Did you know that you can pickle fresh seasonal vegetables with miso? Known as Misozuke, these Japanese tsukemono pickles are among the easiest to make at home. The result is unmistakable umami that‘s so good with plain steamed rice!
Misozuke (味噌漬け), or Japanese soybean paste (miso) pickling (zuke), is one of the easiest Japanese pickles to make. It’s simple to make miso pickles at home with miso paste, which preserves the ingredients for a long time.
Misozuke is part of my series on Japanese pickles that are known collectively as tsukemono (漬物). For a detailed introduction, please read Tsukemono: A Guide to Japanese Pickles. For today’s recipe, I’ll show you how to miso-pickle carrots and red radishes for a refreshing, crunchy side dish!
Table of Contents
What is Tsukemono?
Tsukemono or Japanese pickles are a classic side dish in a traditional Japanese meal. Some popular ones you may be familiar with include takuan (pickled daikon), umeboshi (pickled plum), gari (pickled sushi ginger), and fukujinzuke, the Japanese curry rice condiment.
Pickles are used to cleanse the palate between courses, such as pickled ginger in a sushi dinner. They help to preserve other foods, like a pickled plum tucked into a rice ball to help preserve the rice. Pickles that are crunchy also provide a textural contrast to any meal.
There are several types of tsukemono based on the pickling agent used:
- Shiozuke (塩漬け) – salt
- Suzuke (酢漬け) – rice vinegar
- Amazuzuke (甘酢漬け) – sugar and rice vinegar
- Misozuke (味噌漬け) – miso
- Shoyuzuke (醤油漬け) – soy sauce
- Kasuzuke (粕漬け) – sake kasu (lees)
- Shiokojizuke (塩麹) – rice koji/mold—cultured rice
- Nukazuke (糠漬け) – nuka (rice bran)
- Karashizuke (からし漬け) – Japanese hot mustard karashi
- Satozuke (砂糖漬け) – sugar
Today, I’ll focus on misozuke. In this recipe, we will pickle two types of vegetables—radishes and carrots.
What is Misozuke?
Misozuke is pickling ingredients in a miso-based mixture. The term also refers to miso-pickled food. The pickling “marinade” is called misodoko (味噌床) and is typically a mixture of mirin, sugar, miso, and sometimes sake.
Miso-pickled vegetables are eaten as they are (raw), while miso-pickled meat and fish are baked or cooked before serving. Common ingredients for misozuke include:
- vegetables (including cucumber, carrot, burdock root, daikon, eggplant, celery)
- meat
- fish or seafood
- tofu
- cheese
- egg yolk
Ingredients for Today’s Recipe
Optional Add-ins
- piece of kombu (dried kelp) – cut into thin strips
- whole garlic cloves – you can also eat these misozuke garlic cloves after pickling!
- red chili peppers – cut into thin rounds
- knob of ginger – grated, with juice
How To Pickle in Miso
- Make the misodoko (pickling marinade) by mixing the miso, mirin, and optional sugar. Make one batch per ingredient. If adding the optional kombu strips, grated ginger, or chili pepper pieces, mix them in now. I made a plain batch for the radishes and added kombu strips to the misodoko for the carrots.
- Transfer each misodoko to a resealable bag (or a glass container with lid).
- Clean and trim the radishes. I leave on the edible radish tops. Add them to the plain misodoko, remove the air, and seal the bag. Rub together through the bag to coat the radishes well.
- Peel and cut the carrots lengthwise. Add them to the misodoko with kombu strips in it. Add the optional garlic cloves, if using. Remove the air and seal the bag. Rub together from outside the bag to coat the carrots well.
- Store in the refrigerator to ferment. These ingredients are ready to eat in 2–3 hours.
- Remove the ingredients from the misodoko, wipe off the excess marinade, cut into smaller pieces, and serve.
Misozuke pickling time depends on the ingredient you’re using and ranges from 2–3 hours to 2–3 days. See the next section for more details.
How Long To Pickle in Miso
In general, the recommended pickling time varies from 2–3 hours to half day to 2–3 days. Why such a big range? The “perfect” timing depending on the following factors:
- Salt content of the miso you use: White miso has less salt, so you may need to pickle for a longer time than red miso, which has a higher salt content.
- Type of ingredient you’re pickling: Thin and softer vegetables can pickle really fast, while thick and tough vegetables take longer. If you cut the vegetable into thinner or smaller pieces, pickling is faster.
- How you eat it: Japanese often prefer to eat something salty when eating plain steamed rice. It’s entirely up to you how salty you want your misozuke to be.
Considering the above factors, I recommend tasting your misozuke to decide on the pickling time.
Other Misozuke Tips
- Extract excess liquid from high-moisture ingredients prior to pickling to prevent mold growth, especially if you plan to marinate it for a longer time.
- Daikon radish, cucumber, and other vegetables with higher water content first must be sun-dried (one day), dried under shade (one day), or salted (either sprinkle salt or soak in salted water with 5–20% salt).
- For fish, it is best to sprinkle salt on it to draw out excess moisture before pickling.
- If you don’t plan to cook miso-pickled meat or fish within the same week, you can freeze it for a short time. It’s recommended to cook it soon, however.
Helpful Tips for Making Misodoko
1. Separate the misodoko for vegetables and meat/fish.
For food safety, keep the pickling mixture separate for vegetables (that you eat raw) and meat/fish (that you need to cook before consuming). Or you can use new/newer misodoko for vegetables, and when it’s about to expire, use it for marinating meat and fish.
2. Use a glass container or resealable plastic bag.
A glass container works great if you plan to use the misodoko for a long time. It is easy to put in or take out the ingredients and to transfer the misodoko out of the container if you need to cook off the moisture (see next). It also keeps intact the shape of fragile ingredients (such as a thin fillet of fish).
A resealable plastic bag is good for a small amount of misozuke. Use just enough amount of misodoko to coat your ingredient and rub it against each other from outside the bag.
3. Re-use misodoko for up to 1 month.
The great thing about misodoko is that you can re-use it for up to a month! When the misodoko becomes watery from moisture released from the ingredients, all you need to do is to reheat in the pot over the stove and let the moisture evaporate. Let the misodoko cool before you use it to make Misozuke again.
4. Don’t throw away retired misodoko.
When you’re done pickling with misodoko, you can use the marinade for seasoning your stir fry dishes or as a sauce for your dish for one last time. You just need to make sure to cook the sauce.
5. Remove excess misodoko—important!
When you finish pickling meat or fish, make sure to remove any excess misodoko from the meat/fish before cooking. Miso burns easily and you do not want your dish to be charred.
What Type of Miso To Use
Although it’s common to use bold-flavored red miso for misozuke, you can use any type of miso. Some regions in Japan use white miso for misozuke. Even red miso varies in flavor, too.
If you are new to misozuke, use the miso you have in your fridge to start. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover miso in the tub. You can read all about miso to get familiar with different types of miso.
For this recipe, I used my favorite miso, Kodawattemasu by Hikari Miso®, that I’ve been using for over a decade in my kitchen. Thank you Hikari Miso® for sponsoring this post!
This slow-aged red koji miso is actually the #1 selling miso from Hikari Miso®. It is free of additives and preservatives, is made of organic soybeans and rice, and has a rich and mature flavor with the full-bodied umami of soybeans and the sweetness of the rice.
Where you can buy Kodawattemasu by Hikari Miso®:
- Japanese grocery stores (Nijiya, Mitsuwa, Marukai, local mom-pop shops, etc)
- Asian grocery stores (including Chinese/Korean grocery stores)
- Tokyo Central online ($7.48)
As a side note, kodawattemasu (こだわってます) in Japanese means “I’m particular (about the quality of miso and the miso-making process).” The Japanese characters may be hard to memorize, so just remember the green label with “No. 1” on the package!
How To Enjoy Miso-Pickled Vegetables
The beauty of misozuke is you could simply enjoy the pickled foods with steamed rice. The miso pickled radishes and carrots are perfect for anyone who follows a vegetarian or vegan diet. You’ll love it with Vegan Miso Soup. Otherwise, you can serve it alongside with another protein dish such as Saba Shioyaki (Grilled Mackerel) or Seared Scallops.
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Tsukemono – Misozuke (Miso Pickling)
Ingredients
For the Misodoko Pickling "Marinade" (make one batch per ingredient)
For the Add-in Options
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (4 inches, 10 cm per piece)
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 red chili peppers
- ¼ tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)
For the Ingredients to Pickle (read the blog post for more suggestions)
- 2 carrots (6 oz, 170 g)
- 5 red radishes (8.8 oz, 250 g)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Misodoko (Pickling "Marinade")
- We make one batch of misodoko for each ingredient. For radish misozuke, we make a plain misodoko. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup miso, 2 Tbsp mirin, and sugar (optional). Mix well.
- For carrot misozuke, I add kombu and garlic cloves for additional flavor. Cut 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) into thin strips and mix it together with the misodoko. Other optional add-ins include 1 red chili peppers and ¼ tsp ginger (grated).
- Transfer each misodoko into a resealable bag or glass container with a lid.
To Prepare the Vegetables
- Rinse 5 red radishes well under water. Peel 2 carrots and cut them in half lengthwise.
To Pickle the Vegetables
- For the radish misozuke, add the radishes to the plain misodoko in the resealable bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Rub the radishes with the misodoko through the bag.
- For the carrot misozuke, add the carrots and 8 cloves garlic (peeled) to the bag with the kombu strips in it. Remove the air and seal the bag. Rub the carrots with the misodoko from outside the bag.
- Store in the refrigerator. Depending on the ingredients, the misozuke is ready in 2–3 hours to 2–3 days.
To Serve
- Remove the radishes from the misodoko, wiping off any excess miso. Cut the radishes in half and serve.
- Remove the carrots from the misodoko, wiping off any excess miso. Cut them into smaller pieces and serve.
To Reuse the Misodoko
- When you find your misodoko has some liquid in it, transfer it to a saucepan. Cook it on a low heat and let the liquid evaporate. You can reuse misodoko for up to a month. Please read the blog post for more details.
What should you do if you can’t turn your nuka everyday?
Hi Judy, Nuka has used it for Nuka-zuke and different technic to make pickling from this Misozuke recipe.
If you are using “Nuka” and unable to turn it within 1 week, wrap it around the surface to prevent it from contacting the air and storing it in a refrigerator. When you are away for a long time, you can transfer Nuka to a zip lock bag, remove any remaining vegetables, carefully remove the air from the bag, and store it in the freezer. If you want to start using it again, it is recommended to store it at room temperature where bacteria can be active and restart it. We hope this is helpful! 🙂
Do you use dried or fresh red chili pepper? Does the addition of flavor boosters lower the shelf life of the misozuke? Can’t wait to treat my pickled vegetables tomorrow! 🙂
Hi Isabella, Nami used dried red Chilli pepper and will not change the shelf life. Thank you very much for trying this recipe! We hope you enjoyed it.☺️
Hi Nami!
Thank you for the amazing recipe. I’m wondering how long do the vegetable pickles generally last after I take them out from the misodoko?
Thank you!
Hi Tammy,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
It depends on the type of miso you used and how long you had the vegetable in the Misodoko. The saltiest pickles last longer.
However, if you take them out already from Misodoko, we recommend keeping in the refrigerator and consume within 1~2 days.
I’m so happy I found your site. I live in Tokyo and have been mostly working from home. The time I used to spend putting on makeup and travelling on the train I can now use for cooking. I’ve been trying to cook Japanese food and adding miso to many dishes for added health benefits. I decided to try making tsukemono. I have a large green eggplant which I want to pickle. Is there any step I need to add or reduce from the steps you outlined above?
Hi JD! I think that’s really wonderful. One of the things I disliked about living in Japan is the commute (especially standing…). It’s so wonderful that you can now use that time to cook! Very productive and meaningful! Nothing special required for green eggplant. Hope you enjoy!
Sitting in a small izakaya watching a Giants game with Tebasaki, teba shio, an order of pickles and a large mug of Kirin Draft. That means baseball season. I was actually a Tigers fan, but master would throw you out if you made any disparaging comments about the Giants.
Hi, I was wondering how long the pickled vegetables would last? I’ve seen websites that say only 1-2 days, and others that say up to 30 days for a misozuke.
And how would you store them once removing them from the misodoko? Or do you leave them in the misodoko for storage??
Thanks so much for the brilliant website!
Hi Kathie! It depends on how you prep veggies. The pickles that last a long time usually require more prepping – put in the solution with higher salt content overnight, drying the vegetables outside, etc to remove moisture in the vegetables. If you don’t, the water in the vegetables will slowly release to the misodoko and it can go bad. Once the pickles are done, I take it out and store it in an airtight container, because if you leave it, it will continue to be pickled. Thank you for your kind words on my site, Kathie!. 🙂
Do you think your recipe for all purpose miso sauce would work for pickling as well? The recipe is similar and should have enough of a salt/sugar content to work maybe?
Hi Ryan! For quick pickling, sure! 🙂
Hey, how to make kabocha misozuke? Raw or cooked?
Thank you
Hi Martin! Raw sliced kabocha is used. 🙂
Hello Nami,
I live in San Francisco and wonder if you give private cooking lessons. I want to learn the art of tsukemono. Your recipes here have been very helpful, but I’d like some personal instruction. Thanks for considering my request.
Hi Mark! Thank you so much for your interest in taking my cooking class. Unfortunately, I don’t do a cooking class because I’m really busy keeping up with this blog and youtube and creating contents… I wish I have more free time, but I’m very busy with blogging at this time. Thank you again. It means a lot to me that you’re interested… 🙂
Hello! I forgot about my carrots in misodoko and left them pickling in the fridge for 6 days. Is it still safe to eat if i clean off the excess misodoko? I do not see any mold but the kombu got a little slimy and the miso got a little stringy. No water though. Thank you!
Hi Rae! It seems okay to me, and kombu does get slimy when it’s wet. It might be a bit salty though. Please re-heat (and let cool) the misodoko before you pickle next batch. 🙂
Hi Nami!
You post says it’s better to extract moisture from vegetables such as cucumber and carrots by salting them but the recipe seems to use the carrots and radishes without salting them. Can I do cucumbers without salting them? I feel if you salt cucumbers, and then pickle them in misodoko, it would be too salty?
Hi MH! I’ve updated the content and hopefully, it’s a bit less confusing. The thing is… there are many ways and some people do shiozuke first and some don’t. As I don’t try to keep my pickles for months, I did not do shiozuke for this recipe. We make salt pickle (higher %) first if you plan to keep it for a longer time.
If you plan to use cucumbers, I recommend either sprinkling salt (5%) or soak in salt water to extract water from cucumbers. Then rinse the cucumbers quickly (if you use higher salt % then using lower % salt water can remove salt better than water – it’s science) and dry it before adding to misodoko.
Without salting, the water will be released to misodoko. If you plan to make a qiuck pickling, then I think you can go straight to misodoko. And to reuse misodoko, cook the miso to let the moisture evaporate. Since pickling is to preserve the vegetables, not to season, the higher salt content is used. Back then it was even higher % to preserve. Without it, food will go waste. However, we don’t plan to keep for that long time, so you can reduce the amount of salt. Sorry if I didn’t explain well…
Thank you thank you thank you for this upcoming series of recipes! My mother was the only person in her group of Japanese ladies to make Japanese pickles and we, her children, loved them. She didn’t pass down her recipes to us and it took me a few years to realize that if I not seek out these recipes, we would never eat them again. I look so forward to your pickle posts. My mother made one in particular that we called her ‘winter pickle’. It was only made in the fall/winter- sun dried daikon, carrots, cabbage, dried fish-our absolute favorite but I haven’t been able figure out what pickling medium she used. She also made an eggplant pickle that tasted of sake. I hope your posts will help me find out!!
Hi Stsabin! Hopefully, I can go into deep with tsukemono series. I’m trying to start from easy and simple recipes. I just finished making sake lees (sakazuke) and will post this month. I’m glad you want to learn about Tsukemono. There are so many pickle specialty stores in Japan that most people don’t make homemade tsukemono anymore (plus no space to store big tubs in tiny houses, unless you live outside of the cities).
Qual o tempo que as conservas podem ficar guardadas na geladeira? Somente alguns dias???
Hi Laerte! It really depends, maybe 2-3 hour for some vegetables, or a half day for some vegetables. Taste and see when it’s done. 🙂
Does packaged miso kept in a refrigerator expire? I have some unopened for years and I am not sure if it is still safe to use.
Hi Victor! Miso’s expiration is typically one year. However, it could last for a long time especially if you keep well in the fridge (less temperature change). I often see a recommendation on checking the condition of the miso to see if there is any mold growing etc. Even though it’s unopened, it often has air ventilation for higher end miso. And if your miso has dashi in it, it usually won’t be kept well for that long. But if you’re not too sure, I recommend getting a new one. 🙂
Hello, at the beginning of the article it lists sake as an ingredient of the Misodoku, but sake isn’t in the recipe. Is it used or not ?
Thank-you
Hi Jodie! I’m sorry about the confusion. I think my English wasn’t clear in the blog post, so I have updated it. Basically, misodoko can be just miso OR miso with sake, mirin, and sugar (all 3, or two of three, or just one of three). For this recipe, I use miso and mirin. 🙂