Japanese Pickled Ginger

 Japanese Pickled Ginger

We plan to make Ramen and the recipe called for Japanese pickled ginger as a side dish and my eaters do not want to omit this on the recipe. I have no choice but to turn to my most reliable recipe source “Mr. Google”. My search led me to this site http://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/pickled-red-ginger/.

Got all the list needed and went to the market to buy. By the way, I am also buying other items for my Ramen. The author specifically mentioned that when getting the young ginger must select the young ginger with pinkish stem as it is the one that gave the natural pinkish color of the pickled ginger when it mixed with cooked vinegar.

The recipe was very easy to follow and it was nice, and delicious and it is what I expected it is very similar to the ginger pickled that I tasted in Japan (Geino) when I was station there for a week for training. Their pickled gingers are pinkish and not red like what we see on Japanese restaurant here in Singapore.

I like this pickled gingeras my side for fried dish, like fried fish, chicken pork anything fried. My hubby also very happy and loves it. This pickled ginger become a maintain in our pantry and replaced our traditional green papaya pickled.

Japanese Pickled Ginger Recipe

Ingredients:

This recipe is adopted from “Just One Cookbook, Easy Japanese recipe:  http://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/pickled-red-ginger/.

For ginger:

• 100-150 g young ginger
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt (or ¼ tsp. table salt)

Sweet Vinegar

• 100 ml rice vinegar (right between ⅓ cup and ½ cup)
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. Kosher salt (or ¼ tsp. table salt)

  

Instructions:

1.  Using a spoon or back of small knife, scrape off brown spots. Then thinly slice with a peeler.

2.  Sprinkle salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Then add the ginger into a boiling water and cook for 1-3 minutes. If you want to keep it spicy, take it out around 1 minute. Otherwise, 2-3 minutes is good.

3.  Pour the water into a sieve and let the ginger slices drain completely. With your clean hands, squeeze the water out and put them in a sterilized jar or Mason jar.

4.  In a small pot, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, and bring it to a boil till strong vinegar smell has evaporated. When it’s slightly cool, pour the liquid into the jar with sliced ginger.

5.  Several hours later (minimum 3-4 hours), the ginger will turn slightly pink. The following day it will be even more pink. The pickled ginger can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.