DIY Recipe: Eric Gower’s Pickled Ginger

Prep Time: 15 mins min Cook Time: 5 mins(plus 1 hour to 1 day pickling time) min Servings: 4 Servings Difficulty: Easy

Do you love picked ginger but aren’t so interested in the red dye and white sugar many commercial brands use to sweeten and color the pickles? Or maybe you’re curious about how to switch things up if you used a different vinegar/sweetener combination? Breakaway chef Eric Gower has been experimenting with pickled ginger for years, and he’s found that you can step way out of the box with this delicious, palate cleansing condiment.

Ingredients

1 cup shaved baby ginger
1/2 cup fruit vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

structions

To shave the ginger, use a spoon to peel off the skin, then slice it very thinly with a knife, vegetable peeler or mandoline.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger, and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, and transfer the ginger to a bowl. Add the vinegars and honey, and mix well.
Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. The flavors are excellent immediately, but will improve with time. And it seems to keep forever.

Recipe Notes

Traditional gari, as it's called in Japan, is made from rice vinegar and white sugar, but it's much better when made with quality ingredients. Fruit vinegars (raspberry, fig, and Muscat) work especially well, but so do balsamic and wine vinegars. For the sweetener, try agave nectar, a good local honey, maple syrup, or your favorite sweet syrup. I've even used excellent jam to great effect. Mature ginger will also work, but the young variety is superior. Check produce specialists like Berkeley Bowl or any Asian market.

The dish is still good with older ginger, too, so if you can't find young ginger don't let that stop you from making it. I use an inexpensive plastic Japanese-style Benriner mandoline to slice the ginger, but you can also use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. The formula is easy to remember: one part ginger, one part vinegar, and a touch of sweetener to taste.

Tip: Try this alternative version, made with black raspberry vinegar and maple syrup.

Recipe from Eric Gower of Breakaway Cook.