[flowergirl]

ok ive searched and cant find, ive chopped some red cabbage and covered it in salt for pickling do i boil the vinegar or just chuck it on over the cabbage in a jar?and is it pickling vinegar?ive also taken a slice out of my finger in the process but will not be putting that in with the cabbage im only allowed 1 sharp knife cos when i inevetably cut myself preparing stuff i bleed like a running tap! and can anyone tell me why my red cabbage went blue when steamed :? cheers

[mushroom]

and can anyone tell me why my red cabbage went blue when steamed :? cheers

the pigment making red cabbage red is red when conditions are on the acidic side, blue when on the basic/alkaline side. Kent is a hard water area, the water contains appreciable amounts of chalk and other carbonates, causing both temporary and permanent hardness. Though the carbonates are not transferred through steaming, I bet you splashed some water on them, causing them to go blue. Calcium and magnesium carbonate (the main carbonates causing hardness) are alkaline in solution.

this link explains it in a bit more detail.

[muntjac]

cos ur colour is diluted it goes purple ... pickled cabbage  is done raw
  put chopped cabbage in a bowl sprinkle salt in and then wiegh a plate down in the bowl to press down on it hard leave fer 48 hours my nana used to use the old iron .. iron
then wash it off n dry shove it in ya hot pickling jars with sugar n peppercorns mustard seed 1/2 teaspoon of each.then pour the white vinegar on em n close the lids tight .leave em fer a month before ya try it  

[gobs]

IMHO and regular experience red cabbage: + salt= blue, add vinegar= back to purplish.

[flowergirl]

ok just went to put something heavy on the tray and the salt has gone green :shock: its like a weird science experiment!!

[gobs]

It is, you can play it with beet root as well, I just can't remember what you put on them and then they go yellow. Fun with vegetables.