• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Art of Doing Stuff
menu icon
go to homepage
  • HOUSE
  • COOKING
  • GARDEN
  • HOW-TO
  • EXTRA
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • HOUSE
    • COOKING
    • GARDEN
    • HOW-TO
    • EXTRA
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Cooking Stuff

    German Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage Recipe. Like Oma used to make.

    September 28, 2021 by Karen 88 Comments

    Pin1K
    Share
    Email
    1K Shares
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Or Nana or Farmor or Babushka or Bubbie.   Red Cabbage is a classic winter side dish for anyone with even a tiny bit of European heritage.  Shredded and cooked with apples, sugar and vinegar - a sweet and tart European style red cabbage recipe. 

    Classic red cabbage recipe

    Rotkohl - otherwise known as German red cabbage is THE reason I grow red cabbages. I hand a couple of them over to my sister Fish Pedicure to make for our family's Thanksgiving dinner and then I turn another one or two into my own red cabbage to eat throughout the year. (it freezes really well)  I have never, however, grown a cabbage I would consider award winning.

    It takes a certain kind of someone to want to grow the world's largest anything.  Potato, Leek, Carrot, Zucchini ...   It was in 2016 that the 90 year old record for the World's Largest Red Cabbage was broken by David Thomas who grew a 51.1 pound red cabbage.

    It beat out the long standing record of a comparably pathetic 42 pound cabbage, also grown by a man. As it turns out, most of the people who want to grow absurdly large vegetables are men.  I think we all know why.

    If you search the Internet you'll find a photo of David, a resident of Cornwall, England,  proudly lounging languidly behind his cabbage, his face and left shoulder the only parts of his body that are visible.  

    I'm sure this saucy little image is considered quite sexy within the big vegetable crowd.  Need more incentive to spend 4 months growing a big potato?  It's common knowledge that the only profession searched more often than lawyer on Match.com is Competitive Vegetable Grower.

    My own father used to search out the biggest of everything in the grocery store.  Instead of coming home with a bag of beets he'd come home with one beet that was so big it needed to be buckled into the back seat like a sleepy, red-faced toddler.

    Today's recipe for classic German Red Cabbage came from my very own homegrown red cabbage.  My own very small, non award winning, Guinness Book of World Record losing, red cabbage.

    Classic red cabbage recipe

    Table of Contents

    • What is it?
    • Can you freeze cabbage?
    • What to pair it with
    • Quick Red Cabbage Coleslaw recipe
    • German Red Cabbage Recipe

    What is it?

    Anyone with a bit of European background has probably had a scoop of red cabbage brighten up their dinner plate during the holidays.

    It's a mixture of fresh red cabbage, sugar, vinegar and apples. The perfect combination of sweet and sour. In Germany it's Rotkohl, in Denmark Rødkål and in Swedish rödkål.  Same name, same deliciousness.

     

    Can you freeze cabbage?

    Yes, you can freeze cooked cabbage perfectly. Cabbage, cooked or uncooked, freezes very well. It will get softer as anything does once you freeze it, but it doesn't become watery or gross. 

    In fact, when I make cabbage rolls, instead of boiling the cabbages, I stick the whole cabbages in the freezer for several days.  The freezing softens the cabbage leaves enough that they're as pliable as if you had boiled them.

    And in the case of cooked cabbage,  like this shredded side dish - it freezes perfectly too.

     

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

    Classic red cabbage recipe

    All it takes is one or two (normal sized) cabbages, some vinegar and sugar and about 1 hour.  I use a knife to slice the cabbage thinly to shred it. Honestly? It's easier than dragging out and cleaning a food processor.

    But if you want to use a food processor, just fit it with the shredder attachment and shred away.

    red cabbage and apples

    You can add apples too.  I like apples.  If I have apples from my espalier trees that are damaged or or soft this is where I use them.

    red cabbage recipe

    Shred the cabbage with a knife, slice the apples, chop an onion and you're almost done.  Don't forget the bay leaf. The ingredients are simmered for about 40 minutes (until the cabbage is tender) and that's all there is to it.

    I use red wine vinegar but you can honestly use any vinegar: apple cider vinegar, regular vinegar, rice vinegar ...

    I make a batch every fall, put it in individual sized containers and stack them in the freezer (because my freezer is perfectly organized and yours can be too.)  Don't envy my organized-freezer-of-a-life because I have a basement I'm afraid to enter for all manner of reasons.

    What to pair it with

    Red cabbage goes well with pretty much everything but I especially like it with roast chicken, turkey or anything pork.  Not a giant pork.  Just you know, regular sized pork. I don't eat a lot of game, but if you do it would be perfect with venison or duck as well.

    red cabbage recipe

    HERE'S A FUN FACT. 

    Quick Red Cabbage Coleslaw recipe

    You can reserve some of the red cabbage and turn it into a super-quick coleslaw by shoving some into a jar with a 2:1 solution of sugar to vinegar. Let it steep for at least an hour. I like to add a sprinkling of celery seed as well.   (so use ¼ cup sugar and ⅛ cup vinegar for example)

     

    German Red Cabbage Recipe

    Classic Red Cabbage

    Classic Sweet & Tart Red Cabbage recipe. Sugar to taste.
    4.30 from 41 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Canning/Preserves
    Servings: 0
    Author: The Art of Doing Stuff

    Ingredients

    • 3 Tablespoons butter
    • 2 apples
    • 1 medium onion diced
    • 1 regular sized red cabbage shredded (enough to make 8 cups)
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup red wine vinegar
    • ⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons white sugar less if you want it less sweet
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 bay leaf

    Instructions

    • Prep your ingredients so they're ready to go.
    • In a large saucepan over medium, melt the butter.
    • Add in the sliced apples and onion, cooking until soft.
    • Add remaining ingredients and heat to boiling.
    • Cover and simmer 40 minutes.
    • Discard bay leaf and transfer to serving bowl or individual containers for freezing.

    Notes

    *I often taste the cabbage near the end and decide whether I want to add a couple of more tablespoons of sugar.

    I don't think I'll be growing a giant, fair worthy vegetable anytime soon, but I do think that if I were to ever join Match.com,  before I lied about my height, weight, age or education, I'd lie about being a wildly successful competitive vegetable grower.

    German Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage Recipe.  Like Oma used to make.

    More COOKING stuff

    • 5 Delicious Things To Make With Rhubarb
    • Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip
    • Clear, filtered maple syrup made at home.
      Maple Syrup Grades Explained.
    • What To Do With Sour Grapes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

    1. kelle

      October 01, 2021 at 8:11 pm

      Just made this.....SO good! Even my grandbabies loved it.

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 02, 2021 at 7:56 am

        Oh! That's perfect, lol. I just made some a couple of days ago too. But I overcooked mine and it's a bit mushy lol. Glad the grandbabies approved! ~ karen

        Reply
    2. Elizabeth

      September 30, 2021 at 9:53 am

      Back the heck up. You freeze your cabbage inside of boiling for cabbage rolls? I need more details please. Boiling is the most tedious part of the cabbage rolls process- but I do it because I LOVE them.
      And I have the BEST recipe for them- which I can send a link to but only if you elaborate on this no boiling the cabbage miracle 💙

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 01, 2021 at 12:14 pm

        Hi Elizabeth! Yes just freeze your cabbage for a few days. Or as long as you want. Then when you want to make cabbage rolls just pull it out of the freezer, put it in a colander and set it in the sink or bowl. When it's thawed you have nice, soft cabbage leaves. You still have to shave off the middle vein. ~ karen!

        Reply
        • Elizabeth

          October 01, 2021 at 12:21 pm

          Huzzah! I’m doing this next time. Thank you. Btw, I mentioned this to my sister and she said this is the way she always does it’s fun I never knew about it!😳

    3. Lydia

      September 30, 2021 at 9:01 am

      Instead of the one cup of water, I use a cup of Merlot wine, or a tad more. Yum!

      Reply
      • Karen

        October 01, 2021 at 12:13 pm

        Good thinking! ~ karen

        Reply
    4. Carrie

      September 29, 2021 at 5:00 pm

      Hi Karen. I’m going to make some red cabbage and freeze it! I also love the idea to freeze the whole cabbage to make cabbage rolls. I hate the mess of boiling it and burning my fingers.

      Reply
    5. Cindy Kutz

      September 29, 2021 at 3:34 pm

      Thank you, thank you, thank you! Just like my German grandmother made. I think she added caraway seeds, though. Ever hear of that?

      Reply
    6. Randy P

      September 29, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      A fav in many ethnic European communities too. I've had it as a wonderful side to some pork roast slices and steamed bread dumplings with gravy. OK ..... now I'm hungry again and I just finished a late lunch - lol

      Reply
    7. Lynn

      September 29, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      Sounds yummy Karen, I don’t think I have ever had your red cabbage slaw 😟. I know cabbage freezes well when made into cabbage rolls though. I have never just froze plain cabbage balls.
      Question for you though could it be frozen after it’s sliced for slaw/ Bosch soup which ever takes my fancy at the time of taking it out of freezer?
      If so does it need to be cooked / blanched first?

      Reply
    8. jody

      September 29, 2021 at 10:57 am

      Perfect timing....I still have two cabbages left in my garden and need something else to make with them. So happy to hear cabbage can be frozen as well.

      Reply
    9. Mary W

      September 29, 2021 at 10:32 am

      Love this post just as much now as I did then - entertaining, makes me laugh, lots of tips, great recipe! Red cabbage added to my menu plan.

      Reply
    10. Sharon Naftali

      September 05, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      Came out 5h3 same way myocardial used to make it
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Karen

        September 05, 2021 at 8:28 pm

        Thanks for rating the recipe and letting me know Sharon! I'm glad you liked it. I'll be making my own first batch of the season this week. :) ~ karen!

        Reply
    11. That Annoying Guy

      March 06, 2021 at 6:08 pm

      Related/unrelated.
      Find yourself some Tom Watson Watermelon seeds, start them, water them, nurture them, love them, feed them, swear at them, curse them, hex them, and you might just get a garden champ.

      Reply
    12. Susan Dubose

      January 26, 2021 at 9:48 pm

      I recently went to dinner at my extended family's home and they served up this dish. It was absolutely fantastic! Admittedly, I enjoy cabbage. Admittedly, I am not big on cloves. But, put together and is terribly tasty

      Reply
    13. Carla Coleman

      January 16, 2021 at 5:51 pm

      Made the red cabbage recipe and was very pleased with how it turned out. Definitely going in the permanent recipe box. I'm looking forward to making it with some venison wurst and potatoes (as someone said in the comments is how they make it) as that would be practically irresistible to the males in the family.

      Reply
    14. toni

      January 06, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      your cabbages are kind of cute compared to david from cornwalls...

      Reply
    15. Shirley Phillips

      January 03, 2021 at 10:55 pm

      Could you cook it with fresh cranberries instead of apples? I want to make it fast in the Instant pot, with non sugar, natural sweetener, like inulin, which comes from apples. I eat a lot of cabbage, but mostly green or savoy, or Chinese.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    SHOP ON AMAZON

    Use it 👆 to support my work. LEARN MORE

    My name is Karen Bertelsen and I was a television host. In Canada. Which means in terms of notoriety and wealth, I was somewhere on par with the manager of a Sunset Tan in Wisconsin.

    I quit television to start a blog with the goal that I could make my living through blogging and never have to host a television show again. And it’s worked out. I’m making a living blogging. If you’re curious, this is how I do that.

    So I’m doing this in reverse basically. I’m the only blogger who is trying to NOT get a TV show.

    More about me 👋

    Seasonal Articles

    • Turtles Can Fly, and Other June Discoveries
    • How to Clean a Crystal Chandelier
    • Garden Tool Handle Repair
    • 👉 14 Common Garden Oddities (and What to Do About Them)
    • How Does a Venus Flytrap Work? Meet Maureen
    • Garlic Scapes 101: Harvesting and Cooking Guide

    Popular Articles

    • This Is Where I Try To Buy Your Love
    • A Year Full of Pots: Win Sarah Raven's New Book
    • The Difference Between People Who Eat Mayo & People Who Eat Miracle Whip
    • Your FIRST look at my new kitchen in Canadian Living Magazine.
    • How to Print an Image on Wood.
    • What's Your Favourite Book of ALL Time?

    Footer

    as seen in

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    1100 shares