Somewhere between braised cabbage and a crunchy pickle, this colourful sweet and sour version is equally delicious served warm with a roast, or cold with a festive ham or in sandwiches.
3 cm piece fresh root ginger (about 30g), peeled and finely grated
3 bay leaves, fresh or dried
2 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp. white/yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
2 litre sealable jar or container
Directions
Step 1Cut the red cabbage into quarters, remove and discard the woody core, then finely shred the wedges. Put into a large colander, sprinkle over the salt and toss to coat. Set over a large bowl, cover and leave at room temperature for 12hr (or overnight) to draw out excess moisture.
Step 2For the pickle mixture, in a large pan, heat the vinegar, sugar, ginger, bay leaves and spices, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bubble for 5min.
Step 3Shake any residual moisture from the cabbage and add cabbage to the vinegar pan. Bubble for 2-3min, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage turns pink but is still crunchy. Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries, orange zest and juice.
Step 4Spoon into a large sterilised jar or sealable container (including any pickling liquid). Seal, cool and chill for at least 1 day before serving.
Step 5To serve (if serving warm), tip into a medium pan and heat gently, stirring, for 4-5min, until warmed through, then transfer to a serving dish. Alternatively, serve cold or at room temperature.
GET AHEAD Cool and store in a sealed jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If serving warm, reheat as per step
GH TIP To sterilise jars, preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Wash jars in hot, soapy water. Put on a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper and warm in oven for 10-15min, until dry. Or run through a hot dishwasher cycle.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
