Chinese Pickled Sour Mustard Greens 酸菜
The result of the pickling/brining is a delicately soured pickled vegetable with a soft yet crunchy texture. It's addictive I tell you, just addictive! These Homemade Chinese Pickled Sour Mustard Greens 自製酸菜 can be used to stir fry with pork or chicken, eat plain as a relish, or toss in with fish to make the famous (and my favorite) Sichuan Fish Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens 酸菜魚
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 1/4 lb mustard greens 芥菜, 1000g
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup cooled down boiled water
- 4 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Sterilize a heat proof pickling jar by rinsing well with boiling water. We used a ceramic jar with a lid so as to keep the pickling in the dark. Let dry.
- 2
Wash the mustard greens to remove any dirt and let air dry hanging downward until dry. Add 2 1/2 tsp salt to greens and use fingers to get the salt everywhere. Let sit for 2 hours.
- 3
Clean hands and dry competely. Wring the mustard greens dry, letting the juice flow back into the bowl. Wringing creates the proper texture. Reserve the juices and brine.
- 4
Tuck the wrung mustard greens snuggly into the pickling jar. Pour reserved juices and brine over the mustard greens. If the greens are not completely covered by the brine mix up some fresh brine.
- 5
To make the fresh brine mix the salt with the boiling water and stir until the salt is melted. Add in the cooled down water and stir to mix. Let cool to room temperature and add to the pickling jar.
- 6
Use a clean and dry spatula or chopsticks to press the mustard greens down. Important: all the greens should be submerged in the brine! Add a clean dry plate or something similar to weigh down on top to help submerge the greens completely.
- 7
Cover or close the jar and leave in a dark area for 8 to 12 days. If you use a cover that is air tight you will need to burp the jars once every day or two to release the gas from the pickling. The mustard greens will turn a bright yellow.
- 8
On day 8 start tasting, making sure to use clean dry utensils and to keep the greens submerged. When the sour/sweet/salty balance is to your liking the pickled mustard green is ready to use.
- 9
If not using right away you can store in the fridge for a couple of months.