3 Ingredient Japanese Red Pickled Ginger - Beni Shoga

Close up of jar with red pickled ginger.

3 Ingredient Japanese Red Pickled Ginger - Beni Shoga

Vivid red strips of Red Pickled Ginger are here to brighten up your favourite Japanese dishes - from takoyaki to ramen! Only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes prep stand between you and a fresh jar of Beni Shoga.

Course Basics, Condiment

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 5

Minimum Pickling Time 4

Total Time 4 5

Servings Jar

Calories 53kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $6

Equipment

1-2 jam jars (sterilised)

Ingredients

1 piece ginger young ginger preferred, around 130g / 4.6oz
½ cup red plum vinegar (umezu), sub red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar with 8 drops red food dye
2 tsp salt 7g

Instructions

Peel the ginger using a spoon, peeler or knife to scrape off the skin. Cut off any tough spots with a knife.
1 piece ginger
Slice the skinned ginger into thin strips first, then julienne. (Watch our video for cutting technique)
Place julienned ginger into a small bowl and pour over the salt. Mix through to make sure all the ginger is covered. Place a heavy bowl or plate over the top to press down. Leave for half an hour. Note: You should start to see liquid in the bottom of the bowl from the salted ginger.
2 tsp salt
Take a handful of the ginger and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place into a clean, sterilised glass jar and pour over the red plum vinegar. Push down with chopsticks or a spoon to make sure all the ginger is covered. Add a little extra vinegar if required to coat.
½ cup red plum vinegar
Ready to eat in 4 hours, but best results in 1 - 2 days.

Video

Notes

Ginger Shapes - While it's traditional to cut beni shoga into julienne strips, you can cut it any way you like such as thinly peeled.
Storage - Keep your pickled ginger in the fridge for up to a year, and always remember to get it out with clean utensils when serving up.

Nutrition