Korean Thistle Greens Pickles
Quick answer
- Total time
- At least 2 days 7 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Gondre, a thistle-family mountain green gathered in spring in Gangwon Province, has a quiet aroma that grows clearer once it is pickled.
Read more
The tough stems get only 20 seconds of blanching, and the greens are squeezed hard afterward so the brine stays clear. Grain syrup (jocheong) softens the sharp edge of the soy sauce, while brown rice vinegar and kelp stock add tang and savory depth. Half a Cheongyang chili leaves only a light heat at the end. After 2 days in the fridge, spoon it over rice with gochujang and sesame oil, or use it as a bibimbap topping.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim away the thick, tough stem ends from 250 g gondre greens, then rinse the greens several times under running water.
Shake off surface moisture and cut them into even 4 cm lengths for easier packing.
- 2
When the pot of water reaches a rolling boil, add the gondre and blanch for only 20 seconds.
Remove it as soon as the color brightens and the stems bend slightly, before the leaves turn limp.
- 3
Transfer the blanched gondre straight into cold water to stop the cooking.
Press and squeeze it well by hand, because excess moisture will dilute the brine and make the curing liquid cloudy.
- 4
Pack the gondre loosely in a sterilized jar, adding 6 g sliced ginger and half a diagonally sliced Cheongyang chili between the layers. Do not press too hard, so the brine can flow through the greens evenly.
- 5
Add 100 ml soy sauce, 120 ml kelp stock, 70 ml brown rice vinegar, 2 tbsp rice syrup, and 1 tsp minced garlic to a pot.
Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the syrup dissolves.
- 6
Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 2 more minutes, then cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the warm brine over the jar contents until submerged, then refrigerate for 2 days before serving.
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Soy-Braised Deodeok Root
rice syrup, Cheongyang chili
Korean Cheongyang Gochu Doenjang Jangajji (Doenjang Pickled Cheongyang Peppers)
rice syrup, Cheongyang chili
Korean Pickled Bok Choy (Soy Vinegar Chili Brine)
sliced ginger, Cheongyang chili