Christmas Recipe: Red cabbage and beetroot pickle

Lucy Brazier from River Cottage has been preparing her festive larder since September – and one of the most important things she keeps stored away is a flavoursome jar of pickle.

This red cabbage and beetroot version will add a bit of zing to any dish, not to mention a particularly dramatic colour…

Red cabbage and beetroot pickle recipe

Ingredients:

(Makes a 1.5L jar)

200g beetroot, peeled and grated
500g red cabbage, sliced
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
10g cumin seeds, toasted and bashed
5g caraway seeds toasted and bashed
5 juniper berries, lightly crushed

For the pickling liquor:

700ml cider vinegar
20g coriander seeds, toasted
20g fennel seeds, toasted
10g black peppercorns
20g salt
1 dried red chilli (optional

Method:

1. First, prepare the pickling liquor. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, pour on 200ml water and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for an hour.

2. Meanwhile, put the beetroot, red cabbage, orange zest and spices into a bowl and toss to mix.

3. Bring the infused pickling liquor back to the boil, then pour it through a sieve straight over the veg mix. Stir to combine.

4. This pickle is nice to eat as soon as it cools, but ideally should be packed into a sterilised 1.5L Kilner jar, sealed and left for a couple of weeks. It will keep in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months; once opened, it needs to be stored in the fridge.