Korean Pickled Green Peppers
Gochu jangajji - soy-pickled green peppers - is a traditional Korean preservation technique dating to a time before refrigeration, when summer's abundant green peppers needed to last through leaner months. Each pepper is stemmed and pierced with a toothpick so the brine penetrates to the core. A boiling brine of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water is poured directly over the peppers, partially cooking the exterior while the inside stays crisp. Repeating this step the next day - draining the brine, reboiling, and pouring again - strengthens the preservative effect and deepens the flavor, allowing the pickles to keep refrigerated for over a month. On rice, the salty-sour brine meets the pepper's lingering heat.
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Instructions
- 1
Wash the peppers and remove stems. Pierce each pepper several times with a toothpick.
- 2
Boil soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water to make brine; let cool.
- 3
Pack peppers into a jar and pour brine over them.
- 4
After one day, drain and re-boil the brine, cool, and pour back. Repeat 3–4 times.
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