These tender, sweet, white roots are only available when the farmers around here grow them. Hakurei salad turnips behave more like a radish in a horticulture sense, but are milder, juicier and just as crunchy. They can be eaten raw, lightly steamed, quick pickled or pickled for canning like in this recipe. Look for roots that are small, two inches in diameter or less.
Pickled Japanese Turnips
By Nick Schneider
Ingredients
- 2 lb. Hakurei salad turnips, cleaned and greens trimmed
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups rice vinegar (or a combination of white or apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons pickling salt
- 6 Tablespoons sugar or ¾ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 3-inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced thin
Instructions
Heat a pot of boiling water enough to blanch the turnips. Combine the water, sugar or mirin, vinegar and salt and bring to a boil. Blanch the turnips for 30 seconds in the boiling water and remove.
Have hot jars ready. Add a few slices of ginger to them. Pack with the turnips and then add the pickling solution. Can the jars in a hot water bath or keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
