Fermented Curtido- Salvadoran Cabbage Slaw
Curtido is a fermented cabbage slaw from El Salvador that is traditionally served with pupusas. Curtido adds crunch and an acidic pop of flavor to dishes. Try it with tacos, braised meats, or grain bowls.
Curtido
El Salvadoran curtido is made of shredded cabbage, onion, carrot, pepper, and oregano. Though curtido can be prepared with vinegar to get it’s characteristic sourness, fermented curtido has so much more depth of flavor. Though fermented curtido takes longer to prepare, it is super easy to make. Simply shred the vegetables, mix with oregano and salt, pack into jars, and let the magic of fermentation do it’s thing.
Serve with anything you’d serve with coleslaw or raw shredded cabbage
- Pupusas
- On top tacos, burritos, enchiladas
- With braised meats to cut the heaviness with a pop of acid
- With beans and rice
Fermented Cabbage
There is a rich history and tradition of fermenting cabbage all around the world- sauerkraut, curtido, kiseli kupus, pikliz, and so many more variations (along with kimchi, dua cai chua, suancai, and others made with closely related Brassica species). Before times of refrigeration, fermented foods preserved the summer bounty to provided a rich source of nutrients for the winter months.
Fermentation relies on anaerobic bacteria that do not require oxygen for survival and growth. Anaerobic bacteria break down nutrients in food (like cabbage) to produce energy without oxygen. This process releases acidic byproducts like ethanol (wine, beer) or lactic acid (sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and many other fermented foods) that prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and give ferments the sour taste we love.
Lactic Acid fermentation takes place in three phases that give fermented foods their characteristic flavor, each dominated by different types of anaerobic bacteria. The bacteria in each phase make the environment increasingly acidic, so that most bacteria are unable to survive. The final fermented product is acidic enough (pH 3.5) to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as the botulism producing Clostridium botulinum (which is unable to survive at pH levels below 4.6). When the first and second phases are skipped by inoculating a new batch of sauerkraut with an old batch (backslopping), the new batch becomes acidic much quicker, but the resulting sauerkraut is excessively sour. All three phases are needed to develop the correct balance of flavors we love.
More fermentation recipes
Fermented Curtido
Ingredients
- ½ medium head of cabbage cored and outer leaves removed
- ½ white onion peeled
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 serrano peppers
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tsp oregano
- 5 tsp fine sea salt (25 g)
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables:
- Thinly slice cabbage, onion, and hot peppers. Use a box grater to grate carrots and garlic. Combine all prepared vegetables in a large bowl along with oregano and salt.
- With clean hands massage salt into vegetables until cabbage is wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Allow vegetables to sit 15 minutes to allow water to be released from vegetables.
Prepare the fermentation vessel:
- Wash a 1-quart jar with hot soapy water. Rinse and set aside to dry.
- Tightly pack vegetables into the clean jar, pressing down to expel any air bubbles. Pour any accumulated juice into jar. If the vegetables are not fully submerged, add enough filtered water until they are covered, while leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. (You will likely have an annoying amount of vegetables leftover that don't fit in the jar- see note below)
- Place a fermentation weight or the trimmed cabbage core in the jar- this will keep the vegetables submerged. Cover the jar with airlock lid or a clean washcloth secured with a rubber band over the jar's mouth. Place jar in a dish, in case it bubbles over.
Ferment:
- Leave jar in cool, dark spot for about 2 weeks. Check on your ferment everyday, adding more filtered water if needed to keep the vegetables fully submerged.
- Taste often- fermentation will occur faster in warmer temperatures, slower in cooler temperatures. Once desired sourness is developed, replace fermentation lid with regular lid, and store in fridge for up to 1 month.