Pickled red cabbage might just be the prettiest condiment in town. It's bright, crunchy and delicious. Keep extras in the fridge to jazz up weekday lunches and dinners. Add pickled red cabbage to mezze platters, falafel, pita, tacos you name it.
Salt cabbage: Add cabbage to a large bowl. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) of the salt. Use your hands to rub the salt into the cabbage. Transfer to a clean 1 liter heatproof jar or container.
Pickling brine: Add water, the remaining 2 teaspoons (10ml) of salt, sugar, bay leaves, mustard seeds, and pepper to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Combine: Pour pickling brine into the jar. Add white vinegar. Close the lid and give the jar a good shake to mix. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours (but cabbage is best enjoyed after 3 days, see note 1).
Notes
Pickling time: The cabbage can be eaten after just 24 hours of pickling, but it'll continues to pick up flavor, so we find it's best after 3 days. At the 3 day mark, we usually pull out and discard the bay leaves (to give more manoeuvring room for scooping cabbage out of the jar).
Storage tips: Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.