a glass container. Prepare the marinade: add 100 g of salt, 200 g of sugar, 1/2 tbsp to 2 liters of boiling water. apple cider vinegar.

Stir and remove from heat. Pour hot liquid over the vegetables and seal the jars.

With Chinese pear

Pickles to which fruit is added have an unusual taste. Chinese cabbage is salted with Chinese pear, and black radish is added for spiciness.

Step by step recipe:

1. Cut 3 heads of cabbage into quarters.
2. Peel 2 radishes and chop into thin slices.
3. Cut 1 pear into thin slices, remove the core.
4. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Mix vegetables, adding 60 g of salt.

Place the mixture in the prepared container and press down with pressure. After a day of fermentation, the appetizer is ready. It is served seasoned with vegetable oil.

Reference. The Chinese pear can easily be replaced by any other one with dense pulp and a sweet and sour taste.

With vinegar

The peculiarity of this recipe is the use of hard, thick parts of cabbage leaves. The green soft parts of the head of cabbage have another use - in fresh salads.

How to cook:

1. Chop 1 kg of thick white leaf bases into large strips.
2. Add one crushed hot pepper.
3. Add 1 tbsp. l. salt.
4. Stir and put in the refrigerator to release the juice.
5. Boil 100 ml of table vinegar (9%) and pour 5 tbsp into it. l. Sahara.
6. Pour marinade into vegetable mixture.

The salad is placed in sterile jars and covered with iron lids.

Reference. Chopped parsley, dill, celery and other herbs are added to this salad to taste.

Storage Features

Pickles are stored only in cold places - for the winter the containers are put away in a cellar, basement, or refrigerator.

The optimal temperature for fermented vegetables is +3°C.

Pickled preparations, rolled up in sterilized jars, are placed in a cool, dry place. A room away from heat sources and inaccessible to direct sunlight is suitable. For preservation This type of storage temperature ranges from 0 to +20°C.

How and with what to serve this appetizer

Salted Chinese cabbage is a universal dish that successfully serves as an independent snack. Decorated with greens or olives, like this workpiece appropriate even on a holiday table.

Often used in preparing first courses and salads. Goes well with potatoes, rice, meat as a side dish or addition to it.

This is interesting:

Harvesting in a timely manner: when to harvest Chinese cabbage from the garden and what determines the harvest time

How to determine that Chinese cabbage is getting ready to bloom, and what to do if this happens

Is it possible for a young mother to eat Chinese cabbage while breastfeeding?

Conclusion

In preparations, Chinese cabbage does not release tart juice like white cabbage, so the pickles are obtained with a mild, piquant taste. Following the recipe, snacks are prepared in a variety of options - spicy, salty, with vegetables and fruits.

A nutritious and vitamin-rich dish will not only make the daily menu more varied, but will also decorate the festive feast.