Place the ume in a bowl of warm water and gently wash the surface of each plum. Check for bruises and blemishes, the ume should be in top condition before pickling.

Use a bamboo skewer to remove the little stem at the top.

Dry the surface with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Pour some white liquor into a small bowl. Sprinkle the inside of a sealable freezer bag with a small amount of the alcohol.

Roll each ume in the alcohol before placing it in the bag.

Once all of the plums are in the bag, add the salt.

Gently massage the outside of the bag until the salt is evenly distributed.

Tip: If using a jar, make one layer of plums and sprinkle with salt. Alternate ume and salt in layers until both are used up. Make sure to save a good amount of the salt for the top.

Arrange the plums in a single layer and place them in a wide container. Push the air out of the bag and seal tightly.

Tip: If you don’t have a large enough container, split the plums into multiple bags. The single layer is important for even weight distribution.

The container not only helps prevent leaks, but it also keeps the ume in one place, which will also allow the weight to distribute more evenly.

Place another container (or book of the same size) on top and place weights on top. The weights should be double the weight of the plums. In this case, 450g of plums requires 900g weight.

Rest in a cool dry place for 3-7 days and flip the bag over once or twice a day to encourage even pickling.

During this time, the plums will release juices also known as “umesu” (plum vinegar). Once the plums are completely submerged, you can reduce the weight to the same weight as the plums.

Tip: If using a jar instead of a ziplock bag, open it every few days to release accumulated gases.

Wash your red shiso leaves with water and cut off the thick stems.

Place them in a glass bowl, sprinkle half of the salt and massage thoroughly. I strongly recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands from staining.

Once thoroughly covered, squeeze the liquid out. Discard the foamy and murky purple astringent water.

Add the other half of the salt and repeat. This time, the water should be clearer and more vibrant.

After squeezing the water out, the perilla leaves will be stuck together. Place them in a small bowl and add some ume vinegar from the bag of plums. Gently mix to help loosen up the leaves.

Scatter the leaves inside the bag of ume. The more you spread them, the more even the color. Once all of the leaves are in the bag, add the ume vinegar (which will now be dyed red/purple) back in.

Push the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Place the bag back in your container and cover with the second container and weights equal to the weight of the ume. Store in a cool dark place for 1-4 weeks and flip the bag occasionally to ensure all the ume are coated in the liquid – this will ensure even coloring and prevent mold from growing.

The plums need at least 1 week to change color. After that, you will need to wait until the weather is forecast to be sunny for 3 consecutive days.

Remove the ume and perilla leaves from the bag and arrange them on a large tray or net. Make sure to keep the accumulated ume vinegar for later use.

I like to cover them with a laundry net to protect them from bugs and animals.

Place them in a sunny, well-ventilated place from morning until mid-afternoon. Turn them over halfway through the day and bring them back inside before sun-down.

You can leave them on the tray ready for the next day, or place them back in the vinegar to intensify the color. Repeat the drying process for 3 sunny days.

The leaves will be fully dried after one day, and you can use them to make yukari-style rice ball seasoning. Simply grind them up either using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor.

Once the ume have finished drying, it is time to store.

For plump, juicy, and intensely sour umeboshi with vibrant color, place them back into the plum vinegar.

Alternatively, for milder umeboshi with a lighter color, dip them in the vinegar and place them in a dry sterilized jar with an airtight lid. In the picture below, I’ve halved my plums so I can have both types, both are delicious!

You can transfer the vinegar to another container and use it for other recipes.

Although they are safe to eat at this point, it is recommended to wait 3-4 months for the saltiness to mellow out a little. The flavor improves over time, so patience is key!

Enjoy!

Start by filling a bowl with cold water and adding a pinch of salt.

Wash your eggplant, cut off the ends and slice it in half (or quarters if particularly large) lengthways. Cut into slices, about 3mm thick.

As you cut, place the slices in the bowl of water to help prevent and discoloring.

Soak in the bowl for 20 minutes, this will improve the flavor of the eggplant and remove any bitterness.

Since making sushi ginger (gari) and red pickled ginger (benishoga), I’ve become a big fan of blanching the ginger before pickling it. It mellows out the spiciness and gives it a really pleasant flavor.

Start boiling a small pot of water.

While you wait, scrap off the skin of the ginger root using a spoon, this will help you get into the crevices. Then slice it as thin as you can and drop it into the boiling water.

Drain the water and rinse the ginger slices under cold water to cool them down.

Once the ginger is cool enough to touch, cut the slices into matchsticks. Thinly slice the myoga and perilla leaves.

Since all of these ingredients have strong flavors, they should be cut smaller to help evenly distribute them throughout the rest of the pickles.

Wash the cucumber, cut off the ends and scoop out the seeds in the middle.

Slice 3mm thick (the same as the eggplant).

Drain the eggplants and place them in a large dry bowl with the rest of the vegetables. Sprinkle them with salt.

Massage the salt until all the vegetables are evenly covered.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the vegetables.

Then cover with a plate and a heavy object that weighs about double the weight of the vegetables. I used a 1kg bag of salt.

Rest in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and squeeze the vegetables as hard as you can to remove the excess moisture.

Discard the liquid and place the vegetables in a sealable freezer bag.

Add the sugar and red ume vinegar to the bag and massage until evenly covered.

If using red perilla leaves, make sure to scrub them with salt and wash them before placing them in the bag.

Push the air out of the bag and seal it. Place flat down in a wide container to keep the ingredients submerged and prevent leaks.

Rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Squeeze the pickles and discard the leftover pickling liquid. Transfer the shibazuke to a clean, airtight container and enjoy!

Start by washing the daikon and peeling the skin, then cut it in half lengthways.

To serve as a pickle, cut it into thick half-moons. If you intend to use it for sushi, you can cut it into long sticks instead.

Place the sliced daikon in a sealable freezer bag and add the salt. I add 2% of the original weight of the daikon. Massage until evenly covered.

Push the air out of the bag and seal it tightly, then place it in a container and weigh it down with something double the weight of the daikon. I find a 1kg bag of salt works perfectly.

Store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you have time.

After some time, the salt will draw out the excess liquid in the daikon. Pour the contents of the bag through a sieve and shake well to remove all the excess moisture.

Rinse out the bag and then add the daikon slices back in. Add the sugar and vinegar, then massage by scrunching the bag until evenly covered.

Take your kombu, dried chili and gardenia pod.

Use a fork to pierce holes in the gardenia pod, this will help extract the color.

Then add them to the bag.

Push the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and flip the bag once or twice a day to encourage even coloring.

Once you’re happy with the color and flavor, pour the Takuan into a mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.

Pat them dry with kitchen paper, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy them on their own, as a side or in sushi rolls!

Take the young ginger and cut off the nodes into manageable pieces about 5cm long. Place them in a bowl of water and gently rub to wash the surface.

Cutting them before washing will allow you to wash them more thoroughly and get into all the crevices.

Drain the water, pat them dry, and cut them into thin slices about 2mm thick.

Young ginger, while milder than mature ginger, still has a strong flavor. If you’re a fan of the intensity, feel free to skip this step. I like to soften the flavor a little by blanching the ginger slices in boiling water for just 1 minute.

After 1 minute, quickly drain through a colander and rinse with cold water to cool.

Squeeze the water out as much as possible.

Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Massage the salt to evenly cover the ginger slices, then cover them with a small clean plate and a heavy object to help squeeze out the excess moisture.

Rest for 1 hour in a cool, dry place.

While it rests, prepare a storage jar. Sterilize by pouring boiling water inside and let it steam for a few minutes. Pour the water out and clean once more with a paper towel and alcohol or a food-safe disinfectant.

After 1 hour, squeeze out the accumulated liquid and discard.

If you have time, lay the slices out on a bamboo tray or similar and leave to dry for several hours in a dry, well-ventilated area.

If you don’t have time, simply dry both sides as much as you can using kitchen paper.

Finally, it’s time to cut the ginger into its iconic matchstick shape ready for pickling!

Fill your sterilized jar with the julienned ginger. Measure your red ume plum vinegar and mix in a little sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the vinegar into the jar right up to the top.

Seal with a lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating. If you have time, I recommend waiting 4-5 days before digging in.

Enjoy!

Start by combining water, rice vinegar, light brown sugar (or regular sugar), soy sauce, and kombu in a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges. You want it almost at a boil, but not quite there.

Turn off the heat immediately and let the pickling liquid cool completely to room temperature.

While your pickling liquid cools, cut the young ginger (also known as new ginger) into manageable sections about 5cm (about 2 inches) long.

Soak these briefly in water and thoroughly rub to remove any dirt, paying attention to crevices. Scrape away any brown or dirty spots gently with a spoon.

Cut off the pink stem parts (or they can be intact if you prefer) and set them aside separately.

Then slice the ginger body into paper-thin pieces, about 1-2mm thick. I prefer using a sharp knife over a peeler because it gives me better control over the thickness, but either works.

Don’t throw away those pink parts! Those reddish stem pieces are your secret to natural pink gari. They contain concentrated anthocyanin pigments that react with the vinegar’s acidity to create that beautiful color.

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Add both the sliced ginger and the pink stem pieces, blanching for exactly 1 minute.

This brief heat treatment softens the ginger’s sharp bite and opens up its fibers to better absorb the pickling liquid.

The ginger-infused liquid makes an excellent base for homemade ginger ale. Just add a touch of sugar, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of cinnamon, then top with sparkling water for a refreshing bonus treat.

Drain the ginger in a colander and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Let it cool naturally! Resist the urge to shock it in ice water, which can strip away too much of the ginger’s natural heat along with excess moisture.

Once the ginger is cool enough to handle comfortably, squeeze out as much excess water as possible with your hands.

The salt you added earlier has been drawing out moisture and further mellowing the ginger’s intensity, creating the perfect canvas for the pickling liquid.

Remove the kombu from your cooled pickling liquid. Combine the squeezed ginger, those precious pink parts, and the pickling liquid in a clean, sterilized, lidded container. Make sure the ginger is completely submerged.

Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before your first taste. The ginger will continue to develop flavor and color for several days.

Begin by thoroughly rinsing the Napa cabbage in cold water, shaking off any excess water.

Then, cut the cabbage into pieces about 3 to 4 cm (approximately 1½ inches) wide.

Peel a few pieces of yuzu and cut it into thin strips.

If possible, the kombu should also be cut into thin strips. I use a thin kombu and kitchen scissors for this.

Next, place the cabbage pieces in a sealable bag, like a Ziploc.

Add a sprinkle of salt, kombu, dried chili peppers, fragrant yuzu peel and juice, light soy sauce, and a bit of sugar.

Here’s the fun part: massage the bag to mix everything well and ensure the cabbage is evenly coated with the seasoning.

After massaging, press out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing it. This helps in pickling the cabbage evenly.

Then, place the sealed bag in a container.

Place a weight on top of the bag in the container to help the pickling process.

Finally, let the bag sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

This resting time allows the flavors to meld beautifully, and your cabbage will be ready to use after this.

Enjoy!

Fill a large bowl just over halfway with water. As you cut the vegetables, place them in this water to prevent them from discoloring.

Start with daikon radish: peel it, and cut it flat along the fibers into 1 cm wide strips.

Lay them on a cutting board and cut them lengthwise into 4 equal pieces (so they become 1 to 1.5 cm square sticks).

Turn it 90 degrees and cut 4 to 5 mm wide from the end. Thinly slice these sticks and drop them into the water.

For the eggplant, peel it and use the same method as the daikon radish. However, keep in mind that eggplant will soften once salted, so cutting it a little thicker than daikon is recommended.

For the Japanese or Persian cucumber, peel, remove the ends, and cut in half lengthways (or quarters if thick). Thinly slice and add to the water. Lastly, peel and finely dice fresh ginger.

Drain the water from the bowl and add the ginger with salt. Mix everything well. Let it rest for about 20 minutes.

This process allows the salt to draw out excess moisture from the vegetables. In the meantime, you can prepare the lotus root and pickling liquid.

Heat a small pot of water. While you wait, peel the lotus root and thinly slice it. Then, cut each slice into smaller pieces.

Once the water is boiling, blanch the lotus root slices for about 1 minute. Drain them and let them cool.

Combine soy sauce, dashi stock, red wine, light brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a saucepan. Heat this mixture on medium and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

After that, remove it from the heat and let it cool down.

After the 20-minute rest, you’ll notice the bowl of vegetables has accumulated water. Drain them using a sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Transfer these vegetables to a sealable freezer bag. Add the lotus root, the cooled pickling liquid, and the kombu.

Push out any air and seal the bag. For safety, place this bag in a container to avoid leaks. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy these pickles with Japanese curry rice! The tanginess of the pickles complements the richness of the curry beautifully.

You can also eat it on its own as a side pickle!

By the way, in my experience, this Fukujinzuke recipe tastes the best on the third day!

While the carrot and daikon are dehydrating, you can prepare the pickling liquid.

If you’re using fresh yuzu, wash and peel off some of the skin then cut it into thin strips. If you can’t get yuzu, you can grate orange or lemon peel instead.

Next, take a sealable bag and add rice vinegar, yuzu juice, water, sugar, salt and soy sauce. Mix them together by scrunching the bag. Once the salt and sugar have dissolved into the mixture, add the yuzu peel and a piece of kombu (dried kelp).

Once 15 minutes have passed, squeeze the carrot and daikon thoroughly and pour away the excess liquid.

Transfer the carrot and daikon strips into the ziplock bag, push the air out and seal it up. Store it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.

Serve as a side pickle or as part of a Japanese New Year Osechi meal! For an extra wow factor, some people like to scoop out half a yuzu and serve it in the skin. It’s a beautiful way to present kohaku namasu!

Enjoy!

When we make pickles, we tend to cut daikon by the method called “icho-giri (いちょう切り).” This is a three-step method of peeling, cutting lengthways into quarters (or halves), and then cutting each length into thick slices.

My daikon wasn’t so thick, so I chose halves this time, but you can decide on halves or quarters depending on the size of your daikon or your shape preference for the final result.

To draw out the excess moisture in the daikon, we need to rest it in salt overnight. Place the daikon in a sealable freezer bag and add the salt. The quantity of the salt should be 5% of the weight of the daikon, so essentially 5g of salt for every 100g of daikon.

Massage the salt over the surface from the outside of the bag (no need to get your hands dirty!), then push out the air and seal it up. Store in the fridge overnight.

Tip: Place the bag in a bowl or on a deep plate to catch any leaks!

After resting, you will find that liquid has accumulated in the bag. Discard this, remove the daikon, and wash out the bag ready to reuse later.

Pat the surface of the daikon dry with kitchen paper (this is to avoid any excess water mixing into the pickling liquid).

Thickly slice the daikon; I recommend about 0.5-1cm in thickness, approximately ¼ inch. Avoid thin slicing since we want to make the most of Daikon’s beautiful crunchy texture.

Place them back in the clean, sealable freezer bag.

Deseed the dry chili and thinly slice it. Cut some dry kombu (kelp) into thin strips using scissors. These ingredients will add a touch of heat and a burst of umami to the pickling liquid.

Place them in the bag with the daikon and add amazake, salt and sugar.

Massage all the ingredients over the daikon until evenly distributed, then push the air out of the bag and seal. Store in the fridge overnight.

Remove the slices from the liquid before serving and decorate with the slices of chili and kombu (optional).

Enjoy as a snack or side!

i. Peel a thumb-size knob of fresh ginger and cut it into fine matchsticks.

ii. Thinly slice 1 dried red chili (or use ½ tsp red pepper flakes). These aromatics infuse the brine with warmth and freshness so the cucumbers don’t taste flat.

i. Wash your cucumbers, sprinkle kosher or sea salt over a cutting board, and roll each cucumber firmly under your palms to rub in the salt.

This quick technique is itazuri. If your cucumbers are very slender (Persian/Japanese), lighten the pressure to avoid breaking them.

ii. Rinse the cucumbers briefly to remove excess surface salt, then pat them dry until they feel just damp, not wet.

Drying keeps the brine from diluting and helps the dressing cling. If using large American slicing cucumbers, halve lengthwise and scoop the watery seed core. English/Persian types usually keep their seeds.

iii. Lay a cucumber and tap it with a sturdy glass or rolling pin just until it cracks lengthwise in a few places.

iv. Then cut into bite-size chunks. Those jagged edges act like flavor sponges, giving you dramatic absorption without turning the flesh mushy. Listen for gentle cracks and stop while the pieces still feel firm.

i. Tumble the cucumber chunks into a zipper bag with the ginger and chili, then add sea salt, sugar, rice vinegar, Japanese soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Press out most of the air and seal.

Soy brings savory base notes, rice vinegar adds lift, sesame oil supplies nutty aroma, and sugar balances the salinity so the cucumbers taste crisp, not harsh.

ii. From the outside of the bag, gently massage for 30-60 seconds so seasonings distribute and the cucumber edges soak up flavor. You’re aiming for slick, evenly glazed pieces with a few teaspoons of brine pooling at the bottom.

If sugar is slow to dissolve, rest the sealed bag at room temp for 2-3 minutes, then massage again. Avoid heavy squeezing here. The smash already did the tenderizing.

i. Flatten the sealed bag so the cucumbers lie in a single layer, set it on a small tray, and lay another tray or plate on top with a light weight (a water-filled bottle also works).

ii. Chill at 4℃ (39°F) for at least 1 hour, overnight deepens flavor and draws more water into the brine.

i. Drain lightly and sprinkle with a little toasted white sesame for nutty aroma, then serve chilled. You’re looking for crisp edges, a juicy snap, and a sweet-salty-tangy finish.

Best texture is within 24-48 hours.