Csalamade

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 1 kgwhite cabbage, shredded
• 500 gcucumbers, sliced thin
• 3green peppers, sliced
• 2onions, sliced
• 2carrots, sliced thin
• 2 tbspcoarse salt

Pickle

• 600 mlwhite vinegar
• 400 mlwater
• 200 gsugar
• 1 tbspsalt
• 1 tbspmustard seed
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 3bay leaves

Directions

1. Toss all the sliced vegetables with the 2 tablespoons of salt in a large bowl and leave overnight with a plate on top. They will give up a great deal of water, which is what keeps the jars crisp rather than watery.
2. The next day, drain them thoroughly and squeeze out the remaining liquid by the handful. Do not rinse — the salt already in them is part of the seasoning.
3. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seed, peppercorns and bay to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add the drained vegetables and bring back to a boil, then cook for just 3 minutes. They should still squeak against the spoon; cooked soft here, they are mush by Christmas.
5. Pack into sterilised jars with a slotted spoon, pressing down, then pour over the boiling pickle to cover, leaving 1 cm of headspace.
6. Seal at once and stand the jars upside down under a towel for a few hours as they cool, which pulls a vacuum.
7. Leave three weeks before opening. They keep a year unopened; refrigerate once opened.
8. Serve with roast pork, breaded cutlets and stews through the winter.

Technique

• The overnight salting is what makes the difference between a crisp csalamádé and a limp one. It is the only slow step and it is not skippable.
• Three minutes in the pan, no more.
• Seal boiling hot. A jar filled with cooled pickle will not keep on a shelf.

Substitutions

• Green tomatoes or cauliflower in place of some of the cucumber.
• Cider vinegar for white, which is rounder.
• Less sugar for a sharper jar, though Hungarian csalamádé is meant to be sweet-sour.

Variations

• A hot version adds sliced chilli or a spoonful of ground paprika.
• Some households ferment it in brine instead, which gives a sourer, softer pickle.

History

A Hungarian mixed pickle jarred at the end of summer to accompany winter’s heavy pork dishes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Csalamade?

Csalamade is a fermented & pickled from Hungary: shredded cabbage, pepper and cucumber pickled together, eaten with roast meat. A Hungarian mixed pickle jarred at the end of summer to accompany winter’s heavy pork dishes.

How long does Csalamade take to make?

Csalamade takes 40 min plus overnight salting and 3 weeks of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills 4 × 500 ml jars. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Csalamade?

Yes, within limits. Green tomatoes or cauliflower in place of some of the cucumber. Cider vinegar for white, which is rounder. Less sugar for a sharper jar, though Hungarian csalamádé is meant to be sweet-sour.

What is the most important thing to get right in Csalamade?

Toss all the sliced vegetables with the 2 tablespoons of salt in a large bowl and leave overnight with a plate on top. They will give up a great deal of water, which is what keeps the jars crisp rather than watery.