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Making "Curtido" from Master Preserver Chef Miller at Melissa's Produce

Curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage salad from El Salvador, try it on any sandwich, for a topping on any bread, or simply as a side.
Course Appetizer, Fermentation
Cuisine El Salvador
Keyword curtido, fermented, preserved
Servings 4 servings
Author Chef Ernest Miller

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 lb. cabbage, shredded (white, purple, Savoy, or Napa)
  • 1/2 lb. carrot, grated or julienned or grated
  • 1/2 each of white and red onion
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 3/4 oz. salt, canning, pickling kosher or sea salt (1 oz. of salt per 3 lbs. of vegetables
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Juice of one lime

Brine

  • 1 oz. of salt per quart of water

Instructions

  1. Discard outer leaves of cabbage. Rinse heads under cold water and drain.
  2. Cut heads in quarters and remove cores. Shred or slice in thickness of quarters.
  3. Put cabbage in a mixing bowl and toss with all the remaining ingredients, salt and spices.
  4. Pack firmly into your clean fermentation jars.
  5. Make sure your jar is filled to the "max" line but no higher.
  6. Place your clean, notched weighting jar on the cabbage and press down.
  7. If juice doesn't cover the cabbage then add brine.
  8. Seal your jar, gently twist the airlock into place and fill the airlock with brine or distilled vinegar to the fill line. (if using Chef Miller's jars)
  9. Store at 70 to 80 degrees while fermenting. Under these temperatures curtido should be ready in about 5 days. At temperatures 60-65 degrees it should take 7-9 days.
  10. You may allow your curtido to ferment longer, but it is traditionally a shorter ferment.
  11. (If the curtido becomes soft, or develops a disagreeable odor,discard. Fully fermented curtido may be kept tightly in the refrigerator for several months.