Healthy Radish Pickle (No Water, No Sugar)
Crispy Radish Pickle: Perfect Alternative to Ssam Mu or Danmuji!
A refreshing radish pickle recipe made without water or sugar, utilizing the natural sweetness of apple juice for a healthy and delicious condiment.
Main Ingredients- 2/3 medium radish (approx. 500g)
- 1.2 Tbsp coarse salt
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the radish. Peel and thoroughly wash the radish, then julienne it into thin strips, about 0.3cm thick. Place the julienned radish in a bowl and toss with 1.2 Tbsp of coarse salt. Salting helps to draw out moisture, ensuring a crisp texture. You only need to salt it briefly, about 10-15 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2
Now, let’s make the sweet and sour pickle juice. In a bowl, combine the 2 pouches of commercial apple juice (about 200ml total), 150ml of brown rice vinegar, and 2.5 Tbsp of your lemon preserves. Stir everything together well. The subtle sweetness from the apple juice, the tanginess of the vinegar, and the fragrant aroma of the lemon preserves create a delicious and healthy pickle juice without needing water or sugar. If you don’t have lemon preserves, you can substitute with a little lemon juice and honey.
Step 3
Lightly squeeze out the moisture from the salted radish strips. (If the radish wasn’t too salty, you can skip squeezing the water out and use it as is.) Pour the prepared pickle juice over the salted radish. For added flavor, you can include a pinch of whole black peppercorns and 1-2 bay leaves. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate. The pickle is ready to be enjoyed after at least 2-3 hours, but the flavors will deepen further after overnight chilling. Feel free to adjust the amount of pickle juice or the ratio of ingredients based on how the radish is salted and your personal preference.
