Name: Pickled Daikon
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1½ lb Daikon (approx. 600g ); 1 tsp Salt; ⅓ cup Light Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar; 2 tbsp Minced Garlic (approx. 7 cloves); 1 tbsp Minced Ginger (approx. 20g); 2 tbsp Korean Gochugaru; 1 tsp Organic Sugar (or 1 tbsp maple syrup); 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; 1 cup Chinese White Rice Wine (Note1) (more if needed)

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Last Updated on April 16, 2024

Have you tried Pickled Daikon if you have too many daikon radishes at home and don’t know what to do? Pickled daikon in a savoury brine, it only takes 10 minutes to prep for this side dish to serve as a delicious accompaniment to main meals.

Pickled Daikon Radish Recipe – You’ll Love it

I use daikon in my cooking a lot, not just because they are inexpensive and high in nutritional value. You can eat daikon raw as salads, pickles or complement to main meals, like this Vegan Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles), stewed in soups…etc.

With different cooking methods, you will have completely different textures and tastes from only one vegetable. Pungent and fregrant like this Daikon Radish Stew, or sweet and tender like this Daikon Radish in Miso Broth.

I grow a lot of daikon in my backyard. You won’t believe how easily they can thrive! They’re growing like weeds with very little care. So I preserve them by making them into pickled daikon, just like I always make pickled chillies.

What is Daikon?

Daikon is a larger root vegetable. It is very similar in shape to a large carrot and has a mild, sweet flavor, and less peppery than other types of radishes. Also known as white radish, Asian radish, Japanese radish, Chinese radish, Lobok, Lobo, or winter radish.

In Taiwan, we call it 菜頭 (càitóu), which is a symbol of auspiciousness and luck. Thus, a dish made with daikon is a must-have during Chinese New Year.

It’s high in vitamin C and It’s the most common type of radish in Asia, so you would find most daikon radish recipes are Asian dishes. If you haven’t tried daikon before, you can check out this post to get a fair idea of “what does daikon radish taste like?”

Pickling

This is a very common way to preserve daikon. Pickling involves putting food into an acidic brine to produce a sour flavor. Pickling requires very little work.

With the introduction of an acidic liquid (most commonly vinegar) to a food, the pickling process can begin. This process changes the taste of the food, usually making it more sour.

Pickling changes the texture of the food as well, primarily by making it softer. You may wonder, what is the difference between pickling and fermenting? Here is an article that explains these two in detail. Check out this link if you’re interested.

dish out pickled daikon from a jar by chopsticks

It is a simple process that involves creating a pickling brine of water, sugar, vinegar, and other flavourings.

Add salt before pickling – As daikon contains a lot of water, adding salt to it can help remove the excess water. This applies not only to daikon, but also to other pickled vegetables
Add vinegar and sugar – You can always adjust the amount of vinegar mixture to your preference.
Flavourings for the pickling brine – add flavourings such as soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chilli flakes.

Is It Good For You (Nutrition Information)

The answer is Yes. Daikon is a wonderful vegetable, a low-calorie vegetable and also rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Some of its amazing benefits include strengthening the immune system, lowering inflammation, and improving digestion.

What Does It Taste Like?

This recipe is my own creation, inspired from Korean pickled daikon kimchi (Kkakdugi) and I have been most pleased with it so far. It does not taste like most sweet and sour Korean pickled daikon radish made with only sugar and vinegar.

Marinated in a brine that made with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, white rice wine, chili flakes, sugar, and salt, the taste of daikon is tangy, garlicky, slightly sweet and crunchy. The peppery taste will pair well with most main dishes.

Ingredient List

For this super easy recipe, you will need an Airtight clip glass jar (clean and dry). Or any clean glass container with a matched lid (don’t use plastic as the color may stain), the full recipe card is down below.

Large Daikon – Make sure it’s heavy, plump, and straight, with a beautiful, shiny, white, and rounded appearance. Peeled large white daikon and cut into roughly 1.5×1.5inch/4x4cm with a thickness 0.5inch/1cm slices. The shape can be square or half moon, it doesn’t matter. You can check this post how to cook daikon radishes? to find out more tips for cooking daikon.

Pickling Brine

Our pickling brine consists of the following ingredients:

Light Soy Sauce– I use Lee Kum Kee.
Rice Wine Vinegar
Organic Sugar – or 1 tbsp maple syrup.
Garlic – minced.
Ginger – minced.
Chili flakes – you can pick chili flakes you like. I like Korean Gochugaru chili flakes (it’s milder flavor, often used in Korean Kimchi). I also use it in my garlic chilli noodles.
Sesame Oil
Chinese Rice Wine (not Shaoxing wine)- to fill up to the top of the jar. You can buy it from most Asian grocery stores. If you can find it, you can sub for Mirin or Sake.

You can check this article here to see my recommended brands for seasonings. The magic ingredients in my vegan cooking

How To Pickle Daikon

Peel daikon and cut into roughly 1.5×1.5inch/4x4cm with a thickness 0.5inch/1cm slices. Sprinkle salt on them and toss through. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Make pickling brine by stir light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, Chinese white rice wine, sesame oil in a bowl until the sugar dissolved.
Remove the excess liquid from the daikon and discard it (wear a food-grade glove).
Pour the pickling brine mixtuover the daikonkon slices and mix them together.
Place seasoned daikon slices into the clean glass jar neatly.
Pour the remaining pickling brine into the jar and move the jar around. Make sure all the daikon slices are fully submerged in the brine. If not, add a bit more Chinese white rice wine. Leave the daikon in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight before serving for maximum flavor.

topping up the jar with Chinese white rice wine

Can You Freeze Pickled Daikon?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing it at all. The texture of the daikon will change as a result. After defrosting, it will become mushy.

How Long is Pickled Daikon Good For?

Store-bought pickled vegetables have a longer shelf-life because they have been pasteurised at high temperatures to kill all kinds of bacteria.

Homemade pickled daikon will last for up to 3 months (estimate) stored in the refrigerator without pasteurisation (do not leave it in room temperature, store the pickles in a fridge all the time).

Just make sure to use a clean utensil to serve every time. Plus, always check up to see if there are any signs of spoilage before serving.