The Japanese pickles, or Tsukemono, are a staple in our daily meal. When you serve steamed rice and miso soup, you will always see a small plate of pickles accompanying them. Many families make their own pickles at home as it’s easy to make and a great way to enjoy more vegetables! Today, I’ll show you 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles. That’s right, four kinds! I just couldn’t pick one, so you get to try them all.
Why You Should Make These Soy Sauce Pickles
So ridiculously easy Only use pantry ingredients Fun to eat with plain steamed rice Always good to have a healthy add-on dish to bring more appetite and diversify the nutrients Versatile with ingredients and flavors
What You Will Need to Make Soy Sauce Pickles
1. Four Main Ingredients for Pickling
Soy sauce – I use Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce to make it gluten-free. Rice vinegar – It’s mild and works great for Japanese recipes. If you use other types, reduce the amount since they are more acidic. Sugar – I use organic cane sugar. Salt – It’s used to remove moisture from the vegetables.
2. Add-on Flavors
Sesame oil Ginger Garlic Red chili peppers Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
3. Vegetables for Pickling
Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) – It’s available in Japanese grocery stores, especially winter months. Celeries Daikon radish Japanese, Persian, or English cucumbers – They have small seeds. If you use other kinds of cucumbers, please remove the seeds before pickling them.
4. Mason Jars and Glass Weights
Wide-mouth 32-oz Mason Jars – Mason jars keep homemade pickles well and it’s easy to store in the refrigerator. Plastic Storage Caps for Wide-mouth Mason Jars – This is not necessary but I think it’s convenient to have. Glass Weights – The glass weights fit perfectly to the Mason jars! Use 1-2 weights per jar.
How to Serve Soy Sauce Pickles
Typically, pickles are served in a bigger bowl or plate and shared communally at the center of the table. You can also serve each pickle on individual small plates. It’s all personal choice, depending on the dinner setting or how you’d like to present the meal.
The Japanese tableware includes Mamezara (豆皿), which is a tiny plate, about 3 inches in length. They come in various sizes, colors, and shapes, which work great for pickles. Enjoy making your own Soy Sauce Pickles at home. Your steamed rice will never be boring if you keep these delicious pickles around!
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Other Japanese Pickle Recipes
Shiozuke (塩漬け) – with salt Amazuzuke (甘酢漬け) – with sugar and vinegar Misozuke (味噌漬け) – with miso Kasuzuke (粕漬け) – with sake kasu (lees) Shiokojizuke (塩麹漬け) – with rice koji/mold-cultured rice
