Crispy Dried Radish Greens (Gungchae) Soy Sauce Pickles
Flavorful Gungchae Soy Sauce Pickles!
We’ve made a sweet and sour soy sauce pickle using dried radish greens (gungchae), radish, carrot, and chili peppers. The crisp texture combined with a hint of spice makes it a perfect accompaniment to any meal. It’s a real appetite enhancer!
Main Ingredients
- Dried Gungchae (Radish Greens) 150g
- Radish 1/2 medium
- Small Carrot 1
- Crisp Green Peppers (e.g., Korean ‘asagi’ peppers) 5
- Cheongyang Peppers (spicy Korean peppers) 3-4
Pickling Brine
- Soy Sauce 1 cup (200ml)
- Apple Cider Vinegar 1.5 cups (300ml)
- Sugar 1.5 cups (300g)
- Water 4 cups (800ml)
- Soy Sauce 1 cup (200ml)
- Apple Cider Vinegar 1.5 cups (300ml)
- Sugar 1.5 cups (300g)
- Water 4 cups (800ml)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, soak the dried gungchae (radish greens) in cold water for 5-6 hours until fully rehydrated. After soaking, rub them thoroughly with your hands and rinse 2-3 times to clean. Drain the washed gungchae in a colander to remove excess water.
Step 2
Cut the drained gungchae into bite-sized pieces. Cutting them into lengths of about 3-5 cm works well.
Step 3
Slice the radish, carrot, crisp green peppers, and Cheongyang peppers into your desired shapes and thickness. It’s best to slice the radish not too thick so it absorbs the brine well and has a pleasant texture. You can remove the seeds from the chili peppers if you prefer less heat, or leave them in for extra spice.
Step 4
In a pot, combine the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Add water to adjust the saltiness; you can modify the ratio of sweetness and saltiness to your preference. Bring the brine to a rolling boil over high heat. It’s important that the initial brine tastes slightly saltier, as the vegetables will release moisture and dilute it. Keep this in mind.
Step 5
In a large bowl, gently mix the cleaned and chopped gungchae with the prepared vegetables. Transfer all the vegetables into a sterilized storage jar.
Step 6
Carefully ladle the hot, boiling brine over the vegetables in the jar, ensuring it’s poured evenly. It’s ideal for the brine to cover the vegetables completely.
Step 7
Don’t worry if the vegetables aren’t fully submerged initially. After about 20-30 minutes, the gungchae and vegetables will release their moisture, and the brine level will increase sufficiently. Mix everything well in the jar, let it cool slightly, and then refrigerate. After 2 days, carefully pour out only the brine, bring it to a rolling boil for 5 minutes, let it cool completely, and then pour it back over the vegetables. This process helps the pickles mature beautifully, and they will be ready to eat.
