How to Pickle Ginger

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By Patricia Resnick
eHow Contributing Writer

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(5 Ratings)

Young, fresh ginger, Shin Shoga

Sushi fans prize pickled ginger almost as much as they do the perfect fish it accompanies. The pickled ginger, or gari, is a variety of tsukemono, or Japanese pickle. It is meant to be eaten between bites as a palate refresher, but it is delicious on its own or with a glass of sake. It can also be used to flavor salad dressings or be eaten along with rice as a pickle. There are many recipes for pickled ginger, so try this one and adjust it until you are happy with the results.

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

2 lb. fresh young ginger (shin shoga) 1 tbsp. kosher salt 3 cups rice vinegar 2 cups white sugar 1/2 tbsp. whole peppercorns 6 whole cloves Small Thai bird chile (optional) Small garlic clove, crushed (optional)

Step 1

Peel your ginger. Using a mandolin or box grater, or a knife if you're very precise, slice your ginger as thinly as possible. You can also use a vegetable peeler to do this.
Step 2

Combine ginger with salt and cover with ice water. Allow to soak for 1 hour, then drain thoroughly. A salad spinner works very well for this.
Step 3

Combine vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, cloves and chile in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and pour over sliced ginger.
Step 4

Gari, or Japanese pickled ginger

Place ginger and liquid in nonreactive containers, either ceramic or plastic. Refrigerate. Keep the container covered. This will make about 2 cups of gari.

Tips & Warnings

If you use young ginger in this recipe, it will turn pink naturally. If you can only find older ginger, add a sliced beet to the brine before simmering, or leave it pale beige. This is perfectly acceptable.
Make sure your ginger is completely peeled. Slice your ginger as uniformly as possible. Do not use a metal container of any kind for this pickle.

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