I'm Pickled Pink to Be Back!

Hello!  Whew, we survived 2020 and we're well into 2021!  I know, I know, I've been very bad in posting delicious and easy recipes, but I have been so busy!  Me and the man decided to give up our day jobs at the beginning of the year and have taken the plunge into retirement.  Yeah!

I've been busy with going back to school, traveling, and other homey things!  I took a trip to visit my sister, Dori, in Texas and she put on a huge spread, Texas style!  She made an Asian themed assortments of meats and served this quintessential veggie side, pickled carrots and radish.  This slightly sweet and tangy mix adds an extra POP to your BBQ sandwiches (bahn mi sammies anyone?), salads, wrapped spring rolls, or eat straight from the jar!  

This is so simple and relatively quick to make.  So, give it a try and add a little excitement to your summer dining!

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots & Daikon (Đồ Chua) (yields about 1 pint packed)

1/2 pound carrots; peeled, washed, and julienne cut (you can slice thinly into rounds on a mandolin or shred on a box shredder)

1/2 pound daikon radish; treated the same way as the carrots! 

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (do not use iodized table salt! Blicky!)

FOR BRINE:

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar plus 2 tablespoons

 
In a glass or ceramic bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt onto shredded carrots and radishes.  Again, you can use a special julienne slicer (if you have it), box grater, or even mandolin for thin round slices.  It's up to you!  Just don't cut your pieces too thick.

With a clean or gloved hand, gently mix and massage for about 3 minutes.  Your veggies will give out quite a bit of juice and become very limp.

 

Rinse the vegetables well with cold water and drain well.

 

Divide and tightly pack your vegetables into 2 pint jars.  They probably won't fill to the top, but that's okay.  You can combine the two later if you want.  In a large glass or ceramic cup or jar, dissolve 1/4 cup sugar into the warm water; add vinegar and stir well.  Pour brine over vegetables into each jar and place pickling weights on top if you have them.  If not, be sure that all the veg is submerged in the brine.  You may cover with a Mason jar and lid, but I prefer plastic lids made for Mason jars.  You can get them on Amazon and reuse over and over.

 

I love to label all of my homemade/jarred goods with food service labels that dissolve in water when washed off.  That way you aren't stuck with jars and lids with labels stuck on them!  Again, you can get these from Amazon! 

Let the veggies sit at least overnight before eating.  They should last up to 4 weeks in the fridge!  If you don't eat them all up before that!