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
- 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.
- 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.
- Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small pot, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves and it starts to simmer.
- Pour the hot liquid over the ginger, making sure it’s covered. Let it cool, then put the lid on.
- 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.