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Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — finished dish, ready to serve.

Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage (Tianjin Dongcai)

天津冬菜 · northern cuisine · Tianjin

50 min total20 min cooking9 stepssavorysalty

Tianjin winter cabbage (qing-ma-ye, a long-leaf variety) is traditionally used to make this preserve; it gives the best flavor. A single large cabbage yields only about half a jar of finished preserved cabbage. After one month it is ready to eat, and after a year of storage it turns golden yellow and reaches its best flavor.

Carl Brennan's profile photoCarl BrennanDivorced dad of two, learning to cook for real at 47. Kids rate everything out of 10 and honestly it's great feedback. Current specialty: taco night, all versions.

Nutrition & allergens

No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.

Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.

Per serving (4 servings)

Energy (kcal)
Unknown
Protein (g)
Unknown
Fat (g)
Unknown
Carbs (g)
Unknown
Sodium (mg)
3446.8(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)

Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.

  • bai cai白菜

    1.0 whole

  • Fine salt ingredient identification photo

    salt盐

    1.41 oz

  • Garlic ingredient identification photo

    garlic大蒜

    4.0 whole

Steps

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 1 visual checkpoint.

    Use qing-ma-ye cabbage (long-leaf cabbage) for this recipe; it makes a better-tasting finished product.

    ✅ Done when: You have the right long-leaf cabbage variety on hand before starting.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 2 visual checkpoint.

    Wash the cabbage well and cut it into small 1 cm squares; slightly larger or smaller pieces are fine.

    ✅ Done when: The cabbage is clean and cut into roughly 1 cm square pieces.

  3. 3

    Step 31440 min

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 3 visual checkpoint.

    Spread the cabbage out to air-dry for one day.

    ✅ Done when: The cabbage has been drying for a full day.

  4. 4

    Step 41440 min

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 4 visual checkpoint.

    Continue drying for a second day; in a heated room the cabbage wilts quickly.

    ✅ Done when: After two days of drying, the leaves look wilted.

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 5 visual checkpoint.

    After two days the cabbage should look wilted but not completely dried out; too much drying will cost it its crispness.

    ✅ Done when: The cabbage is visibly wilted yet still pliable enough to stay crisp, not brittle-dry.

  6. 6

    Step 6

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 6 visual checkpoint.

    Chop the garlic coarsely — not too fine; small granular pieces are ideal.

    ✅ Done when: The garlic is chopped into small, distinct granules rather than a fine mince.

  7. 7

    Step 7

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 7 visual checkpoint.

    Rinse a clean jar with a strong, high-proof white liquor (or high-proof grain spirit).

    ✅ Done when: The inside of the clean jar has been coated with the liquor.

  8. 8

    Step 8

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 8 visual checkpoint.

    Add the garlic and salt to the dried cabbage and mix thoroughly. The salt should be 10–15% of the weight of the cabbage after drying.

    ✅ Done when: The garlic, salt, and cabbage are evenly combined throughout.

  9. 9

    Step 943200 min

    Tianjin Preserved Winter Cabbage — step 9 visual checkpoint.

    Seal the jar and store at room temperature. It is ready to eat after one month; after one year the cabbage turns golden yellow and has the best flavor. Note that one large cabbage yields only about half a jar.

    ✅ Done when: After at least one month sealed at room temperature, the preserved cabbage is ready to eat.