[jmc1949]

I've never done any pickling before, so this is all new to me. 
I've been given a red cabbage and have looked at recipes for pickling it but I'm a little confused (thick! really). Some say spiced vinegar and you can also use pickling spices which I can't find in my local shops.  But I can buy 1.5 litre bottles of pickling vinegar. Can I use this instead?

[DD.]

That's what I do!

[GrannieAnnie]

I normally get my packets of pickling spice from Tesco or Morrisons, but sometimes I do just buy the jars of pickling vinegar, which is great as you get a nice big jar to use too!

Taste it first, if it needs a little more 'spicing up' heat some up a bit and stick a chilli in it, then cool it down to use!   

[jmc1949]

Thanks for that. I'll buy some tomorrow.

[Trillium]

Interesting how different products are in the UK. If you ask for pickling vinegar here, you get a 7% vinegar rather than the standard 5%.

[GrannieAnnie]

Pickling vinegar over here is sold in jars already having had the spices added, so if you need something like pickled onions that goes into cold vinegar, you just pour the vinegar over them in the jar.

It comes in a tall jar too, ideal for those onions!  Works out more expensive, but handy at times!

[cheshirecheese]

My failsafe ingredients for a gorgeous spiced vinegar are as follows (this is specifically for pickled onions or shallots, but you can adapt it for other pickles including red cabbage):

200ml Red Wine Vinegar
200ml Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 Tbspn Muscovado Sugar (or more if you like them really sweet)
1tbsp each Allspice Berries, Black Peppercorns, Juniper Berries, crushed
1-2 Cinnamon Sticks
Bay Leaves - one per jar
Add a dried chilli or two or some dried chilli flakes for spicier onions

[jmc1949]

Thanks for that recipe cheshirecheese. I still have some shallots to pickle so I'll give it a try. I'm new to pickling things but that looks easy enough.

[Kleftiwallah]

You can't have a good pickling vinegar without blade mace.

Cheers,    Tony.

[cricketwidow]

The Pickling spices are made by Schwartz and you will them in the refill boxes of the spice section, rather than in the jars.