Quick & Easy Pickled Daikon Radish

 [Updated Steps on How to Remove the Bitterness from Daikon Radishes!] Sweet & tangy pickled daikon radish recipe with a crisp crunch! Quick & easy to make and requires no heat, just a refrigerator!

[Update October 10,2018 : I made an update to this post and added a step on how to remove the bitterness from the daikon pickles since I noticed that depending on how fresh your daikon radish – the bitterness will vary from very bitter to slight bitterness. The updated steps will make sure that you get perfect pickles every time.]

I recently went to Korean BBQ with the family and was reminded of how fond I was of these sweet and crunch pickled daikon radishes. I like them so much, I like to hoard the ‘all you can eat’ banchan (little Korean side dishes) they serve, the pickled daikon radishes ones in particular. I mean who goes to Korean BBQ to eat pickles? Me apparently.

There’s something so satisfying about snacking on crispy sweet and sour veggies. My fridge is so full with jars of pickles and condiments, I honestly wonder how I ever have room for anything else in there.

I must warn you though, whenever you open a container of daikon radish raw or cooked it will smell strong, almost fart-like 😛 Once you crack open the container the smell dissipates, but just be warned if you are going to open a jar around guests! 🙂

INGREDIENTS

For this pickled daikon recipe, you can buy most of the ingredients in your local grocery store. If you cannot find daikon radishes in your local grocery store, you can find them at an Asian grocery store. Make sure you pick out very firm daikon radishes when you are shopping for them. The firmer and less bendy it is, the more fresh it is.

Optional: Garlic and Red Chillis. If you like garlicky pickles smash a clove and put it in! If you like spicy pickles add a few chillis in! I left them whole but you can slice them up as well for a more even distribution.

Tip #1: Add a slice of beet for pink coloured pickles! A little beet goes a long way, a small slice of it will be more than enough.

Tip #2: Add carrots in and you have yourself the traditional pickled daikon carrot pickles they use in Banh Mi! 🙂

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Salting The Daikon To Remove The Bitterness

I have noticed that depending on how fresh the daikon is, you might produce bitter daikon pickles. The more soft and bendy (not fresh) daikon you use, the more bitter your pickles will turn out.

To work around this, since not everyone can control how fresh their daikons are, I have added a salting step to draw out the bitter water out of the daikon before we start pickling it. This extra step is definitely worth it and will give us perfect pickles every time.

Quick and Easy Pickled Daikon Radish

• Author: Joyce | Pups with Chopsticks
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 Jar
• Category: Appetizer, Condiments, Side
• Cuisine: Asian

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Description

Sweet & tangy pickled daikon radish recipe with a crisp crunch! Quick & easy to make and requires no heat, just a refrigerator!

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Ingredients

• 1 small daikon radish
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 clove garlic (Optional)
• 1-2 birdseye chili (Optional)

Vinegar Brine

• 1/4 cup white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/4 cup sugar

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Instructions

Preparing the Daikon Radish

1. Wash and peel the daikon radish
2. Cut the daikon radish to the shape you prefer. (thin match sticks, thick sticks or cubes).  and put it in a large bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and massage it into the freshly cut radish. Let the radish sit for 15 minutes while it draws out the bitter water.
4. Once 15 minutes is up, rinse the daikon well with cold water and set aside

Making the Brine

1. In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients under the ‘Vinegar Brine’ and set aside. Taste the vinegar solution to see if it is sweet or tart enough for your preference.
2. (Optional) Peel and smash 1 clove of garlic to flatten it and release the juices and put it in the brine

Putting it Together

1. Add the daikon radish into glass jars and cover with vinegar brine until the daikon is fully submerged in it. If you want it garlicky or spicy, add in the optional smashed garlic and whole chili peppers into the jars as well.
2. Seal well and let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably 24 hours.
3. Enjoy!

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Notes

• Add a slice of beet for pink coloured pickles! A little beet goes a long way, a small slice of it will be more than enough.
• You can also add carrots in addition to the daikon radish to this recipe as well.
• If you need more pickle juice, double the pickle juice portion of the recipe
• You can store these for up to 2 months, but they taste best within a month

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Jar
• Calories: 210 kcal
• Sugar: 48 g
• Sodium: 4006 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 52 g
• Protein: 1 g

Keywords: pickled daikon

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