Stuffed cabbage dumplings for the winter

The recipe for stuffed cabbage dumplings is ideal for autumn, when you start canning. At the beginning of autumn everyone pickles vegetables to have them available during the winter. My parents pickle every year, and I follow their example. I grew up this way and I like to make my own pickles. I used to pickle with my dad, especially Bulgarian cucumbers.

We would line up a bunch of jars on the table in the yard and fill them with cucumbers and spices. We would then boil them in a bain-marie and get the best sweet-sour cucumbers. My mother would put the scalded gogosari in vinegar. It was her recipe and she was the only one who did it. I loved the fact that both my parents were involved in preparing the dishes, and my father actually cooked.

Every time we make cabbage dumplings, they are eaten to the last piece. We usually open a big jar and share it between us: me, my parents and my brother. This way they don't have time to spoil because we eat them before that happens. We do this with all the pickles we make in large quantities.

My dad makes the best sauerkraut, so he makes cabbage for all of us every year. Sometimes he makes it for himself and gives it to us when we need it, other times I have him make it for me in a small barrel so I have it on hand. I use it for stuffed cabbage or make a sauerkraut salad with lots of paprika. When I'm in the mood, I make some seasoned cabbage with smoked turkey and it reminds me of the food my grandmother used to make for me when I was a child.