WR0011 Sweet Daikon Carrots

Sweet Daikon Carrots

Published: June 24, 2020, by Ivan

I first ate sweet daikon carrots in a Vietnamese restaurant. It was served as a garnish with my pork chops and rice. It was very refreshing since pork chops tend to be dry. I later tasted the sweet daikon carrots repeatedly in all the variations of Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi). By the way, Vietnamese sandwiches are the bomb.

I found sweet daikon carrots served with Japanese sushi as Kouhaku Namasu and Korean food as Danmuji. The vinegar in the sweet daikon carrots pairs perfectly with savory meats and fried food (especially fried chicken.) But the sweet daikon carrots is to Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) as pickled jalapenos carrots are to tacos. Neither dish has its signature taste without the pickled condiment. This recipe is the method I used for pickling daikon carrots. Keep in mind this recipe of pickling is for flavor and is not for long-term, un-refrigerated storage.

INGREDIENTS
1 Daikon
2 Carrots
2 Tbsp Salt
3 Tbsp Sugar
>1/4 Cup Vinegar
>1/4 Cup Water
2 Cup Jar

How to make Sweet Daikon Carrots

1. Daikon is a root vegetable. Raw daikon has a mild radish flavor and is less peppery than a radish, so it is perfect for salads. The daikon and carrots will maintain some crunch after pickling, which makes them great for sandwiches. I have used the common small red radish for this recipe. The taste is the same, but the radishes lose their crunch in several days. If you don’t completely peel the radish, then it turns the pickling juice red. But it works in a snap.

2. Wash and peel the daikon and carrots. Cut the daikon and carrots into long thin strips (Julienne) similar to matchsticks. Cut enough of each to fill your pickling jar about one and a half times. In a bowl, add the daikons and carrots and 2 Tbsp of salt. Toss to cover the daikon and carrots completely with the salt. The salt will sweat the moisture out of the daikon and carrots. The sweating process takes about 30 minutes to an hour on the countertop.

3. After an hour, the bottom of the bowl will have water from the daikon and carrots. Squeeze the daikon and carrots to release more moisture. Rinse the daikon and carrots with cold water about five times to remove the salt. Squeeze the daikon and carrots to remove water. The daikon and carrots will have reduced their volume. The daikon and carrots will taste a little salty, but that will disappear after pickling.

4. Pack the daikon and carrots into your pickling jar tightly. I am using a 2 cup Classico Spaghetti Sauce jar. Fill the jar with cold water. Pour the water from the jar into a measuring cup. I have 1/2 cup of liquid that came out of my 2 cup jar filled with 1.5 cups of daikon and carrots. Discard the water in the measuring cup. Place the sliced daikon and carrots into a bowl. Squeeze the daikon and carrots to remove any water. I sometimes wrap the daikon and carrots in a paper towel to remove more moisture.

I use ratios of the total liquid to make my pickling juice. The ratio will be using for 1/2 cup pickling juice is 1 part sugar (3 Tbsp), 2 parts vinegar (>1/4 cup), and 2 parts water (>1/4 cup.) Long-term, un-refrigerated storage of pickled items requires more vinegar and less sugar.

5. Heat the pickling fluid in your microwave to the temperature of a hot cup of coffee (almost boiling). The heat will dissolve the sugar into the vinegar. Place the daikon and carrots into the jar. Stir the pickling juice for 10 seconds, then pour the pickling juice over the daikon and carrots. Push the daikon and carrots down to make sure that the pickling juice covers them.

6. Immediately, lid the jar. You may need to hold the jar with a towel since it will be hot. Make sure the lid is flat and tightly on the jar so no air can enter. Label the jar and allow it to cool before refrigeration. The pickled daikon carrots will be ready to eat in 6 hours. Store the pickled daikon carrots in the coldest part of your refrigerator. The pickled daikon carrots can last for months after it has been opened. But they taste better if used within a month.

Note: The daikon will develop a strong stinky odor in the pickling jar after 12-24 hours. This is typical. Remove the amount of sweet pickled daikon carrots you expect to serve, without the pickling juice, and allow the smell to dissipate. Ready to serve.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your own Sweet Daikon Carrots. Remember to share your recipes.

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