Homemade Shibazuke Pickles

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Fill a bowl with cold water and dissolve 1 pinch salt in it. Wash and trim the 200 g Japanese or Chinese eggplant, cut lengthways into halves or quarters, then slice about 3 mm thick. Put the slices into the water as you cut them.

   Uses 200 g Japanese or Chinese eggplant · 1 pinch salt for the eggplant soaking water · Clean water as needed for washing, eggplant soaking, ginger blanching and rinsing

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Leave the eggplant slices in their salted water from step 1 to soak for 20 minutes. Prepare the other vegetables while they soak.

   Soak eggplant slices · 20 minUses Eggplant slices and their salted soaking water

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Bring a small pot of clean water to a rolling boil. Scrape the skin from the 10 g ginger root and slice it thinly. Blanch the slices for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool them.

   Blanch ginger slices · 1 minUses 10 g ginger root · Clean water as needed for washing, eggplant soaking, ginger blanching and rinsing

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Cut the drained, blanched ginger from step 3 into fine strips. Thinly slice the 50 g myoga and 5 green perilla leaves; keep these three vegetables together for step 7.

   Uses Ginger retained after draining and rinsing · 50 g Japanese ginger (myoga) · 5 green perilla leaves (shiso)

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Wash the 100 g Japanese or Persian cucumber and trim its ends. Halve it lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.

   Uses 100 g Japanese cucumber (or Persian cucumber) · Clean water as needed for washing, eggplant soaking, ginger blanching and rinsing

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Cut the trimmed, deseeded cucumber from step 5 into slices about 3 mm thick.

   Uses Cucumber retained after trimming and deseeding

   
7. 7

   Step 7: After its 20-minute soak, drain the eggplant from step 2 and put it in a large dry bowl. Add all the ginger, myoga and green perilla strips from step 4 and cucumber slices from step 6. Sprinkle over the 9 g sea salt.

   Uses Eggplant retained after discarding its soaking water · Prepared ginger, myoga and green perilla strips · Prepared cucumber slices · 9 g sea salt for salting the mixed vegetables

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Massage the vegetables and salt from step 7 until evenly mixed and coated.

   Uses Vegetables and measured salting salt

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Cover the salted vegetables from step 8 directly with plastic wrap, then place a plate and a weight on top. Use a weight about twice the vegetable weight, roughly 1 kg for this batch. Refrigerate overnight.

   Uses Massaged salted vegetables

   
10. 10

    Step 10: The next day, squeeze the refrigerated vegetables from step 9 thoroughly and discard the accumulated liquid.

    Uses Salted vegetables and their released liquid

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Put the squeezed vegetables from step 10 into a sealable food bag and add the 10 g sugar and 45 ml red ume plum vinegar. For deeper color, rub a few optional red perilla leaves with a little extra salt, rinse them with clean water and add the rinsed leaves to the bag.

    Uses Vegetables retained after discarding their liquid · 10 g sugar · 45 ml red ume plum vinegar (umesu) · A few red perilla leaves (akajiso), optional · A little extra salt for rubbing optional red perilla leaves · Clean water as needed for washing, eggplant soaking, ginger blanching and rinsing

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Massage the bag from step 11 to coat the vegetables evenly. Expel the air and seal it, then lay it flat in a container to catch leaks. Refrigerate for at least 2 days; the author gives a 2–3-day pickling guide.

    Refrigerated vinegar pickling · 2880 minUses Vegetables in sugar and red ume vinegar, with optional rinsed red perilla

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Drain the chilled pickles from step 12, squeeze out excess liquid and transfer them to a clean sterilized airtight container. Keep refrigerated and use within the author’s 7–10-day guide. Serve small portions as a side dish; freezing softens their texture.

    Uses Pickles retained after draining their marinade