My mom has a little subscription based organic farm in Upstate New York. It’s really cute, gives her something to do & yields me alot of free random produce. I think half the time she doesnt have a clue what she is planting. But I look at this as a blessing in disguise. It gives me a chance to try something new and add to my cooking repertoire.
This time around my mom brings me a bag and says “This is some Asian carrot thing that I don’t know what it is…figure it out”. I look deep into the paper bag and look up with a smile and say “Mom, it’s daikon radish and I want any of it you have on your farm”. Now I haven’t ever made anything with daikon before but one of my favorite things is pickled daikon radish. It is always so crisp and bright that it’s the perfect addition to anything you need to cut through fat with. I was obsessed with finding a simple recipe that I could adapt to make a few jars of it for the house. I looked around and found a few tips and recipes online. I combined the best and added my own twist. The tumeric gives a nice depth and the addition of the grated fresh ginger gives it a brightness over the vinegar that takes it to the next level. Here’s a recipe I adapted that made perfect use of my mom’s “Asian carrot” and I hope you enjoy it too.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb daikon radish peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of un-seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 lbs of ground pepper
1/2 tbs of ground tumeric
1 tbs of grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp of kosher salt
In a saucepan bring to boil the water & vinegar. Once at a boil add the sugar, tumeric, ground pepper & ginger and stir well to dissolve and combine. Let mixture boil for 3-4 minutes and then remove from the heat and let it cool for an hour. As the mixture is cooling put the daikon and salt into a bowl and toss well for a couple of minutes. Next place the daikon and salt mixture in a colander and let it drain over a bowl for an hour. Take the daikon radish and rinse with water followed by a nice de-dampening with a few paper towels. Put the daikon radish into a sterilized mason jar, within an inch of the top, and cover with a piece of cheese cloth. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture into the jar through the cheese cloth until the the daikon radish is covered. Close with an airtight lid and place in fridge. It’s best to wait at least overnight before enjoying. Note it can last for 4-5 weeks if refrigerated properly.
