Make Pickled Ginger

Pickled ginger is an essential part of a typical sushi dinner, along with fresh fish, wasabi and soy sauce. If you want to make sushi at home, or keep your own condiments in the house, you can make jars of pickled ginger slices that will keep for up to 6 months. Making pickled ginger at home allows you to leave out the chemical preservatives that most commercial companies use. In fact, it only contains 4 ingredients and can be made within a half an hour. Your batch of pickled ginger will last longer if you have some basic canning supplies on hand. Learn how to make pickled ginger.

Steps

1. Buy approximately 6 4 oz. (118ml) canning jars, to hold and preserve your pickled ginger. Sterilize the cans and lids before you start to pickle your ginger.
   • Boil water in an 8 qt. (0.9l) pot. Fit the pot with a rack, so that you can drop the jars inside.
   • Place the jars on the rack and insert them into the boiling water for 10 minutes. This will sterilize them. Leave the jars in the water and turn off the heat until you are ready to pack them.
2. Choose large pieces of ginger root. Look for roots with broad sides, so that they can be sliced into thin, wide sections easily. You will want to use approximately 1 lb. (454g) of ginger root in order to make a large batch.
   • You can also simply peel 1 large piece of ginger root to make 1 4 oz. (118ml) jar of pickled ginger.
3. Peel your piece, or pieces, of ginger root with a vegetable peeler. All of the brown skin should be removed.
4. Slice the ginger very thin using a mandoline. In order to get larger paper-thin pieces, you will need to use this piece of equipment. However, you can also use a vegetable peeler to carve off small, thin pieces.
5. Stuff your ginger into your sterilized 4 oz. (118ml) canning jars.
6. Heat 2 cups (0.5l) of rice vinegar, 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar and 1 tbsp. (14g) of salt in a large saucepan. Stir it on medium heat until it dissolves.
   • If you are making 1 4 oz. (118ml) jar, use 1/4 cup (59ml) of rice vinegar, 1.5 tbsp. (13g) of sugar and 1/2 tsp. (3g) of salt.
   • Make sure you are using unseasoned rice vinegar. You can also use cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar.
7. Turn the heat up to medium high until just boiling. Then, take it off the stove.
8. Pour the pickling liquid over the ginger in your jars through a funnel. Wipe the sides of the jars with a clean towel.
9. Screw the lid onto the jar. Allow it to cool on the counter. Then, place it in the refrigerator.
   • The ginger can be served after sitting in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Tips

• You can substitute other sweeteners for granulated sugar. For example, honey is a good natural sweetener. Use slightly less honey, because it is sweeter than granulated sugar.
• If you like your pickled ginger to have the pink hue that it has at sushi restaurants, add beet juice to your pickling liquid. Add slowly, so that you can stop when the color looks right.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh ginger root
• Mandoline
• Vinegar
• Sugar/honey
• Salt
• Canning jars
• Vegetable peeler
• Water bath
• Canning rack
• Funnel
• Clean rag
• Refrigerator
• Measuring cups/spoons

Related Articles

• Pickle Garlic
• Make Rumaki
• Pickle Eggs

Sources and Citations

• http://www.beyondthepeel.net/2012/09/how-to-pickle-ginger.html
• http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/homemade-pickled-ginger.aspx
• http://www.food.com/recipe/pickled-ginger-for-sushi-57314

See also

• Choose the Right Food for You
• Stockpile Food
• Select Unbroken Eggs at the Store
• Select Broccoli
• Store Seafood
• Buy Peas in the Pod
• Select Great Tasting Celery and Lettuce
• Vacuum Seal
• Choose the Best Farmer's Market Produce
• Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe

Read more ...

What links here

• Preserve Food