How to make crispy and non-bitter pickled garlic and chili, long-lasting without the water separating

Marinated bamboo shoots with garlic and chili is a familiar dish in many households. Adding a little bamboo shoots to a bowl of rice vermicelli or noodles will make it more delicious. Adding a little bamboo shoots to a bowl of boiled vegetable dip will enhance the flavor. However, many people often experience a bitter taste, lack of crispness, or floating impurities when marinating bamboo shoots. Apply the following tips immediately.

Prepare the ingredients:

Fresh bamboo shoots 1 kg

50g chilies

50g garlic

Water, salt, vinegar

Notes on choosing good bamboo shoots

To ensure good quality bamboo shoots, choose bamboo shoots with even stems and straight buds, indicating freshness. The skin of bamboo shoots should not be withered and should have a pale yellow color. Avoid buying bamboo shoots with dark, moldy skin. If you buy pre-processed peeled bamboo shoots, be careful to avoid those with pale white or dark yellow color, as these may be signs of chemical treatment or loss of freshness.

How to marinate bamboo shoots with garlic and chili

Preparing fresh bamboo shoots: Peel and clean the fresh bamboo shoots, remove the roots and trim the hairy part of the shoots on top, then soak them in saltwater. Slice the bamboo shoots into thin slices, about 2-3mm thick. Do not slice them too thick as they will be tough, but not too thin as they will lose crispness when eaten.

Soak the bamboo shoots in rice water with salt for about 10 hours. During that time, you can change the rice water to help the bamboo shoots release toxins faster. Rice water can help remove toxins and reduce bitterness in bamboo shoots.

If you want to further remove toxins from the bamboo shoots, you can blanch them in boiling water, quickly remove and then immerse them in a bowl of ice water. You can repeat this process 2-3 times to ensure the bamboo shoots are safe to eat and still crispy.

Finally, soak the bamboo shoots in a mixture of water and vinegar for about 30 minutes to make them whiter.

Preparing garlic and chili: Peel and slice the garlic. Wash the chilies and slice them, removing the seeds. If you’re worried about the garlic turning green, you can soak it in saltwater before adding it to the marinated bamboo shoots. If you want the marinated bamboo shoots to have a red color, you can buy additional chili paste and mix it in to create a redder color for the marinade.

Making the vinegar marinade: Mix 1 liter of water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt and 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, stir well and let it cool. You can also add 250ml of white vinegar to make the bamboo shoots sour and whiter.

Make sure the marinade is cool before adding the bamboo shoots to avoid them turning yellow or floating.

Marinate the bamboo shoots with garlic and chili: Mix the bamboo shoots, chili, and garlic together in a glass jar or porcelain jar. Add the marinade and press lightly to ensure the bamboo shoots are submerged. Keep the jar of marinated bamboo shoots in a cool, well-ventilated place, and seal it tightly.

Note: When taking bamboo shoots from the jar, use a clean spoon to avoid floating impurities.

The sourness of the marinated bamboo shoots can vary according to taste, so you can eat them after 3-4 days or after 7-8 days. If you can find dổi fruit, you can add it to create the distinctive fragrance of Northwest-style marinated bamboo shoots.

Marinate the bamboo shoots in glass or porcelain jars, avoid marinating in plastic jars for safety.