Pickled Daikon with Shio Koji

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Combine 1 cup water and 1 Tbsp salt and mix well. Peel daikon.

Step 3

Cut the daikon in half widthwise and half in lengthwise. If your daikon is thinner, you may just cut in half widthwise.

Step 4

Put the daikon in a resealable plastic bag and add saltwater. Remove air and seal tightly. Daikon has strong-smelling sulfur compounds and it gets quite smelly. If you decide not to use a resealable plastic bag, you will need a large airtight container such as a big jar that can include daikon, saltwater, and heavy objects on top of the daikon.

Step 5

Put the bag in a tray to avoid any leakage and put a heavy object on top of the bag. Here I put a plate (to evenly distribute the weight) and pie weights. Set aside at room temperature overnight.

Step 6

To make Shio Koji Mixture, combine ½ cup shio koji and ¼ cup sugar in a 1-cup measuring cup (or bowl). Cut off the end of red chili pepper with a knife or a pair of scissors.

Step 7

Take out and discard the seeds (typically, the Japanese do not include seeds and use just the pod for mild spiciness). Cut the red chili pepper into small rounds and add to the mixture.

Step 8

Cut the kombu into thin strips and add to the mixture. Mix all together. Set aside.

Step 9

Remove the heavy objects, and take out the daikon. Discard the salt water.

Step 10

Wipe off the moisture on the daikon with a paper towel.

Step 11

In an airtight container that fits the daikon, pour half of your Shio Koji Mixture on the bottom of the container. Put the daikon on top.

Step 12

Add and distribute the rest of the mixture. Put the lid on and keep at the room temperature for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Step 13

You can start eating from the day you add Shio Koji Mixture. It’s up to you when you want to stop pickling. You can take out all the daikon after 1 day, for example. As time passes, moisture comes out more form the daikon and it gets slimy from kombu. When the daikon is pickled enough (to your liking), take them out and transfer to another airtight container to keep for a week or two. I usually take out and eat one daikon each day and finish all of it by the 3rd day.

Step 14

If you prefer to serve pickled daikon without koji (grain), you can quickly rinse under running water. Cut the daikon into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices and enjoy!

Step 15

After taking out the pickled daikon from the mixture, you can keep it for up to 3-4 weeks.