Tangy yet sweet, pickled ginger pairs perfectly with sushi, but you can use it to enhance the flavors of a variety of dishes. While you could buy it, it's simple to make from scratch at home.
1teaspoonsaltfor salting the ginger before cooking it
Instructions
Peel the ginger root. This can be easily accomplished by using the edge of your spoon to help scrape the skin off.
Slice the ginger as thinly as you can. You can use a knife, vegetable peeler, or a food processor/slicer like I did.
For traditional cooked pickled ginger
Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the ginger slices and coat them well with the salt. Allow the coated ginger to rest while you fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Add the salted ginger to the boiling water and cook it for a short period of time. Remove after 1-2 minutes for a stronger, more pungent ginger. Leave it to cook longer for milder ginger.
Remove the ginger from the boiling water.
Prepare the pickling solution
Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan, and heat over low to medium heat, mixing together until the sugar dissolves. If using a strong vinegar, you can cook slightly longer to decrease the acidity slightly. Remove from the heat. (For raw version, you can dissolve the sugar in the vinegar without cooking the solution.)
For raw or cooked ginger
Place the sliced ginger (cooked or raw) in a clean jar, and pour the vinegar solution over it.
Optionally add a slice of beetroot or radish to color the ginger pink.
Remove the beetroot once you've achieved the desired level of color.
Cover and store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
For sweetener, you can use regular white sugar, unrefined sugar (like coconut sugar or panela), or use alternative sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or stevia.While rice vinegar is traditionally used, you can try using other kinds of vinegar like apple cider vinegar or a homemade ginger vinegar.While you can store the finished pickled ginger at room temperature, it will keep longer in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place. (Store up to a year.)