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–+ servings

Homemade Shibazuke Pickles

Prep Time30 minutes
Pickling Time3 days
Total Time3 days 30 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 200 g eggplant Japanese or Chinese
  • 10 g ginger root
  • 50 g Japanese ginger (myoga) (Japanese ginger)
  • 5 perilla leaves (shiso)
  • 100 g Japanese cucumber or Persian cucumber
  • 9 g sea salt
  • 10 g sugar
  • 45 ml red ume plum vinegar (umesu)
  • red perilla leaves (akajiso) (optional) rubbed with salt and washed

Instructions 

  • Fill a bowl with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Mix well. Cut the ends off of 200 g eggplant and cut in half or quarters lengthways. Cut into 3mm slices and place them in the water as you go to prevent discoloration.
    eggplant cut in half lengthways and then thinly sliced on a wooden chopping board
  • Soak the eggplant slices for 20 minutes.
    eggplant slices resting in a bowl of water to help prevent discoloration
  • While you wait, bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil. Scrape the skin of 10 g ginger root with the edge of a spoon, then thinly slice. Blanch in the hot water for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to quickly cool.
    blanching thinly sliced ginger in water
  • Thinly slice the blanched ginger, 50 g Japanese ginger (myoga) and 5 perilla leaves (shiso).
    Myoga (Japanese ginger), shredded perilla leaves, matchsticks of ginger on a wooden chopping board
  • Wash 100 g Japanese cucumber and cut off the ends. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
    two cucumber halves (cut lengthways) on a wooden chopping board with seeds scooped out and a silver spoon
  • Cut the cucumber into 3mm slices (the same as the eggplant).
    sliced cucumber on a wooden chopping board
  • Drain the eggplant and place it in a large dry bowl. Add the rest of the cut vegetables, then add 9 g sea salt.
    sprinkling salt over cucumber, eggplant, Japanese ginger and regular ginger in a glass bowl
  • Massage until evenly covered.
    massaging shibazuke pickles ingredients with salt
  • Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the vegetables, then weigh it down with a plate and a weight. Rest in the refrigerator overnight.
    Salted shibazuke pickles ingredients in a bowl with 1kg weight on top
  • The next day, squeeze the vegetables thoroughly and discard the accumulated liquid.
    pressing shibazuke ingredients to the side to squeeze out the excess liquid
  • Transfer the vegetables to a sealable freezer bag and add 10 g sugar and 45 ml red ume plum vinegar (umesu). If available, you can add a few red perilla leaves (akajiso) for a more intense color.
    pouring red ume vinegar into shibazuke vegetables in a sealable freezer bag
  • Massage the bag until the ingredients are evenly coated, then push the air out and seal. Place the bag in a square container so that it lays flat and prevents leaks. Rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 days.
    shibazuke resting in a sealed freezer bag in a steel container
  • Drain the pickles and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a sterilized airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
    completed shibazuke pickles in a plastic container ready for storing

Notes

Note: The nutritional information includes the pickling liquid.