Homemade Sweet & Tangy Cold Noodles Radish Pickle
Super Easy Pickled Radish for Cold Noodles: Just Pour the Sweet & Sour Brine and It’s Done!
For our family, cold noodles are a must-have accompaniment to grilled pork belly or marinated pork ribs. As the summer heat intensifies, we find ourselves craving cold noodles even more frequently. I decided to make some pickled radish for the kids to enjoy with their cold noodles. It’s a simple process that just requires pouring a sweet and sour brine over prepared radish, resulting in a delicious topping.
Main Ingredients- 1.5kg Radish
Sweet & Sour Brine and Seasoning- 4 cups Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 0.5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, optional for color)
- 4 cups Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 0.5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, optional for color)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the radish thoroughly under running water. If the skin is thick, peel it thinly using a vegetable peeler. Peeling will result in a cleaner and softer texture.
Step 2
Cut the prepared radish into bite-sized pieces. Since it’s for cold noodles, don’t make them too thick. Then, use a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife to create thin, even slices. Slicing with a mandoline ensures uniform thickness and a more appealing presentation.
Step 3
Let’s make the delicious sweet and sour brine! In a pot, combine 4 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 Tbsp of salt. It’s important to stir well until both the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Step 4
Place the pot over medium heat and bring the brine to a boil. Once it starts boiling, stir until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. As soon as they are dissolved, turn off the heat immediately.
Step 5
With the heat turned off, slowly pour in 1 cup of vinegar. Adding vinegar while the brine is still hot helps to enhance its tangy aroma and deepen the overall flavor.
Step 6
Pour the warm brine evenly over the prepared radish slices. The hot brine will penetrate the radish, preserving its crispness and infusing it with flavor.
Step 7
This next step is optional. If you’d like to add a hint of spice or a vibrant red color, prepare 0.5 Tbsp of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) in a small spice bag or a piece of cheesecloth. Adding chili flakes directly can make the brine cloudy, so using a bag keeps it neat.
Step 8
Place the prepared gochugaru spice bag into the container with the radish and brine. Allow it to sit until the brine has cooled down completely. As the hot brine cools, the chili flakes will gently infuse their color into the radish, giving it a lovely reddish hue. If you omit the chili flakes, you’ll enjoy a clear and tangy pickle.
Step 9
Once the brine has completely cooled, remove the gochugaru spice bag. And just like that, you have a super simple, crisp, and delicious pickled radish for your cold noodles, without any complicated steps! You can enjoy it immediately with your cold noodles, or store it in the refrigerator for several days.
Step 10
You can easily make wraps or ssam radish using this same recipe! Utilize a whole large radish. Slice the remaining radish thinly and pour the same sweet and sour brine over it to create crisp and tangy wraps. Adjust the thickness and size of your slices according to your preference for various uses.
