Danish Red Cabbage Recipe (2024)

by G. Stephen Jones 3 Comments

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In Danish, My Mom Called This Rødkål

Growing up, my mom would serve red cabbage with a lot of our meals especially when she served pork. Pork roasts, pork chops, leftover pork with potatoes and onions. Didn’t matter, there was always a serving of red cabbage on the side.

Fortunately for me, I liked the taste of the sweet and tart flavors of her red cabbage but now that I think back, I don’t remember my mom ever making red cabbage from scratch. As far back as I can remember, it always came from a jar.

Where she purchased these jars of red cabbage is a mystery to me. My recollection is the labels were in Danish so either she shopped at Scandinavian store near us (doubtful), she brought it back with her from her many trips to Denmark or she purchased an American brand of red cabbage.

Making Your Own Red Cabbage

I thought it would be fun to prepare my own Danish red cabbage and found this recipe in Trina Hahnemann’s The Scandinavian Cookbook. Chef Trina is a well know Danish chef and food writer and was nice enough to do an interview with me. See Interview with Trina Hahnemann.

What I didn’t know about red cabbage is how red currant jelly is used to help give it its dark red coloring. In looking at other recipes for Danish red cabbage, I noticed a lot of them included apples but this one doesn’t and I’m not sure why. It seems to me the apples help give the dish some of its tartness. I’ll make them optional.

Chef Trina’s recipe also calls for duck fat, an item that is not always easy to find in your local supermarket. I substituted butter but I’m sure the duck fat version is incredible.

📖 Recipe

Danish Red Cabbage Recipe (2)

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Danish Red Cabbage Recipe

Just like my mor made it at home.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: red cabbage

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup duck fat
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium head cabbage
  • 1 yellow onion
  • ¾ cup red wine
  • ½ cup superfine sugar
  • ¼ cup red current jelly
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 tablespoons apple grated, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Remove the tough outer leaves from the cabbage, wash and core the head. Slice the head in half from top to bottom. Laying each half down on a cutting board, slice the cabbage in big thick slices or finely cut thin slices.

    Really depends on how you like your red cabbage.

  • Preheat a large pan, big enough to hold all the cabbage, add duck fat or butter and when it’s good and hot, add the cabbage.

    Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the cabbage gets shiny but not browned.

  • Add the onion, red wine, sugar, red currant jelly, vinegar, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pan.

  • Season with some salt and pepper.

    If you are using optional apples, now’s the time to add them.

  • Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours until the cabbage is “dark purple and shiny.”

  • Remove the onion, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and if needed, some additional sugar. You want it to be a little sweet, but not too much.

Notes

You can serve this right away with the rest of your meal but it really does get better when served the following day. Historically, this is a traditional Danish side dish served with stuffed loin of pork or goose on Christmas Day.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bertil Moller

    Thank You

    Reply

  2. Aida Hansen

    This is by far the most traditional recipe I've seen, very much like my mother's recipe! She is almost 90 and was telling me the steps, thank you for refreshing our memory. Have a wonderful New Year!

    Reply

  3. Lloyd Ashley Morgan

    Great recipe

    Reply

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Danish Red Cabbage Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why add vinegar to red cabbage? ›

Lock in the colour by adding a touch of vinegar when cooking red cabbage in water. This stops the lovely deep purple hue from running. Don't be too heavy-handed with red cabbage. A lot of its frumpy reputation comes from it being over-pickled or boiled for an eon.

Does red cabbage take longer to cook than green cabbage? ›

Red cabbage is usually cooked a bit longer than green cabbage; it takes longer to become tender. In addition, either vinegar or lemon juice is often added to red cabbage.

Can you cook red cabbage the same as regular cabbage? ›

Red and green cabbage can be used interchangeably in most recipes. The difference between cooking green cabbage and red cabbage is just one extra step. The compounds that give red cabbage its color, called anthocyanins, are water-soluble and will turn an unappetizing blue color when cooked.

Why is my red cabbage turning blue? ›

These pigments are also the reason why red cabbage turns a strange shade of blue when it's cooked: Extraordinarily sensitive to acidity, anthocyanins will turn blue when their environment goes a little alkaline; say, when tap water is added to a cooked dish (via Cook's Illustrated).

What happens when you add lemon juice to red cabbage juice? ›

The red cabbage liquid has a blue-violet color, but when it comes in contact with acidic substances it becomes red, while in contact with basic substances it becomes green and even yellow. Lemon juice being acidic turns red in contact with red cabbage juice.

What happens when you add baking soda to red cabbage? ›

The baking soda will turn the cabbage juice greenish-yellow because it is a base (sodium bicarbonate). Try This Use science vocabulary: Use related science words such as acids, bases, solution, chemistry and indicator as you talk and play together.

Why do you soak red cabbage in water? ›

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

How many minutes should cabbage be cooked? ›

Step 1Cut cabbage into wedges or slice it thin. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add cabbage. (It's OK to crowd the pot because the cabbage will shrink!) Step 2Boil until tender, about 5 minutes for shredded cabbage and 10 minutes for wedges.

Which is healthier, red or green cabbage? ›

But red cabbage has higher levels of some types of antioxidants than other types of cabbage. These nutrients are thought to help reduce the risk of health conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.

Can I just boil red cabbage? ›

How do you boil red cabbage? Red cabbage can also be boiled. To preserve the crunch, cook in salted boiling water with a teaspoon of vinegar for 5 minutes unless a softer consistency is desired in which case cook for a little longer.

What goes well with red cabbage? ›

What goes well with red cabbage?
  • Meat: Red cabbage goes well with meats such as pork, bacon, ham, and sausage. ...
  • Apples: Red cabbage and apples are a classic pairing. ...
  • Onions: Red cabbage and onions are a great combination, the onion adds a nice sweetness and a little bit of sharpness to the cabbage.
Feb 1, 2023

Can dogs eat red cabbage? ›

Both red and green cabbage is fine for dogs to eat, though red cabbage contains more vitamins and minerals than the green variety. However, all types of cabbage are safe for dogs to eat and can be a good nutrient-dense addition to their well-balanced dog food diet.

How can you tell if red cabbage has gone bad? ›

Red cabbage that's bad often has noticeable discoloration like a faded color or especially dark patches. You may also notice a strange or off smell if red cabbage is spoiling. Red cabbage should feel firm and robust, but if it starts to feel slimy or overly soft, it's likely past its prime.

What is the white fungus on my red cabbage? ›

It has been observed that white mold is more prevalent in bean and cabbage crops where there is restricted air circulation caused by low areas and woods surrounding the field. This is because poor air drainage allows moisture to be retained in the soil and on the plants for a longer period of time.

Why does baking soda turn cabbage blue? ›

contain anthocyanin, a molecule that is a reddish colour in its naturally acidic environment: fruit. But, when it comes into contact with alkaline ingredients (the baking soda in a cake batter, for ex.), the anthocyanin turns blue.

Does vinegar turn red cabbage blue? ›

As long as they are acidic they stay red, but when they become non-acidic they turn blue. When you sauté red cabbage, the acids evaporate off and it can turn blue. All you have to do is add lemon juice or vinegar to bring back the bright red color.

How do you take the bitterness out of purple cabbage? ›

One way to make raw cabbage less bitter, and therefore more palatable, is to let it marinate in something salty or acidic for a while. Sauerkraut for example tastes much less bitter, plus contains helpful friendly bacteria from natural fermentation, but it takes a while to make.

Will adding vinegar to cabbage during cooking make it turn blue? ›

Before cooking, remove any tired or discoloured leaves and always cook red cabbage with a little vinegar. This preserves the beautiful purple colour – without it, the cabbage will turn blue!

What happens when you add acid to cabbage? ›

The color of the cabbage indicator will change to red or pink if the solution is an acid and it will change to green or yellow if it is a base. It will remain purple or blue if the test solution is neutral.

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