Pao cai (Pickled cabbage)
Pao cai (pickled cabbage) / 泡菜 pàocài)
Side Dish
Keep Screen Awake
Scale
Equipment
Mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 small cabbage or ½ medium cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 2 tsp salt (to draw out moisture)
- Optional: 3 cloves garlic (blanch for 30s first)
- Optional: 1 dried red chili pepper
Brine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup white vinegar OR 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- Tear cabbage leaves into 1.5” x 1.5” sections
- Cut carrot into matchsticks
- Add salt to cabbage and carrots, mix and allow to draw out water for 1 hour
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and chili peppers in a small saucepan
- Heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved
- Remove pickle mix from heat and let cool
- Rinse salted cabbage thoroughly with cold water, transfer drained cabbage to sanitized jar
- Pour cooled pickle mix into jar, ensuring cabbage is submerged. Use glass weight if necessary
- Refrigerate for 2 days before eating. Keeps up to 5-10 days