Recipe(tried): Sweet-Sour Cabbage-Stuffed Pimiento Peppers

Hi Linda ~~~ For years my husband had bragged about his sister-in-law's recipe for tiny red pimiento peppers, stuffed with finely-shredded cabbage, (they referred to them as 'kraut-stuffed' which were 'always served' at Thanksgiving time. I had one recipe handed down that was supposed to be the original recipe; but, he said it was not. She used tweezers to stuff those tiny peppers, what a labor of love!

At the Kidron, OHIO auction, (that also featuranoutdoor flea market) I came across a jar
of small red peppers, stuffed with the cabbage and they were delicious! I got acquainted with the gal that said her church made these every year as a fund raiser. So...here is the recipe. I could not find the small cherry-type pimiento, so I use my homegrown seed, from Hungary, of the large thick-walled red pimiento peppers (which are a heck of a lot easier to stuff).

THIS RECIPE IS A TWO-DAY/TWO-STEP PROCESS

THERE ARE TWO (2) DIFFERENT BRINES

#1 = A MARINADE (INTO WHICH) YOU SOAK (OVERNIGHT) THE FINELY SHREDDED CABBAGE.

#2 = THE SOLUTION THAT IS POURED OVER THE STUFFED PEPPERS AFTER THEY ARE PACKED INTO THE JARS.

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SWEET-SOUR CABBAGE-STUFFED PEPPERS

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DAY 1: Pre-shred (by using a fine grater) OR put into a blender OR food processor, to which some water has been added, and blend/shred, until the cabbabe is 'finely' chopped. DRAIN.

Then, put the cabbage into a non-reactive (do not use aluminum) bowl. You may add a bit of celery SEED or MUSTARD SEED (to give a slightly hot taste)for added flavor.

Add 2 cups white sugar and 1 cup of cider vinegar.
Cover and refrigerate OVERNIGHT...THIS IS THE MARINADE.

DAY 2: Drain cabbage thoroughly, either in a colander or sieve, pressing out any excess liquid.

Make the SOLUTION:*

6 CUPS CIDER VINEGAR
5 POUNDS WHITE SUGAR

Pour into a large Dutch oven, or kettle (not aluminum) and heat thoroughly, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
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AT THIS POINT MAKE SURE YOUR CANNING JARS, RINGS AND LIDS, ARE WASHED.
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Remove tops from peppers, scoop out the seeds and remove the veins. (I use a small spoon for this process). Stuff the individual peppers, by TIGHTLY PACKING THE SHREDDED/DRAINED CABBAGE INTO EACH PEPPER. Then, pack the stuffed peppers TIGHTLY into each jar, in layers. Do not pack above the bottom of the rim of each jar, you want to be able to have the solution completely cover all parts of the peppers.

Put the vinegar/sugar SOLUTION back onto the stove top and bring to a BOIL.

POUR THE BOILING SOLUTION OVER THE PEPPERS, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Wipe rims completely dry. Put lids on jars. Process in water bath for 15 minutes.

*Leftover vinegar/sugar SOLUTION may be stored in a glass jar or bowl, covered, in the refrigerator, if you plan to make more peppers; if not discard. If you reuse, make sure you reheat (to boiling).

I let the stuffed peppers sit for a couple of weeks to season. Serve them COLD. Whole if using the small peppers, slice into wedges or rings if using the larger red pimiento peppers.

There is no set amount of shredded cabbage to use. I think we used a small head of cabbage. We stuffed the peppers until we ran out of the cabbage. Any unstuffed peppers were refrigerated and we'd make another batch of of marinated cabbage the next day; and used up the leftover solution as well. This is a trial-error recipe. Leaving the mustard seed in the solution when pouring over the peppers is optional, or they can be strained out. I don't use the celery seed option. Experiment until you find the taste you are striving for. Good Luck.