Help! I can’t stop pickling with Asian ingredients!
My own personal 12-step issues aside, this is a tasty “quickle” (quick + pickle) using a simple preparation on an ingredient avid picklers are likely dying to try – burdock root.
Happy pickling!
Pickled Burdock Root Japanese Tsukemono Recipe
Author: Karen Solomon
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep time:
Total time:
Burdock root is a mysterious vegetable for the Western table, but it needn’t be. It’s mild and slightly sweet, and its texture is somewhere between jicama and sunchokes/rutabaga. These long, brown, starchy-looking vegetable logs used to be exclusive to Asian groceries, but here in San Francisco I’ve even been finding them in big chain grocery stores as of late. They boil up beautifully in soup (pickled or raw) and it’s terrific in any kind of stir fried or boiled rice dish. As a pickle, it fully stands up on its own. The only trick to burdock is that it discolors to a hideous brown very quickly - much more so than potatoes - so some caution has to be taken to keep its creamy white color.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh burdock root
- 4 T red umezu (ume plum vinegar)
- 6 T unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 T sugar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Burdock loves to go brown as quickly as it’s peeled. Let’s keep it from getting its way by peeling it with the help of an acidic water bath. Ready a large bowl of cool water and add a couple of tablespoons of white distilled vinegar or the juice of half a lemon.
- Additionally, set a medium saucepan of water on to boil.
- And in a vessel or measuring cup with a pouring spout, combine the umezu, vinegar, sugar, and water to make the brine.
- Chop the burdock into 4-inch lengths. Working with one piece at a time, peel it very deeply. its woody, fibrous skin tends to run fairly deep. After peeling, transfer each piece to the acidic water bath. Then, working with one piece at a time again, slice the burdock into thin circular coins, placing them back in the acidic bath as you go.
- When your water is boiling, drain the burdock and transfer it to the pot. Boil the vegetable for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the burdock tastes tender and sweet.
- Drain the burdock well and pack it into a glass jar(s). Pour the brine over to cover, secure with a lid, and let it sit at room temperature for one day before refrigerating. Your burdock is ready to eat, but it will taste even better after three days.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 20 oz
I’ve been looking for an Asian Style pickled Burdock! How long will this keep in the fridge?