This recipe for Pickled Daikon radish that I am sharing with you is the most delicious Daikon tsukemono that I have ever tasted. I am not exaggerating. I have grown up with eating tsukemono in every meal. So in my humble opinion, this is the best ever pickled daikon.
What is Daikon?
Daikon (大根) literally means Big roots. It is a large white radish which primarily grows in the east and south-east Asia. Japanese use Daikon in cooking in a variety of ways. For instance, in Oden (fish cake stew), Miso Soup, Kouhaku Namasu (radish and carrot vinaigrette salad), Rafute (Okinawa braised pork belly) and garnishing grated daikon for Tempura and Tataki.
Where can you get Daikon?
The English language has adopted “Daikon Radish”. The organic market or local farmers markets that I often go to on the weekends sell them. They are simply labelled as Daikon. Also, Japanese grocery and Asian grocery stores certainly have them in winter.
How to prepare the radish for Pickled Daikon?
My aunt Keiko is really good at home cooking. Every time I go back to Japan, I visit my uncle and aunt in Ise city where the famous Ise shrine is. They always welcome us with serving delicious Japanese dishes such as Sukiyaki with melt in the mouth (and expensive) Matsusaka Beef!
Aunt Keiko told me that she usually uses 5-10 kg of Daikon to pickle. She says she prepares Tsukemono in bulk because it makes it more delicious. However, all of the vegetables are ginormous compared to its size, but Daikon is actually smaller. I only managed to get about 1kg. So I had to adjust her recipe to suit this small amount.
Slice the Daikon to about 3-5mm (0.1-0.2 inch) thick strips. I use a ceramic slicer which allows me to set the desired thickness. I set it at 3mm (0.1inch). Aunt Keiko told me to slice to 5mm (0.2 inches) but my slicer’s maximum thickness is 3mm (0.1 inch). This, however, doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Tips to make Pickled Daikon successfully
1.Temperature
I asked her for the recipe and she said the temperature is the most important factor to make this pickled daikon radish so delicious. She said the temperature should be around 9°C (48°F). It is winter in Brisbane now and the temperature has been around 8-14 so I decided to make this pickled Daikon radish.
2. Adding Umami flavour to the Pickled Daikon
Once the sliced daikon has been covered with salt for 7-8 hours, and the vinaigrette is ready, then it is time to layer nicely with umami flavour. The two to use are “Ito konbu” and “Katsuobushi”. Ito Konbu is thinly cut kelp threads and Katsuobushi is bonito flake. Both of them are available from Japanese grocery stores or Asian grocery stores.
After you pickled the daikon, leave it for a week. Since making my last batch, I have been eating it as a side dish and even as a snack sometimes. I really love pickled daikon radish! If you liked this Tsukemono recipe from my aunt, please rate the recipe and leave comments below.
Mottainai (NO waste)
Mottainai is a Japanese concept of regret concerning waste. When you buy Daikon with leaves attached, do not discard the leaves. Japanese people eat the leaves as well because you can make another dish out of it so there is no waste! Chop up the leaves about 1cm (0.4 inch) and fry them with 1/2 tsp of sesame seed oil. After that, add 1 tsp of soy sauce, mirin and sugar to make stir fry daikon leaves and add bonito flakes and white sesame seeds. You’ll be surprised at how tasty it is.
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PIckled Daikon (My Aunt Keiko’s Recipe) 大根の漬物
Video
Ingredients
- 1 kg Daikon Radish
- 50 g salt
- 54 ml rice vinegar
- 9 ml mirin
- 100 g sugar
- 15 g bonito flake
- 15 g threaded kelp
Instructions
- Wash the daikon radish and slice it about 15cm long and 5mm thickness.
- Sprinkle salt over the sliced daikon and toss them to evenly coat daikon with salt.
- Leave it for 6-7 hours.
- Combine the rice vinegar, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it to boil over medium heat, when all the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat off and let it cool down.
- After 6-7 hours, drain and squeeze out the excess water off the sliced daikon radish. ( do not wash them )
- Lay the daikon radish into a large container and sprinkle a little bit of bonito flake, kelp, and vinegar mixture. Repeat the process until all the ingredients are used.
- Leave it in room temperature for a week.
Whenever I pickel or lactose fermented food I always submerge it in the liquid. I adden much more of the solution and it tasted delicious. Was this a mistake to do it this way. Your no waste use of daikon tops is beyond good. Thanks for that also.
That is fantastic, Nick 😀 Thank you so much for making pickled daikon with this recipe 😀
Hello! I have googled it konbu and threaded kelp with zero results. I live in the United States and am hoping you can provide a link to purchase it online. Thanking you in advance for your reply. Sincerely, Sandee
Hi Sandra, you can search “Kombu Kelp”? you can use this and cut them into thin strips.
Try KOMBU with an “m.”
Kombu is available in nearly every Asian grocery store. (L.A. is full of those; Wichita might not be!)
But Amazon is a good choice.
The type I found here in Portugal us not pre-cut so I was cutting slivers for a LONG time! 😱😂
Ohhhh Thank you for your advice Sofia from Portugal!!
Hi Shihoko-san!
I’m planning to make this for my Father-in-law (who grew up in Japan) in the fall, when I harvest daikon from my garden. I’d really like to preserve it so that we can keep in the pantry. Do you have any tips on how i could safetly store it long term without refridgeration? (I know from fermenting/pickling other veggies that pressure canning to preserve ruins textures and lactobacteria, so wondering if you can point me in a better, more authentic direction. I suspect the answer is “eat it faster” though lol)
Thank you for sharing your Aunt’s recipe!
Corrie
Hi Corrie san, Lovely to hear you are growing Daikon and preserve it for your father in law 😀 I am planning on “Kiriboshi daikon” post which is finely chopped dried daikon. Basically, it is just dried daikon so you can finely chop a bit like matchsticks and either sun dry or using dehydrator/freeze dryer 😀 hope it helps to preserve daikon 😀
Dear Shihoko-san,
i tried your recipe sometime last year when daikon was in abundance. Oiishi! I liked it so much that I was craving for it. I’ll be making my 2nd batch sometime soon.
I’ve a query: I live in the tropics and the weather gets so hot. What I did last time was placed the jar into the fridge soon after it cooled down. It still taste yummy!
I’m going to make an extra for a friend who absolutely enjoys pickles!
Arigato gozaimasu,
Evonnlyn
Thank you Evonnlyn 😀
Hi Shihoki-San,
I haven’t finished the recipe, but have no doubt it will be wonderful.
The sugar-mirin-vinegar mixtrure is more of a heavy syrup. Did I boil off the water in the vinegar & mirin or is that the way it’s supposed to be?
I’m looking forward to the finished product.
Happy New Year. –Jack, Connecticut, USA
Hi Jack san, yes it is supposed to be bit like a syrup 😀 This is my favourite, hope you like it too!
Wonderful on so many levels: family tradition being upheld, simple, nutritious and delicious. Thank you for sharing your story and recipe!