Asian Pickled Mustard Greens
I grow three types of mustard greens in my garden each summer to make enough of this delicious pickle to eat all year. The problem is that my husband and I eat it on everything because it is so delicious. It is awesome on egg sandwiches, on grilled cheese, in ramen, in quiche, and as a side with fish, pork, or chicken. This stuff is goooooood!
I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can’t. It comes from Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon, which is my favorite book of interesting and delicious pickle recipes, this recipe being one of them.
To make this recipe get some mustard greens from your garden, farmers market, farm share, or grocery. Gather together these items and get started.
12 ounces mustard greens, stems removed if you prefer less bite
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 clove garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon fermented garlic
Chop the greens into 1/3 inch strips and place in a large non-metal bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the greens and work the salt through the greens with your hands. Place a lid that is smaller than the bowl on top of the greens and weight the lid with cans (about a pound of weight) to depress and squish the greens down in the bowl. Let the greens sit for 1 hour.
Wash the greens well to rinse off some of the salt and remove any dirt. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the greens with your fingers until they are super dry. Stuff the dry greens into a pint jar.
Combine the vinegar, sugar, chile flakes, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the brine over the greens until they are submerged completely. Wait until the brine settles, then pour in as much to keep the greens covered and submerged. You can fill the jars to the rim because you aren’t canning this pickle, it just goes in the fridge. After you add the brine, cover the jar with a lid and let the greens sit on the counter for 24 hours. Move the jar to the fridge and let it sit for 1 more day before eating.
I tend to make this in a large batch that will fill 3-4 quarts (a quart is 2 pints so I will multiply the recipe by 6 or 8 to make enough brine). You can increase the batch size based on the volume of mustard greens. The pickle will keep in the fridge for months.
If you like interesting pickles, like those you found in Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese, and Indian restaurants or shops, buy Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon. In addition to this recipe try “Sour Celery and Red Pepper Pickle”, “Thousand Slices Turnips”, “Sitting Fee Cabbage Pickle”, or “Marinated Bean Sprouts” for a start.