Food & Receipts

Preserve the crispness of pickled turnips using this special brine

Winter is the season when turnips take the spotlight. Here's a simple way to ensure a delicious and crunchy plate of golden turnips, without any discoloration.

Administrator

15 November, 2023

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Pickled mustard greens are a type of vegetable with small bulbs, thick leaves, and less water content compared to sugar beets. The leaves of pickled mustard greens have a more pungent taste compared to sugar beet leaves. The color of the pickled mustard greens leaves is not as deep green as sugar beet leaves.

Mustard greens are rich in nutrients, especially calcium. Eating mustard greens provides a lot of nutrients.

Pickled mustard greens in winter are a popular side dish. However, many people struggle to achieve the desired yellow color, crisp texture, and strong pungent smell. Follow the steps below to ensure delicious pickled mustard greens.

Prepare the ingredients

1kg of mustard greens

Scallions or green onions

Salt, sugar, onions, scallions, rice water, monosodium glutamate

Step 1: Preparing the vegetables

Cut the bulbs of the mustard greens, and hang the leaves to dry or place them in a shallow basket to dry. Remove any old or yellow leaves. Drying the leaves helps make the pickled mustard greens crispier.

Peel the bulbs and slice them.

Rinse them under running water to ensure they are clean. Then cut them into 5cm pieces and rinse them again. When rinsing, be quick and evenly distribute them in a tray to drain the water.

For extra caution, you can use boiling water to cool and dilute with salt, then soak the mustard greens once to ensure cleanliness and reduce the risk of mold.

Wash and cut the scallions into pieces, and slice the onions (if you don’t like to eat onions, you can skip this step).

Mix the scallions, onions, and mustard greens together. If you prefer spicy, add a few slices of fresh chili peppers.

Prepare the pickling solution

Mix 1 bowl of boiling water with 1 bowl of rice water to obtain lukewarm water at around 50 degrees Celsius. Add 3 tablespoons of salt. Place the mustard greens in ceramic dishes or glass jars. Then pour the prepared solution over them and use a weight to press them down to prevent them from floating on the surface of the water.

Cover the jars tightly and store them in a cool, well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Avoid having the jars near the stove to prevent the mustard greens from floating on the water surface.

After about 2-3 days, the pickled mustard greens will be ready to eat.

Tips for pickling mustard greens

Pickled mustard greens will be crispy, fragrant, golden-yellow in color, with a juicy texture and a mild sour taste. This dish pairs well with braised meat, soft and fatty fish, and plain white rice in chilly weather.

– Note to use rice water to achieve a yellow color

– Add a little sugar if the weather is cold to speed up the pickling process. When using rice water, there is no need to use sugar.

– When preparing to eat, you can sprinkle a little monosodium glutamate. This is a secret technique used by some pickle sellers to enhance the flavor. For families who do not consume monosodium glutamate, they can skip this step, but those who enjoy it can sprinkle a little to enhance the flavor.

– When picking up the pickled mustard greens, use clean chopsticks to avoid mold contamination.

– It is recommended to use ceramic, porcelain, or glass jars for pickling mustard greens. Avoid using plastic jars, as they can release toxic substances when the pickling fermenting process occurs, which is not good for health.