A lightly fermented cabbage relish with carrots and onions that is common in Central American countries.
Curtido is a Central American form of lightly fermented cabbage that is commonly served as a condiment in various dishes including pupusas. It is similar to sauerkraut or tart cole slaw or even kimchi. I like that it’s super easy to make where you pretty much just mix some shredded cabbage, carrots and onions along with vinegar, water, salt and oregano and let it sit for a few days before enjoy as a side or as a condiment/relish on whatever you wish!
Curtido goes great on El Salvadoran pupusas!
Curtido
Prep Time:10 minutes Chill Time:24 hours Total Time:1 day 10 minutes Servings: 24(6 cups or 24 1/4 cup servings)
A lightly fermented cabbage relish with carrots and onions that is common in Central American countries.
ingredients
- 4 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrot, shredded
- 1 cup onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup vinegar (white or cider)
- 1/2 cup water, warm
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
directions
- Mix everything well, place in a jar, seal and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours before transferring to the fridge.
Option: Add the juice from 1/2 lime.
Option: Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar for a bit of sweetness.
Option: Add 1 jalapeno (thinly sliced) or chili pepper flakes to taste for a bit of heat.
Option: Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar for a bit of sweetness.
Option: Add 1 jalapeno (thinly sliced) or chili pepper flakes to taste for a bit of heat.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 7, Fat 0 (Saturated 0, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 102mg, Carbs 1g (Fiber 0.5g, Sugars 0.8g), Protein 0.2g
Nutrition by: 
Maresa says
August 26, 2016 at 12:37 amooh, the possibilities! any idea how long will this keep in the fridge?
kevin says
August 26, 2016 at 7:23 pmMaresa: It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge!
Anonymous says
August 26, 2016 at 10:35 pmThank you for posting the pupusas and cortido recipe.. I had these as an exchange student in El Salvador in the mid 70s. The unique flavor has stayed in my memory all these years. We had them at a road side stand, bare foot women would pat them out by hand and cook over a wood fire. I have never had anything else quite like them.
Nancy Graham Norwex Independent Sales Consultant says
September 1, 2016 at 4:14 amFermented foods like sour kraut use salt not vinegar. Just wondering if you've tried making it that way.
kevin says
September 1, 2016 at 7:48 pmNancy Graham: I have seen recipes that just use salt and no vinegar but I have not tried it.
Unknown says
August 19, 2017 at 11:22 pmIs this safe to ferment in a regular mason jar? or will you need to get a jar that is meant to be used specifically for fermentation?