Curtido

This lightly pickled cabbage dish from Central America is a great accompaniment to tacos, tostadas and sandwiches and makes a great addition to a bean and grain bowl. Consider this a baby step toward fermenting sauerkraut or kimchi!

Ingredients

1 head cabbage, outer leaves removed, head thinly sliced
½ large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 hot pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
½ cup white vinegar
2 ½ cups water

Directions

Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with a few pinches of
the salt, massage together, squeezing and tossing well. Add
onion, pepper and oregano and toss together. Let sit about 15
minutes, until cabbage is a bit limp. Meanwhile mix together
vinegar, water and the remaining salt. Stir well to dissolve. Pack
cabbage into quart jar (depending on the size of your cabbage
you may need a quart and a pint or even 2 quarts). Pour brine
over mixture then use a glass or ziplock bag of water to weigh
down cabbage, so it remains submerged. Put on a tray to capture
and spills, cover with a clean towel and let sit at room
temperature for 3-5 days, until pleasantly sour. Transfer to fridge
and eat within one month.

Submitted by Sara Jones