Spiced Red Cabbage {canned}

Spiced Red Cabbage
Yield: about 5 quarts or 10 pints

Ingredients: 
12 lbs of red cabbage (3-4 heads), cored and shredded
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup whole allspice
1/4 cup whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup celery seed
2 cinnamon sticks, each about 4 inches and broken into pieces.
8 cups of red wine vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard seeds
1/4 cup ground mace or nutmeg

Directions:
Day 1
In a large crock, glass or stainless steel bowl, layer cabbage and salt. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 24 hours

Day 2
Transfer cabbage to a colander placed over the sink and drain. Rinse with cool running water. Drain thoroughly on trays lined with paper towel, about 6 hours.
Prepare canner, jars and lids.
Tie cloves, allspice, peppercorns, celery seeds and cinnamon stick pieces in a square of
cheesecloth. Creating a spice bag.
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, mace (or nutmeg) and the spice bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid. Discard spice bag.
Pack the cabbage into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jars to cover the cabbage, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding more liquid. Wipe jar rims clean with a damp cloth. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Adjust for elevation, if needed. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool 24 hours, check seals, clean jars thoroughly, label, and store in a cool dark place.

Recipe from: Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home