Today's Menu 2 #15

Today’s Menu #2-052

Japanese Pickles

Ingredients

1. One day before, cut all the vegetables (B) to the proper sizes. Rub them with salt, put in a container and place a two pound weight on it.

2. Heat bran and red pepper in a pan over low to medium heat until aromatic. Then place them into a bowl to cool.

3. Heat four cups of water, kelp and 1-1/2 cups of coarse salt (A) in a pan until the salt has dissolved. Pour it into the bowl with the bran and red pepper gradually. Then add one cup of fermentation liquid from #1 above.

4. Pour the bran mixture (#3 above) into the container with the vegetables (from #1 above) and mix well. Bury cabbage, turnip leaves and carrot skins (to be thrown away later) within the bran. Even out the surface of the bran.

5. Mix the bran twice a day, morning and evening. Replace the vegetables every 1-2 days. (You can use the old vegetables for stir-fried vegetables.)

6. After 10-14 days, the bran is nicely aged. If the bran is too soft because of the water from the vegetables, add new bran.

7. Prepare vegetables (to be pickled). Peel the carrots and cut it in half lengthwise. Peel the turnips and cut it in quarters. Cut celery, eggplant and cucumber to the proper sizes. Dust the vegetables with coarse salt. When the moisture is removed, leave them for 15 minutes.

8. Remove the vegetables from the bran and discard. Mix the bran well, then place the vegetables (to be pickled) in the bran. After putting all the vegetables in the bran, even out the surface. Cover it with a wooden lid. (If you don’t have a wooden lid, you can use any lid but keep a little space open so that the air can escape.

9. Mix the bran every day. In summer, when the temperature is higher, fermentation is accelerated, so mix the bran twice a day. Make sure you mix well.

10.  Every time you finish mixing, even out the surface of the bran and replace   the lid.  

11.  The pickled vegetables are ready to eat after half a day or a day. Enjoy!