Canning Cabbage
I had 4 large heads of cabbage that weighted about 25 pounds. We had some really
hot days and I figured I better get the last of them picked soon. My daughter Sierra and I ended up
processing 3 of them yesterday and I have one left for a meal on my menu this week.
I made pickled cabbage and then canned up the last of the cabbage.
Here is the recipe for the pickled cabbage (according to how I made it)…
8 pounds cabbage
1 large onion
1 ½ red peppers
1 lb carrots
¾ cup salt
9 cups water
12 cups white vinegar
10 cups sugar
1t mustard seed
1t celery seed
Slice cabbage thinly. Slice onion and peppers. Grate carrots. Mix all veggies together in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix in well. Let sit for 2 hours to soften veggies. Rinse veggies well.
In a large stock pot (mine was 14 quarts) combine water, vinegar, sugar, spices. Bring to a boil. Add cabbage/veggies. Bring to a boil. Fill hot pint jars with veggies using a slotted spoon. Fill jar with brine to one inch of the top. Wipe down top of jar. Apply lid and ring. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. These measurements made 14 pint jars.
Here it is in pics...
Slice and grate all your veggies. Put in a large bowl and cover with salt. Mix well. Let it sit for 2 hours…
Mix up your brine and add rinsed veggies. Bring to a boil..
Scoop out veggies with a slotted spoon and fill hot pint jars..
Add brine…
Remove air bubbles…
Wipe the jar top, put on a lid and ring…
Put in canner of boiling water. Make sure the water is at least one inch above the top of the jars…
Process (boil the jars) for 15 minutes. Remove from canner and let them cool….
I still had about 12 pounds of cabbage left. I decided to can just plain cabbage. SO… here is my disclaimer… Today the USDA does not recommend canning cabbage. For various reasons. Mostly related to botulism concerns. Believe me I do understand this. However up until about 10 years ago canning cabbage was not a problem. If you ever have botulism concerns about any of your home canned foods, you simply need to boil the food after you open the jars for a period of time. I have read anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Since my desire for this canned cabbage is to use it in homemade soups (which we eat a lot of during the fall/winter/spring months).. I know my cabbage will get cooked again, enough to alleviate any botulism concerns for me. All that to say, I am not recommending you can cabbage, you do what you feel is best for your family. I am just sharing what I did and why I personally have no problem with canning cabbage…
I began by chopping up my 12 pounds of cabbage into large pieces and added it to a large pot of boiling water….
I boiled it for 3 minutes. Then began to fill quart jars (I put 1 teaspoon of salt into the bottom of each jar)…
Then added boiling water and left 1 inch of head space…
I removed air bubbles, added more water if necessary, wiped the rim, put on a lid and ring and put them in my canner…
I canned the cabbage at 10 pounds pressure (for my elevation) for 55 minutes. And that was it…
I made pickled cabbage and then canned up the last of the cabbage.
Here is the recipe for the pickled cabbage (according to how I made it)…
8 pounds cabbage
1 large onion
1 ½ red peppers
1 lb carrots
¾ cup salt
9 cups water
12 cups white vinegar
10 cups sugar
1t mustard seed
1t celery seed
Slice cabbage thinly. Slice onion and peppers. Grate carrots. Mix all veggies together in a very large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix in well. Let sit for 2 hours to soften veggies. Rinse veggies well.
In a large stock pot (mine was 14 quarts) combine water, vinegar, sugar, spices. Bring to a boil. Add cabbage/veggies. Bring to a boil. Fill hot pint jars with veggies using a slotted spoon. Fill jar with brine to one inch of the top. Wipe down top of jar. Apply lid and ring. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. These measurements made 14 pint jars.
Here it is in pics...
Slice and grate all your veggies. Put in a large bowl and cover with salt. Mix well. Let it sit for 2 hours…
Mix up your brine and add rinsed veggies. Bring to a boil..
Scoop out veggies with a slotted spoon and fill hot pint jars..
Add brine…
Remove air bubbles…
Wipe the jar top, put on a lid and ring…
Put in canner of boiling water. Make sure the water is at least one inch above the top of the jars…
Process (boil the jars) for 15 minutes. Remove from canner and let them cool….
I still had about 12 pounds of cabbage left. I decided to can just plain cabbage. SO… here is my disclaimer… Today the USDA does not recommend canning cabbage. For various reasons. Mostly related to botulism concerns. Believe me I do understand this. However up until about 10 years ago canning cabbage was not a problem. If you ever have botulism concerns about any of your home canned foods, you simply need to boil the food after you open the jars for a period of time. I have read anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. Since my desire for this canned cabbage is to use it in homemade soups (which we eat a lot of during the fall/winter/spring months).. I know my cabbage will get cooked again, enough to alleviate any botulism concerns for me. All that to say, I am not recommending you can cabbage, you do what you feel is best for your family. I am just sharing what I did and why I personally have no problem with canning cabbage…
I began by chopping up my 12 pounds of cabbage into large pieces and added it to a large pot of boiling water….
I boiled it for 3 minutes. Then began to fill quart jars (I put 1 teaspoon of salt into the bottom of each jar)…
Then added boiling water and left 1 inch of head space…
I removed air bubbles, added more water if necessary, wiped the rim, put on a lid and ring and put them in my canner…
I canned the cabbage at 10 pounds pressure (for my elevation) for 55 minutes. And that was it…
I have never canned before and would love to give it a try. Someone told me after you have the jars ready instead of boiling you could put them in a heated oven in a cake pan to seal the jars, every try that?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Sandy
Sandy, oven canning is not considered a safe way to can anything. It is important to follow safe canning procedures to insure your family does not get sick. You can find information on canning here: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html
DeleteCrystal :)
i agree...oven canning isn't recommended for anything except dry things....oatmeal, dry beans, rice, etc.
DeleteI want to Pin this recipe, Crystal. Does blogger provide Pinterest buttons? Want to try it enough, though, that I'm going to do it the long way ;).
ReplyDeleteI'll look into it Carol.. Crystal :)
DeleteFound you through pinterest...this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteyou're welcome! Crystal :)
DeleteI had to laugh at myself when reading this post. I was all excited because one of my cabbages got to a little over 6 pounds. For some reason I don't do well growing cabbage. Maybe someday I will get a 25 pound one. What kind of cabbage do you grow? I make the cabbage salad, but mine is frozen.
ReplyDeleteCheryl... It was 4 cabbages equaling 25lbs.. :D .. My biggest was about 9lbs.. I bought them as starters in the spring. I also have not had a lot of luck with cabbages in the past so I decided to give starters a try. Much better experience. The variety was called: Copenhagen Cabbage and it was organic.
DeleteCrystal :)
There is a cabbage called OS Cross that gets 25# and more.
DeleteThank you Thank you for posting this. My husband is from El Salvador and we eat a lot of pickled cabbage (cortido) and I've been thinking of trying to can it. When I make it fresh it is basically the same recipe you posted except instead of mustard/celery seed I use oregano. Oh and onions. Adding this to my canning list for week after next. Taking a week off work to do some canning.
ReplyDeleteSandra, I've made cortido and LOVE it!! Good luck with your canning! :)
DeleteCrystal :)
I haven't been on this site for a while and was reading through some old posts. I almost laughed out loud when I read this. The FDA says not to can cabbage because of health concerns, have they not checked out all the preservatives they OK for all that packaged food on the shelf? I appreciate you being so responsible when you post, but I know you must find that as amusing as I do;)
ReplyDeleteLOL Raychel.. yes I do.. :D .. Just have to cover my hiney.. you know? ;) :)
DeleteCrystal :)
Can I put cabbage in a pressure caner?
DeleteWhat I saw about canning and ovens was in regard to preparing the jars. After washing them thoroughly put the jars in the oven on a cookie sheet right side up. Turn on the oven to 300F and let them sit there for 15 minutes, that will sterilize them. Leave them in the oven to cool long enough so that you can handle them, then fill them and process as usual. You can also leave them there until whenever you need them a little later, you do not have to use them immediately but soon. It did not say to use the oven to process them.
DeleteYes you need to Pressure can it at 10 pounds of pressure for 55 minutes
ReplyDeleteHow much water do you put in the pressure caner?
ReplyDeleteUsually I put in about 2 or 3 inches..
DeleteThank you so much for your posts. I'm just starting with my canning adventures and did six pints jalepenos peppers last night. Turned out beautiful. Now, on your plain cabbage, I want to do that next. I don't have a pressure canner, I use the water bath method. How long would you recommend I process the cabbage using the water bath method? 15 minutes? Thanks so much. Pamela.
ReplyDeletePamela.. you can not can plain cabbage in a water bath canner... big no, no.. All low acid foods (which is all veggies)must be canned in a pressure canner. Botulism is very big concern if food is not canned using the proper methods. You can do pickled cabbage in a water bath canner (that would be the first recipe). The addition of vinegar raises the acid levels high enough that the jars can be canned in a water bath canner safely ...
Deletehttp://www.cdc.gov/features/homecanning/
http://www.pickyourown.org/botulism.htm
Crystal
I have read and been told not to use a water bath when canning vegetables, unfortunately I had already canned some collard greens using this method. I recently opened a container and it was fine - I believe that the vinegar was the key (it's been 1 yr.). My aunt (an experienced canner) told me that if the liquid bubbles when you open the jar or if is smells "sour" discard it. Following learning this information, I invested in a pressure canner and have been canning everything I can think of. I bought it at walmart for about $65 and there was a very helpful booklet that came with it.
ReplyDeleteShanett
Hi Shanett, Unfortunately botulism can not be seen or smelled.. which is one reason it is so deadly.. If you added vinegar to your collard greens than you may have upped the acid levels enough to be safe. Good job on the pressure canner.. if you can your own foods, they are very much worth the expense for your family's safety.. Crystal :)
DeleteAre you using a pressure canner when you do the normal cabbage that you use for soup? Or a normal water bath one? I have a lot of cabbage I want to harvest before the frost hits and I have already made frozen meals of cabbage rolls and dehydrated some to add to soup but that take a long time to dehydrate since Ive only got one and canning is fun lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, you must use a pressure canner for the cabbage You must can all low acid foods (all veggies, meat, fish, etc) with a pressure canner. Crystal :)
DeleteHELP!!!!!! I just canned cabbage like a dummy using a water bath method. Now my jars are coming unsealed. Can I recan them in a pressure canner? If so how do I do this?
ReplyDeleteIf they been canned for awhile, unfortunately I would have to say.. dump them. It is not worth the health risks to your family... All vegetables must be canned in a pressure canner..
DeleteDump them!!!! Don't take any chances whatsoever!!!!
DeleteHi after you canned your cabbage did it turn an off color? more on the brown side? I just want to make sure that I am doing the right thing,,,
ReplyDeleteyes mine did, however I took off the top of the cabbage and used it anyway. I fried mine and also used it in boiled dinner it was fine and my family was ok. Just a thought how did farms from long ago preserve thier cabbage
DeleteMost farms had root cellars or cold rooms where the temperatures were slightly above freezing. Cabbages keep very well under those conditions. Being able to simply put cabbages on a shelf, or pack carrots, beets and turnips in sand or put potatoes in a bin, meant that the fall harvest was easier (than canning everything) and fresh vegetables were available throughout the winter. I put in a huge garden and have a root cellar. I pickle and can vegetables that don't keep eg tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers but the rest go into the root cellar.
DeleteI can as well and I have not had a problem with canning cabbage, especially pickled cabbage or chow chow. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteHow do you use your pickled cabbage?
ReplyDeleteSometimes just as is.. as a side dish.. my favorite way to use it is dump a jar over a pork roast in the crockpot and let it cook all day.. it is amazing!
DeleteCrystal..... great info. If things are done properly, botulism is not a problem. Here's the rub though, if botulism toxin IS present, boiling will not help. Boiling will kill the botulism bacteria but not their chemical by-product. It's the like trying to neutralize chlorine bleach for consumption by boiling.....its still not safe to ingest. Just wanted to pass that on, hope it helps.
ReplyDeletehave you ever waterbathe collards greens? I don't have a pressure canner and all the veggies I can usually a three hour bath, such as my green beans and they turn out great. Just wondering about the greens and cabbage as far as a water bath?
ReplyDeleteI could never EVER recommend canning vegetables of any type in a water bath... no matter how long you do it.. it does not guarantee that dangerous bacteria will be killed... my family is not worth the risk to me...
DeleteThe higher heat of the pressure canner kills botulism, boiling water is not a high enough heat, no matter how long you boil it to kill the botulism.
DeleteThis can not be said often enough. Please do NOT water bath veggies! you can't see or smell botulism! It is deadly! It will kill you! Yes, your great-grandmother did not have a pressure canner and lived to tell the tale but there were lots of factors involved that do not exist today. You MUST pressure can. I'm sorry to be so bold here, but I read it on every post. Someone is always saying they have water bathed for hours and it should be fine. It is not.
DeleteHello, I have several Quart bags of cabbage in the freezer. Can I thaw the cabbage out and pressure can them anyway since they have been frozen? I need to find something to do with them.
ReplyDeleteI would not do this.. the cabbage would be mush when you are done canning.. maybe try using it in soups and stews instead..
Deletei wanted to can cabbage but i had a water bath and i read were it wasn't safe to use with cabbage so i put it in stuffed cabbage rolls and salad ,i just replaced my old pressure ccanner so i can can it next year thank you Estella
DeleteI am looking to can my pico de gallo. I use well chopped cabbage to give it substance. I use lime juice with it. I know that I would have to use the bottled lime juice for acidity levels. Do you see any issues with botulism? I will not be heating this up. Just open and eat it.
ReplyDeleteNow this is a blog I can relate to! I have been waterbath canning for around 40 years but now am in an apartment so don't have the freezer space for the veggies. This month I was very wicked and invested in an All American 21 qt. pressure canner. It is gorgeous! I am having a blast, currently working on Buttercup squash, lots of it. I went to my storage and discovered most of the veggies I acquired in the fall have survived - don't know why or how: carrots, beet, cabbage and more squash. Intend to attack the cabbage first. For that I: clean, chop, wilt, jar, process (90 min. @ 15 lb.) ,cool. Anything else I should know? It's great to have someone available who knows what they are doing. It surely takes ages to get it up to pressure, and then back down again.
ReplyDeleteThat's the same canner I have had for years. You will love it !!! You do need to have a lot of patience.. I just schedule other things around heating up and cooling off times. Enjoy
DeleteTwo questions: when it says "add 3" of water," it says to do that before putting the jars in the pressure canner. If I do that the water comes over the top of the jars by the time the 7th one is put in the canner. For water bath that is fine, but one should not fill the pressure canner more than half full. I have been removing water so it comes half way up the jars. Is this right?
ReplyDelete2) How would you preserve two sacks of onions, to prevent them going bad? They have survived so far but are anxious that I do something with them soon!
Hi Wordmongeress.. that should read.. 3 inches of water.. you don't need a lot.. sorry about that!
DeleteFreezing is the best way to preserve onions.. you can also pickle them and water bath can them.
Crystal
I just dehydrated 6 pounds of Vadalia onions and they fit in a quart jar. They turned out beautifully. Seal them with a a FoodSaver and store in a dark cool place and they will have at least if not longer a 2 year shelf life. I usually try to have at least a half gallon jar to last the winter.
DeleteI have caramelized my onions overnight in a crock pot w/butter/olive oil and then pressured canned them. They are amazing to have on hand. I toss a Tbsn in a qt of canned green beans, heat for 15 min and the flavor is amazing.
DeleteI canned onions by the water bath method . Oh yes they cooked down but will be great for soup. had about 10 # I am tempted to do some pickled onions, using the red onions.
DeleteDana, How long and what pressure do you can your onions at?
DeleteWhat is your take on the old bail jars? I have been using them for years for fruits and jams, etc., for water bath canning. They work fine for me if I behave myself and am careful. Would you think I should stay with just water bath for them or how do you feel about using them for pressure canning?
ReplyDeleteI have canning jars that my grandmother gave me.. and use them for pressure canning.. they are very old.. I've never had an issue with them..
DeleteI have very old jars as well (I grew up near the Ball factory) and I use them regularly and the only issue I have is the bottom blowing out of one while canning.
DeleteDo you really need the sugar in your pickled cabbage?
ReplyDeleteIf you like your cabbage super tart.. then no, you don't..
DeleteDoes it come out super sweet with so much sugar? My husband likes spicy pickled things and the spicier the better so I was thinking about leaving out the sugar and adding red pepper flakes?
DeleteI was wondering the same thing. Can half stevia, half sugar be substituted?
ReplyDeleteI do not use any type of artificial sweetener.. so I have no experience on how this would affect the end result..
DeleteStevia is not an artificial sweetener, you can grow stevia in your vegetable/herb garden.
DeleteMy mom has been canning for as long as I can remember in water baths. Tomatoes, V8 juice, carrots, beans, beets, you name it and we have never experienced any problems or sickness.
ReplyDeleteis the salt canning salt , or table salt? thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this! I was given three GIANT heads of cabbage and just canned two of them and got 10 qt (and those qts were packed so tightly we couldn't run the thing down to get the air bubbles out!). I'm hoping they all seal as this is a great addition to vegetable soup this winter!
ReplyDeleteRe: How did farmers preserve cabbage in the past. I believe they stored them in root cellars, as well as potatoes, root vegetables and apples.
ReplyDeleteI canned this recipe a month ago and already out because my family loves it so much..canning another batch today 💜💜💜👍Thanks ☺
ReplyDeleteI dehydrate my cabbage for soups. Just throw a little in and let it simmer.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to try out the pickled cabbage. We love cabbage, but cannot stand sourkraut. My family either boils cabbage and spoons it, with it's juice, over cornbread or fries it in a skillet with just enough butter/bacon fat to keep it from sticking, with slices of smoked sausage. We make cornbread muffins to go with the fried cabbage. A little bit of of cabbage can brown up using the frying method, it doesn't hurt it a bit.
ReplyDeleteDid you leave plain cabbage vent for 10 mins before adding pressure?
ReplyDeleteYes..
DeleteI was wondering what your attitude was I'm high in the mountains at almost 5,000 feet You said 10 pounds I need to know if I have to moderate that
ReplyDeleteYes.. you must ALWAYS adjust for altitude.. :)
Deletehttp://www.simplycanning.com/altitude-adjustments.html
Just thought I would add this little "scary" bit of info. Botulism isn't just a 'bad case of food poisoning' like I always thought! And you CANNOT see, smell or taste it. Just be safe with your canning methods.
ReplyDeleteBotulism
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a bacterium which occurs in soil. It produces a toxin that affects your nerves. Foodborne botulism comes from eating foods contaminated with the toxin.
Sources •Infants: Honey, home-canned vegetables and fruits, corn syrup
•Children and adults: Home-canned foods with a low acid content, improperly canned commercial foods, home-canned or fermented fish, herb-infused oils, baked potatoes in aluminum foil, cheese sauce, bottled garlic, foods held warm for extended periods of time
Incubation Period •Infants: 3-30 days
•Children and adults: 12-72 hours
Symptoms •Infants: Lethargy, weakness, poor feeding, constipation, poor head control, poor gag and sucking reflex
•Children and adults: Double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness
Duration of Illness Variable
What Do I Do? Botulism is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of botulism, contact your doctor immediately.
How Do I Prevent It?
•Be very careful when canning foods at home
•Do not let babies eat honey
•Get prompt medical care for infected wounds
This recipe is fantastic! I did however pack my jars much tighter than what I see here in the picks. I was afraid I may have packed them too tight. Well, it's been about 30 days and 4 out of 8 jars is already gone!
ReplyDeleteI am right now canning another batch. This time I will loosen up on the pack.
Again, Really good recipe! Great with puled pork, fried fish and even on a hotdog!
Thank you for posting this recipe.
How long do you pressure can pint of cabbage
ReplyDeleteI am planning on cooking cabbage all the way through with canning salt, with lemon juice, and oions. That's should be ok? I have over 40lb to cook. No room in frezze. And I don't have a persusser cooker. All total time for all I am look at 5hrs or more. I understand the risk and i
ReplyDeleteKnow I need to do the acid levels which I am planning on doing. What more should I do?
What is the purpose of blanching plain cabbage before canning it? Is that step necessary?
ReplyDeleteSince pressure canning plain cabbage doesn't prevent it from turning brown I was wondering if I could put a certain amount of Fruit Fresh into the bottom of each jar before placing the cabbage inside ? I've used Fruit Fresh before canning my fresh potatoes and none turned brown.
ReplyDeleteThe pickled cabbage is so good! I’ve made it for several years but thought I’d lost the recipe. I was so glad to find it again!
ReplyDelete