19 December 2021

Red cabbage and beetroot pickle recipe from River Cottage

19 December 2021

Lucy Brazier from River Cottage has been preparing her festive larder since September – and one of the most important things she keeps stored away is a flavoursome jar of pickle.

This red cabbage and beetroot version will add a bit of zing to any dish, not to mention a particularly dramatic colour…

Red cabbage and beetroot pickle recipe

Ingredients:

(Makes a 1.5L jar)

200g beetroot, peeled and grated500g red cabbage, slicedFinely grated zest of 2 oranges10g cumin seeds, toasted and bashed5g caraway seeds toasted and bashed5 juniper berries, lightly crushed

For the pickling liquor:

700ml cider vinegar20g coriander seeds, toasted20g fennel seeds, toasted10g black peppercorns20g salt1 dried red chilli (optional)

Method:

1. First, prepare the pickling liquor. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, pour on 200ml water and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for an hour.

2. Meanwhile, put the beetroot, red cabbage, orange zest and spices into a bowl and toss to mix.

3. Bring the infused pickling liquor back to the boil, then pour it through a sieve straight over the veg mix. Stir to combine.

4. This pickle is nice to eat as soon as it cools, but ideally should be packed into a sterilised 1.5L Kilner jar, sealed and left for a couple of weeks. It will keep in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months; once opened, it needs to be stored in the fridge.

Christmas At River Cottage by Lucy Brazier and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £22. Photography by Charlotte Bland. Available now.

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