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Recipes

Korean Pickled Radishes & Jalapenos

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While reviewing past recipes and the write-up before the recipes, I’ve realized that my blog entries follow a very sad outline:

  1. Kris used to think ________ was icky! What a travesty.
  2. (soul-searching paragraph)
  3. And now she doesn’t. Yay ________!

Today, we are tackling pickles–which I also disliked for a long time. But since I seem to have disliked everything when I was growing up (ha), I’m going to skip over that fact and talk about how amazing Korean food is instead!

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My first and dearest experience with Korean food was at a little joint called San Chang in Colorado Springs when I moved there in 1999. I had tried “Korean” food before at Pan-Asian restaurants around Delaware as a child, but not like San Chang. What were these funny grills doing in the middle of the table? Why were there so many vents? And why were there so many versions of pickled vegetables in tiny plates?

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It wasn’t until I befriended Korean-American classmates at college that I learned the magical name of these vegetable dishes–banchan. But I loved banchan from the start, and often stuffed myself on it before the main course arrived at the table. My favorite banchan involved radishes in various forms: julienned, cubed, sliced, and so on, pickled in so many delicious ways. I loved the cool, crisp crunch of the radish and the subsequent explosion of pickling juice that would follow with each bite. They were a sharp, effective palate cleanser to the salty savoriness of galbi or the sweetness of bulgogi. Ever since that first magical visit, I’ve been a fan of Korean food and flavors… and most importantly, pickles!

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James linked this pickled radish & jalapeno recipe to me while I was in the Philippines, so I gave it a go when I came back to LA and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make. I tweaked the ratio of sugar and jalapenos because we prefer our pickles a little spicier and less sweet, but feel free to play with the ratio according to your preferences. I also chopped the radish rather coarsely because we are radish fiends–but you can make smaller slices if you wish, especially if you’re using the pickling juice as a sauce for meat. Either way, I hope you give this very simple recipe a try–whether you’re a banchan fan like me or looking to spice up the condiments at your dinner table. You won’t be disappointed!

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Recipe adapted from Top Chef Korea.

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14 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try this recipe with some swapped out veggies that I have on hand. This is a perfect umami recipe – thanks for sharing!

  2. […] Korean Pickled Radishes & Jalapenos on Umami Holiday […]

  3. thanks you SO MUCH for this post and the recipe! i used it to make jalapeno and garlic pickles. here is my blog post that links back to yours 🙂
    http://wp.me/p4d7ra-1n

    http://darkmoonbakery.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/getting-my-pickle-on/

    i really need to get some white radish and make pickles with it! i miss white radish pickles and i prefer making my own to buying it

    1. Hi dimora,

      You’re so very welcome! Yes, definitely get some white radish for this recipe 🙂 Radish pickles are my all-time favorite–that crunchy texture is second to none.

  4. Nicole Wegener says:

    Wow! This was so easy to make and sooooo delicious. I couldn’t stop eating it! Thank you so much for sharing, this one’s a keeper for sure.

  5. Vivian says:

    Thank you for posting pictures and directions on how to make this. There is a Korean shop that sells steamed buns and dumplings and they won’t sell just the these pickles to me. These pickles come with the buns if you purchase the seamed buns but sometimes I just want the pickles only! Thank goodness I found your post on how to make this. The pictures are really helpful too. I have a couple of questions. Is the onion necessary? Do you eat the onion too or is it just in there for flavor?

  6. Hello! Do you know if you can can these pickles so they can be shipped elsewhere?
    Thanks!
    Kelli

  7. Hi! May I ask what you do with the left over pickling juice? Can I add in more radish/jalapenos?

  8. Can I use room-temperature Jalapenos mixture to radish?

  9. How long can these be kept? Do the jars have to be in the refrigerator?

  10. Jordan says:

    Hi there.

    4 tablespoons is 1/4 cup, so the amount of sugar to use is a cup?

  11. What brand of soy sauce is best to use?

  12. Stephanie says:

    I already have a pickled radish, how would I make this without doing the pickling? Or should I still pickle it anyway for the flavor. Would a regular radish be better? Thanks!

    1. admin says:

      Hi Stephanie,

      Sorry this response is a bit late! To be honest, it’s better to start with a regular radish—otherwise the flavor of the brine would end up competing with the flavor of the pickled radish you already have. Hope this helps!

      Kris

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