My partner grew the most amazing red daikon radish this year (they are usually white). Our friend, Yumiko, is always telling me about the “quick pickles” she makes, it’s a thing in Japan and very little effort is involved. She sent me a photo of pickles she made with radish we shared with her and they ate them that night with dinner. I tried the recipe and wow, they are really good and super easy!

I’m sure any large radish will do, or even thinly sliced cucumber or courgette.

Here is the basic recipe, feel free to alter the quantities to taste.

Ingredients:

• 4 large daikon radish, scrubbed
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 chopped pieces ginger
• Rice wine vinegar to cover
• 1/2 cup sugar, your fave keto brand
• A few grinds of pink Himalayan salt

Grate the radish, add the thinly sliced shallots or small onion, chopped garlic and ginger (I did not have fresh so used crystallised). Cover with rice wine vinegar and stir in the sugar, add more to taste as needed. Lastly, add salt. They are ready in a half an hour of marinating and improve in flavour each day.

My friends pickles:

She even pickled the radish leaves and macerated it with soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and a smidgeon of salt and her family eat it over rice and tofu.