Curtido is bold, bright, and delightfully sour with just the right hint of heat. A cousin to sauerkraut with roots in Salvadoran cuisine, this version balances shredded cabbage, grated carrot, sliced onion, diced jalapeño, and dried oregano. It’s not just a slaw—it’s a living, breathing, probiotic-rich condiment that brings a sharp, refreshing crunch to anything it touches.
Curtido is a very short and simple fermentation, making this a great recipe for people of all fermentation skill levels. With some salt, a clean jar, and a little patience, the vegetables do most of the work. Letting them ferment for a few days at room temperature develops flavor that’s far deeper than anything you’ll get from vinegar-based pickling. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of making something with your own hands that keeps well and elevates meals across the board.
If you're new to fermenting, it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand the basic tools, techniques, and safety tips involved. Head over to this post for a practical primer. It covers everything from choosing jars to what to expect during the bubbling phase, so you can start with confidence.
What to Serve with Curtido
Curtido shines alongside pupusas, its most traditional pairing, but it’s just as happy dressing up tacos, grain bowls, burgers, or pulled pork sandwiches. Add it to avocado toast or scrambled eggs for a punch of acidity and crunch, or serve it as a zippy contrast to grilled meats.
How to Store Fermented Foods
Once your curtido has fermented to your liking, move the jar to the refrigerator. The cold slows fermentation to a crawl, preserving the flavor and texture. Keep the vegetables submerged under brine at all times to prevent spoilage. Use a clean utensil each time you scoop some out, and it should stay good for several months—often even longer. If you ever notice mold, an off smell, or sliminess, it’s time to discard and start fresh. But under clean conditions, fermented vegetables are remarkably shelf-stable and low-maintenance.
Fermented Curtido
- 1 quart masn jar
- glass fermentation weight
- fermentation lid
- box grater
- 1/2 head green cabbage (680–760 g), finely shredded
- 1/2 large white or yellow onion (roughly 90 g), thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot (approximately 90 g), grated
- 1 to 2 small jalapeno peppers (around 20 g), diced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- Non-iodized salt – calculated at 2% of the weight of all the vegetables combined
- Before you begin, sanitize your 1-quart fermentation jar and any fermentation weights you'll be using. Wash them thoroughly in hot, soapy water, rinse well, and then boil them in a boiling-water bath for at least 10 minutes.
- Thinly slice the cabbage and onion, grate the carrot, and dice the jalapeño. Place a large mixing bowl on a kitchen scale, and tare (zero) out the weight of the bowl. Place all of the prepped vegetables into the bowl and note the weight in grams.
- Multiply the total weight of the vegetables by 0.02 to calculate the amount of salt to use (2% of the weight). For example, if your total vegetable weight is 1,000 grams, use 20 grams of salt.
- Add the oregano to the vegetables, sprinkle in the calculated amount of salt, and mix everything thoroughly. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. The salt will draw moisture from the vegetables to create a natural brine.
- After 30 minutes, check the mixture. If the vegetables haven't released enough liquid to be fully submerged when packed into the jar, make a light brine using the same 2% salt ratio: dissolve 2 grams of salt in every 100 ml of water. Add just enough of this brine to cover the vegetables once they’re packed in.
- Firmly press the curtido mixture into your sanitized jar, packing tightly to eliminate air pockets. Ensure the vegetables are fully submerged under the brine. Place a sanitized fermentation weight on top to keep everything submerged.
- Cover the jar with a loose lid or airlock system. Let the curtido ferment at room temperature (68–75°F) for about 3 days. Check daily to ensure the vegetables stay submerged. Taste after 3 days, and ferment longer if a tangier flavor is desired.
- Once the flavor is to your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The curtido will keep for several months and continue to develop flavor slowly in the cold.
- You can adjust the heat level of this dish by adjusting the amount of jalapeno used. Remove the seeds to keep it mild, or omit the jalapeno all together if you don't like spicy food.
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