How to pickle radish

The method of pickling radish is neither difficult nor easy. Please see the detailed introduction below.

Pickled Radish

How to make Hakka pickles? Aunt Mei enthusiastically shared some tips with reporters.

How to pickle radish

Aunt Mei is a Hakka. In the village where she lives, almost every household can make pickles, which are moderately salty and sour and go well with rice.

"Before the reform and opening up, everyone's life was hard. We added some pickles to our meals and brought some pickles and sweet potatoes when we went out to chop firewood." Although she has been eating pickles for more than 50 years, Aunt Mei has not gotten tired of them and thinks they are quite appetizing to eat occasionally.

In the past, she grew her own mustard greens every year, and after the autumn harvest, she made several large jars of pickles and distributed them to relatives and friends.

This is no exception after moving to a big city.

Aunt Mei, who has lived in Dongguan for nearly eight years, insists on pickling vegetables every year. "I occasionally go to the market to buy some, but my family is worried about additives." Aunt Mei said that she only needs to add salt and ginger slices to the pickles she makes, and about one pound of salt is needed for 15 pounds of mustard greens.

Homemade pickles are popular among neighbors

Aunt Mei thinks that now is the best time to pickle vegetables.

"We choose cabbage mustard greens for pickling, as they have large stems and lots of flesh." Aunt Mei cut a mustard green in half, revealing the beautiful round shape, plump and fresh.

Aunt Mei said that there should be no moisture or mud on the mustard leaves.

At this time of year every year, there are cabbage greens for sale in the market. Aunt Mei and her husband would buy dozens of kilograms and pickle a few bottles of pickles. At first, they just gave them to their children. Later, after some fellow villagers and neighbors tasted them, they actually liked them too and would ask every year if there were any left.

Learn more

Come and DIY pickles with Aunt Mei, but don’t eat too much

After buying cabbage mustard, if there is no mud, use it directly. If there is mud, wash it and dry it. First, completely cut off the old leaves on the outer layer of the mustard, and then cut it in half vertically. The old leaves can still be used after removing the yellow leaves.

Put the chopped mustard greens into a bowl, add salt and rub them slightly until the leaves are wet and can stick to the salt. But don't rub the leaves too hard, otherwise it will affect the taste.

Put the kneaded mustard greens into a large bucket, and do the same with the old leaves. Then put a solid object on top and leave it for about 20 hours until the leaves release water and become soft.

4. Stuff the softened mustard greens into the glass bottle, making sure to stuff it tightly and leaving as little space as possible. Sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt on the side of the bottle. When it is halfway stuffed, you can add some ginger slices to make it taste better. When it is almost full, be sure to stuff some old leaves to isolate the air and ensure that the pickles underneath taste fresh. You can put a layer of plastic wrap to make the bottle mouth more dense.

5. The pickled vegetables should be placed in a cool and ventilated place and can be eaten after 20 days. When taking the vegetables, be careful not to eat the old leaves on the top layer, but to take out the heart of the vegetables below. At the same time, seal it well to prevent the leaves from turning black. Although pickled vegetables are delicious, you can't eat too much or keep them for a long time.