This delicious and easy Pickled Turnip with Yuzu recipe is quick to make thanks to a short pickling time. This crunchy preserved kabu is a wonderful asazuke-style tsukemono to serve with any Japanese meal as a palate cleanser. The citrus scent is quite refreshing!
I had received several requests from some of the readers that they would like to make Tsukemono, Japanese pickles. In Japan, Tsukemono is always served with steamed rice and considered as an important garnish or accompaniment for meals. There are even Tsukemono specialty stores in Japan, where we can buy all different types and varieties.
Although we call it “pickles”, Japanese pickles are actually considered “preserved vegetables”. Unlike how American pickles are prepared, Tsukemono is not pickled in distilled vinegar. For pickling the Japanese way, we use salt, soy sauce, miso, rice bran (nuka), or sake lees (sake kasu).
Today I’m sharing Asazuke, a type of Tsukemono. Asazuke literary means ‘shallow pickling’ for its short period of pickling time. Asazuke is commonly prepared at home because it’s easier and simple to make as opposed to Tsukemono, which takes more effort to prepare and longer waiting period.
I used Tokyo turnips called kabu as the main vegetable, but other commonly used vegetables for Tsukemono include cucumbers, daikon (Japanese radish), napa cabbage, and eggplant. This recipe calls for yuzu, a citrus fruit widely available in Japan, Korea, and China. If you cannot find yuzu in your area, you can substitute with lemon zest/juice for this recipe. There are quite a lot of Japanese dishes with yuzu flavor and one of our favorite Japanese restaurants use it on a few of the special sushi they serve. I hope you enjoy making this version of Asazuke at home!
Pickled Turnip with Yuzu
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese turnips (kabu) (leaves attached; you can also use cucumbers, daikon, or napa cabbage)
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (1½ x 1½ inches, 3.8 x 3.8 cm per piece)
- ½ dried red chili pepper
- 1 tsp yuzu zest (or lemon zest)
- ½–1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp yuzu juice (extract) (or lemon juice; optional)
Instructions
- Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires 3 hours of pickling time.
- Wash 3 Japanese turnips (kabu) carefully and peel the skin. Cut in half or quarters, depending on the size, and then slice thinly. For the leaves, cut them into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces.
- Cut 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) into small strips.
- Cut ½ dried red chili pepper into half and remove seeds. Keep the seeds if you like it spicy.
- In a resealable plastic bag, add the turnip slices and leaves, kombu, red chili pepper, 1 tsp yuzu zest, ½–1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and optional 1 Tbsp yuzu juice (extract). Mix and rub well with your hands from the outside of the bag.
- Remove the air and seal the bag. Keep in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably 3–4 hours, or even overnight.
- To serve, squeeze the vegetables with both hands to remove the pickling solution. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the pickles in an airtight container after squeezing out the solution. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
Hi Nami!
I’ve been meaning to ask you for a long time now about the kelp stripes… Do you eat them or do you take/spit the kelp pieces out? 🙂 Can you eat kelp in general (raw) or do you only use it in cooking (for making dashi etc.)?
Oh and I forgot to ask you… If I take daikon and cabbage, for example, how much vegetables do I take for the amount of spices in your recipe? (in grams, please 🙂 )
Hi Alina! Kombu is edible, especially when it’s soften like this. It’s too hard and doesn’t taste good when it’s hard though. I eat these kombu strips. 🙂
1 turnip is probably between 70-90 gram as shown in the picture. 🙂
Hi Nami!
I just got back from a trip to Hokkaido and I am eager to try new Japanese recipes and chanced upon your website 🙂 I am happily printing the recipes to try them this week.
I tried these amazing pickled whole okra in Hokkaido and I have been looking all over the web for them and I was wondering whether you happen to know how I can pickle the okra?
Thanks!
Hi Sab! I love Hokkaido, and I’m sure you had a fabulous time there. Thank you for finding my blog. 🙂 There are many ways to make pickles in Japan. I share 2 of my simple recipes.
1) blanched okra, salt, grated ginger, soy sauce
2) blanched okra, salt, yuzu zest, red chili pepper, (kombucha)
3) blanched okra, mentsuyu, grated ginger, red chili pepper
Put all ingredients in airtight bag overnight. I’m not sure what flavor your okra had, but hope this helps. 🙂