Seawater Pickles : Shiozuke
This is one of the simplest types of pickles to make and also the most popular and commonly eaten in the Setouchi. In Japanese, they’re called Shiozuke (塩漬け), which means salt-soaked pickles, or Asazuke (浅漬け), which means make-overnight-and-eat-in-the-morning pickles. One wonders how they first came about. Did an ancient islander accidentally leave vegetables too long in the sea when washing them, becoming distracted by something during the day? Or, perhaps, it was intentional. They filled a bucket with seawater, put some vegetables in, and left them, hoping it would make them as bracingly delicious as the edible seaweeds they collected along the shore. Any type of fresh seasonal vegetable or combination of vegetables can be used. Cucumbers, carrots, daikon radish, eggplant, and napa cabbage are the most typical. They can be pickled separately or all together.
Seawater Pickles
Shiozuke : 塩漬け
Serves 4
Main Foods
Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, 1/4 lb. (about 113 g)
Seasonings
Konbu (Dried Kelp), 1” x 1” piece (2 x 2 cm)
Moshio Seaweed Salt or Sea Salt, 1 tablespoon or 5% of the volume of water used
Aromatics / Flavorings
You can accent the flavor of the vegetables while they are pickling by adding all kinds of aromatics and flavorings, including one or more of the following:
Citrus Zest, 1 teaspoon
Ginger, a knob cut into matchsticks
Garlic, 1 clove crushed
Red Pepper Flakes, as desired
Directions
Make a salty-tasting “seawater” by mixing 1 1/3 cups (300 ml) of water with the sea salt and piece of konbu.
Wash the vegetables in cold water, cut off their ends and peel if necessary. Leave whole, cut in half or quarters, or slice them into any thickness or shape desired. Add the vegetables to the seawater, putting everything into a tightly-packed container or sealable bag so that the vegetables are covered by the brine. Let them soak on the counter for 15-30 minutes and then put in the refrigerator. They are ready to be eaten in 6-12 hours. They will keep for about 3 days.
Serve
Seawater Pickles are a quick, easy way to preserve the fresh flavor of seasonal vegetables at a moment in time to be served later as a refreshing side dish or as an addition to a salad, a garnish to cleanse the palate, a relish for a sandwich, or a condiment for a dish.