This is the sweet, tangy ginger served with sushi, and it’s far better homemade. Baby ginger is the ideal kind for it because it’s tender enough to slice paper-thin. The pink color is real, too: the pink tips of the root tint the whole jar once it meets the vinegar, with no dye needed.

Makes about 1 pint · 20 minutes, plus 1 day in the fridge

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces baby ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Rinse the ginger and trim any dry ends. Slice it as thin as you can, along the length of the root. A vegetable peeler or mandoline makes paper-thin slices easy.
  2. Toss the slices with the salt in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid with your hands and pack the ginger into a clean pint jar.
  3. Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small pot, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves and it starts to simmer.
  4. Pour the hot liquid over the ginger, making sure it’s covered. Let it cool, then put the lid on.
  5. Refrigerate at least 1 day before eating. It turns pink over a few hours to a few days.

Storage: Keep it in the fridge, always use clean utensils. It keeps 2–3 months. This is a refrigerator pickle, not one for canning on the shelf.

How to use it: With sushi or rice bowls, chopped into slaws and noodle salads, on sandwiches, or on its own as a snack. A splash of the pickling liquid perks up salad dressing.