Peel and chop the onion. Wash the cabbage and the apple and thinly slice* them (leave out the core).
In a large pot, heat the canola oil and add in the chopped onions. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Add in the sliced cabbage and apple and give it a good stir. Mix in the water, apple cider vinegar, rice syrup, salt, cloves and bay leaves. Give it a good mix, cover it with the lid, reduce the heat a bit and let it simmer for about 40 minutes until the cabbage is soft and the water has evaporated. Stir every now and then.
Once the cabbage is tender, add in the lemon juice, remove the bay leaves (and the cloves if you can find them) before serving and add additional salt to taste.