Chinese Pickled Radish 醃櫻桃蘿蔔

I think we have been going a bit pickle crazy recently.  But how can you resist the urge to pickle?  Once you get started and see for yourself how easy and delightfully yummy your own homemade pickles are?  We have made Chinese Pickles  酸瓜 and Chinese Hua Gua Pickles 花瓜 and they are sitting pretty in our little fridge.  Homemade jars of pickle are so gorgeous!  I like to take them out just to admire them.  

The other day I happened upon some cherry radishes lying around and I made this easy Chinese Pickled Radish 醃櫻桃蘿蔔.  Now we also have a beautiful jar of pickled radish in the fridge that we can dip into any time for a tart, crunchy, slightly spicy snack.  And it's a PINK PICKLE! How cool is that?!  My little girl definitely thinks it's super cool.  

So start keeping all those nice glass jars that you use to throw away and fill em up with your homemade radish pickles.  You can be creative and add lots of things into the mix like ginger, or chilis, or spices that you think will enhance the flavor of your luscious pink pickle.  

To prepare the jar for pickles, wash, then fill jar and cap up with boiling water.  Let sit for 5 minutes and pour out the hot water.  Or you could just cook the whole thing in boiling water but I find it easier to just pour.

If we have a chinese style family dinner (ie. three or four dishes plus steamed rice) we will usually put out a small dish or two of pickles too.  A bit of tartness is always a refreshing counterpoint during a meal and it will help with digestion.  Especially during the hot summer months.  

This Chinese Radish Pickle will improve with age, just keep it in the fridge and make sure to use clean dry chopsticks to scoop the pickles out each time.  Should keep for up to a month in the fridge.

Chinese Pickled Radish Recipe
醃櫻桃蘿蔔

Prep time: 30 mins  Cook time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

• 15- 20 cherry radishes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 slices ginger
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 jar

Directions:

Wash your radishes.  Chop off the end bits and slice very thin slices.  Put in colander and add salt.  Toss and let drain for 1/2 hour.

Arrange ginger, garlic and drained radishes in your jar.

Heat vinegar and water to simmer.  Add sugar and stir till melted.  Pour this hot mixture carefully into the jar until all radishes are covered.  When cool, put on the lid and refrigerate.  Your pink radish pickle will be ready the next day!

Pickle-licious at The Hong Kong Cookery:

Chinese Pickled Garlic 醃蒜頭

Chinese Pickles 酸瓜

Chinese Hua Gua Pickles 花瓜

Pickled Vegetables 自製中式泡菜

Quick Salt Pickled Cucumbers

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