Food

Pickled Ginger Recipe: How to Make Pickled Ginger

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 22, 2024 • 3 min read

This quick and easy homemade pickled ginger—which can be prepped in a half hour and kept in the fridge for up to a year—will be the star of any homemade sushi night.

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What Is Pickled Ginger?

Pickled ginger is a fermented preparation of the rhizomatous spice ginger root or Zingiber officinale, a tropical flowering plant from the same family as cardamom and turmeric. The sharp bite of raw fresh ginger comes from gingerol, an aromatic compound that transforms into the sweeter zingerone when heated or dried, making ginger an especially versatile ingredient.

Known as gari and amazu shoga in Japanese, you can make pickled ginger by soaking thin slices of ginger in a brine of rice wine vinegar, salt, and sugar. This versatile pickled condiment is a common accompaniment to sushi and will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a year.

6 Things to Serve with Pickled Ginger

This bright, slightly spicy pickle makes a tasty addition to a wide variety of dishes and drinks. Here are some dishes that you can enhance with a little pickled ginger.

  1. 1. Sushi and sashimi: Japanese pickled ginger, which is sometimes referred to as ‘sushi ginger,’ commonly appears alongside wasabi as a condiment and palate cleanser at sushi restaurants and omakase counters. Nibble on pickled ginger between bites of sushi, nigiri, or sashimi to reset your taste buds ready for the next bite.
  2. 2. Grain bowls: These pungent pickles are a great garnish for rice or grain bowls layered with other Asian-inspired ingredients like miso salmon or daikon radish.
  3. 3. Salad dressings: Adding some diced pickled ginger to a homemade salad dressing will imbue your dressing with a warm, zesty flavor to accent a side dish.
  4. 4. Stir-frys: Finish your favorite meat, vegetable, or seafood stir-fry with these pickled vegetables for the perfect combination of hearty and light.
  5. 5. Noodle dishes: The bright, acidic flavors of pickled ginger can add some brightness to a heavily sauced Asian noodle dish.
  6. 6. Cocktails: Pickled ginger will add a sharp, sweet-and-savory note to a wide variety of cocktails.

3 Tips for Pickled Ginger

Home cooks of all experience levels should be able to pull off this simple pickle recipe without a hitch. Use these easy-to-follow tips to guide you.

  1. 1. Choose the right ginger. The best ginger to pickle is young ginger, which is most commonly found in early summer. Mature ginger (which is the type typically sold at the average grocery store and some Asian markets) will still make for delicious pickles, but the flavor won’t be as nuanced as with young produce. Pickled young ginger will take on a pink color, while pickled mature ginger turns a light yellow.
  2. 2. Use a mandolin. Slice your ginger root with a mandolin slicer, rather than a sharp knife, to make consistent, paper-thin slices of ginger. This will ensure that your slices are uniformly sized and will pickle evenly.
  3. 3. Store the ginger properly. Store your pickled ginger in an airtight glass canning jar that has been washed thoroughly. Use clean chopsticks when removing pieces of pickled ginger from the jar, which will keep the brine hygienic. Allow the brine to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator for six months to a year.

Pickled Ginger Recipe

20 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

3 cups

prep time

10 min

total time

12 hr 20 min

cook time

10 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the thick brown peel from the outside of the ginger root.

  2. 2

    Using a mandoline, slice the peeled ginger root into thin slices, and divide the ginger into 2 pint-sized airtight glass jars, or a single 1-quart jar, leaving ¼ inch of headspace at the top of each jar.

  3. 3

    Sprinkle the salt over the ginger slices and stir gently to incorporate.

  4. 4

    In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely.

  5. 5

    Bring the vinegar mixture to a boil.

  6. 6

    Pour the boiling pickling liquid over the top of the sliced ginger.

  7. 7

    Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature before placing an airtight lid on each jar and transferring the pickled ginger to the refrigerator. Let the ginger sit for a minimum of 12 hours before eating.

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