Amazuzuke (Quick Vinegar Pickles)
A Japanese-inspired quick pickle recipe featuring seasonal vegetables and aromatic herbs in a flavorful vinegar brine. These crisp pickles are seasoned with kombu, shiso, and warming spices for a delicious accompaniment to any meal.
Ingredients
- •2½ pounds assorted seasonal vegetables
- •6 leaves shiso
- •3 sprigs thyme, dill, and parsley
- •1½ ounces ginger
- •2 cloves garlic
- •1 teaspoon peppercorns or seeds
- •4 pieces dried red chiles
- •2 cups rice vinegar
- •2 cups filtered water
- •1 piece kombu
- •½ cup cane sugar
- •3 tablespoons sea salt
- •1 tablespoon orange or lemon peel
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Sterilize eight 1/2-pint (240 ml) mason jars.
10 min
- 2.
Slice the vegetables into bite-size pieces, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. If skinny like asparagus and green beans, leave them whole or cut them in half crosswise. Root vegetables should be blanched first for 1 minute in a pot of boiling water and strained before adding to the jars. Pack the vegetables, shiso, thyme, dill, and parsley in the sterilized jars tightly.
20 min
- 3.
Combine the ginger, garlic, peppercorns, chiles, rice vinegar, filtered water, kombu, sugar, salt, and citrus peel in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and pour the hot brine over the vegetables in the sterilized jars. Let cool, then seal the jars and refrigerate. You can start eating the pickles after 1 day. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
15 min