Red cabbage for the Christmas table – sweet, tangy and bright red

Sweet, tangy and spiced – and even better the next day

8 servings
Time: 20 min + 1 hour on the hob
Difficulty: Easy
13 ingredients
9 steps

Photo: DC Central Kitchen, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Red cabbage is the splash of colour on the julbord (the Swedish Christmas buffet): shredded cabbage simmered with apple, onion, a little vinegar and syrup until it's soft and glossy and tastes both sweet and tangy. Cloves, cinnamon and allspice make the whole kitchen smell of Christmas, and the cabbage goes with almost everything salty and fatty on the table – from the Christmas ham to the meatballs.

The best thing about homemade red cabbage is that it doesn't have to be made on Christmas Eve. It gets better after a day's rest, it freezes well and it's easy to reheat. Make a big batch at the beginning of December, and one dish for the Christmas table is already done.

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Why red cabbage turns blue without acid

Red cabbage gets its colour from anthocyanins, the same kind of pigments found in blueberries and lingonberries. They are sensitive to how acidic their surroundings are. In acidic conditions they are red or pink, in neutral conditions purple and in alkaline conditions blue and eventually green. That's why red cabbage cooked without acid often turns a dull blue-grey, and why vinegar or tart fruit matters so much in the recipe.

So the acid does two things at once: it gives the sweet-and-sour flavour and it keeps the colour bright red. That's why the vinegar goes in early, before the cabbage has had time to cook for long in neutral liquid. Apples and currant cordial help too, but they're rarely enough on their own.

If the cabbage has already turned blue, you can rescue it. Stir in a tablespoon of vinegar at a time, let it simmer for a minute and have a look. The colour comes back straight away. Never put bicarbonate of soda in red cabbage – it makes the liquid alkaline and the cabbage greenish blue.

Make the red cabbage ahead and freeze it

Red cabbage is one of the few Christmas dishes that gets better for being made early. The spices and the acid have time to settle, and the next day it tastes rounder.

The fridge: let the cabbage cool, put it in jars with lids and put it in the fridge. It's a good idea to make it two or three days before Christmas Eve. Take out what you're going to use with a clean spoon, and the rest will keep better.
Cool it quickly: a full saucepan is more than half a litre, so it needs to cool fast before it goes in the fridge. Divide the cabbage into smaller jars, stand the saucepan in cold water in the sink and change the water a couple of times, or put it outside with the lid on if it's just a few degrees above freezing or colder.
The freezer: cooked red cabbage freezes well. It's already soft, so the texture doesn't change much. Freeze it cold, in portions in jars or flat bags, with a little of the liquid. Leave a couple of centimetres of space at the top of the jars, because the liquid expands as it freezes, and press the air out of the bags. Label with the date and contents. It won't become unsafe from a long time in the freezer, but flavour and colour are best if it's eaten within a few months.
Thaw and reheat: thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat with a splash of water, covered, stirring often. Taste again afterwards – it often needs a drop of vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Tip: Double the batch at the beginning of December. Half becomes the red cabbage for the Christmas table, and the rest goes in the freezer for weeknight dinners in January.

Red cabbage with kids

Kids can rinse and pull off the outer leaves, count cloves, measure out cordial and syrup, and stir the pan as the cabbage wilts. Shredding the cabbage is a grown-up job, because the head is hard and the knife has to be sharp. The same goes for the mandoline. A grown-up measures out the 12 per cent vinegar, because it stings eyes and small cuts, and the bottle is put away afterwards. There's more about cooking together in cooking with children over a fire, and much of it applies at the hob too.

While the cabbage simmers, you can do a little chemistry experiment. Put a handful of shredded red cabbage in a bowl, pour over hot water (a grown-up pours) and leave it until the water turns purple. Strain and divide the water between three glasses. A grown-up pours a splash of vinegar into the first one. Add nothing to the second and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the third. The water turns red, purple and blue-green – exactly what happens in the pan when the acid goes in.

Red cabbage for the Christmas table and for every day

On the Christmas table, red cabbage belongs with the hot and salty dishes: the ham, Jansson's temptation, spare ribs, prinskorv cocktail sausages and meatballs. The tangy cabbage cuts through the fat, so a spoonful on the plate makes everything else taste better. It's also a natural partner for Christmas sausage – in christmas sausage on skewers the sausage is rolled up in soft flatbread with red cabbage and mustard.

After Christmas, red cabbage is an easy side for everyday meals. It goes with meatballs with mashed potatoes, with fried sausages and mashed potato, with pork loin and with slow-cooked pork in a bun. With game it's a classic – try it alongside venison fillet with juniper sauce or reindeer fillet with red wine sauce.

Red cabbage becomes completely vegan if you fry it in rapeseed oil instead of butter, and then it works on a vegetarian Christmas table too.

Red cabbage for an outdoor Christmas dinner

If you're having a christmas dinner outdoors by the fire, red cabbage is one of the easiest sides to bring. Cook it at home, ideally the day before, and bring it cold in a jar with a lid or straight in the cast-iron pot.

At the fire, put the pot at the edge of the bed of embers, never in the middle of the fire. The cabbage contains sugar from the syrup and cordial, and it catches on the bottom quickly over high heat. Add a splash of water, put the lid on and stir every five minutes. After 15–20 minutes it's hot right through. There's more about controlling the heat under the pot in cooking in a pot over the fire.

Another way is to heat the cabbage at home until it's piping hot and fill a food flask that you've first warmed with boiling water. Fill the flask right to the top so it holds the heat better, and eat the cabbage within a couple of hours. That leaves the pot free for glögg or sausages.

Vary the red cabbage

With lingonberries: swap half the cordial for 1 dl lingonberries – fresh, frozen or stirred raw with sugar – and stir them in for the last 15 minutes. The lingonberries add tartness and sweetness, and the colour gets even deeper. Even easier is to stir in a couple of tablespoons of lingonberry jam when the cabbage is done.
With orange: grate the zest of an unwaxed orange and squeeze the juice. Use the juice instead of the water and stir in the grated zest towards the end. Orange and cinnamon are a classic Christmas combination, and the acid in the juice helps the colour.
Quick slaw: shred a quarter of a cabbage very thinly, sprinkle over half a teaspoon of salt and massage the cabbage with your hands for a couple of minutes until it's soft and glossy. Mix in 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp rapeseed oil, 1 tbsp golden syrup and a grated apple. Ready in ten minutes and good with rich christmas food, as a fresh counterbalance. Just as good with a handful of lingonberries or orange segments in it.
Richer: fry the cabbage in a little fat from the Christmas ham instead of butter, or let a few pressed prunes cook with it.

Common mistakes

No acid or too little – the cabbage turns blue-grey and the flavour is flat.
Acid added last – the cabbage has time to turn blue first. Pour in the vinegar as soon as the cabbage has been fried.
Heat too high – the sugar burns on the bottom. Red cabbage should simmer, not boil.
Shredded too coarsely – the cabbage turns chewy and takes longer. Thin shreds turn soft and glossy.
Whole spices left on the plate – biting into a clove is no Christmas present. Put them in a spice ball.

Frequently asked questions

How long should red cabbage cook?

45–60 minutes over a low heat with the lid on, then a few minutes without the lid so the liquid reduces. The cabbage should be soft but still have a little bite.

Why does red cabbage turn blue?

The pigments in the cabbage, anthocyanins, are red in acidic conditions and blue in neutral or alkaline ones. Without enough acid, the cabbage turns blue. Stir in vinegar, a tablespoon at a time, and the red colour comes back.

Can you freeze red cabbage?

Yes, cooked red cabbage freezes well. Let it cool quickly, freeze it in portions with a little liquid and thaw it in the fridge. Reheat over a low heat and season with a little vinegar and salt afterwards.

How far ahead can you make red cabbage for Christmas?

Two or three days in the fridge works fine, and it gets better for standing. If you want to make it earlier, freeze it – then it can be made as early as the beginning of December.

Can you make red cabbage without sugar?

Yes, but it will taste more tart. Let apples, cordial or a couple of spoonfuls of lingonberries provide the sweetness and use a little less vinegar.

What does red cabbage go with?

With Christmas ham, Janssons frestelse, spare ribs, meatballs and Christmas sausage on the Christmas table, and with sausages, pork loin and game the rest of the year.