Quick-Pickled Ginger
Thinly slice young ginger, toss with salt, and submerge in a hot, vinegary brine. It will turn from raw yellow to a faint, translucent pink within an hour and keep its snap for weeks in the fridge.
The younger the root, the better the yield.
Look for ginger with thin, smooth skin that scrapes away with your fingernail; it lacks the fibrous, woody interior of older ginger.
- Mandoline or sharp chef's knife
- Small saucepan
- Glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
What goes in.
- 8 ozyoung ginger, peeled and sliced paper-thin
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 cuprice vinegar
- 3 tbspgranulated sugar
Don't skip the salt sweat
Tossing the ginger with salt and letting it sit for ten minutes draws out excess moisture, ensuring the vinegar base penetrates every slice deeply.
The method.
Prep the ginger
Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon. Use a mandoline on the thinnest setting to create uniform, translucent rounds.
Sweat the slices
Toss the ginger rounds in a bowl with the salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes until they look limp.
Prepare the brine
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar and sugar. Stir just until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is clear; do not let it reach a hard boil.
Pack and pour
Pat the ginger dry with a paper towel and pack it into a clean glass jar. Pour the hot brine over the ginger until it is completely submerged.
Cool and store
Let the jar sit at room temperature until cool, then tighten the lid and refrigerate. It is ready to eat once chilled.
Other turns to take.
Deep Pink
Add a single, matchstick-sized piece of raw beet to the jar; it will naturally dye the ginger a vibrant, deep rose.
Spiced
Add a star anise pod or a strip of dried chili to the brine while it heats for a subtle aromatic backbone.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If using older, fibrous ginger, slice it crosswise against the grain to keep the texture tender.
The ginger will lose its sharp, raw bite after 24 hours in the brine.
Always use a clean fork to remove ginger from the jar to keep the remaining brine uncontaminated.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my ginger turn blue?
This happens sometimes with young ginger due to a chemical reaction between the vinegar and certain compounds in the plant. It is perfectly safe to eat.
How long does this stay good?
Stored in the back of the refrigerator, it maintains its crispness for about two months.
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