Omizuke (Yamagata Chopped Mustard Green Pickle)

Wash the mustard greens, halve the broad sections lengthwise, and cut them into 7 mm strips.

Peel and quarter-slice the daikon and carrot. Scrub the Jerusalem artichoke well and quarter-slice it with the skin on.

Mix the four prepared vegetables evenly with 45 g salt.

Pack them into a 4.5 L container, place a weight about twice as heavy as the vegetables on top, and refrigerate overnight. Separately soak the salted perilla seeds to remove some salt.

The next day, discard the green liquid released into the container.

Rinse the vegetables clean, squeeze them repeatedly and firmly to remove excess water, and drain the perilla seeds as well.

Remove the edible chrysanthemum petals from the calyx.

Briefly blanch them in boiling water with the rice vinegar, cool them immediately, and drain well. Peel the ginger and cut it into fine matchsticks.

Put the soy sauce, coarse sugar, and mirin in a saucepan and bring them to one boil.

Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let the pickling liquid cool completely.

Combine the pressed vegetables, perilla seeds, chrysanthemum, and ginger.

Pour over the cooled dressing, add a light weight so the ingredients remain submerged, cover, and refrigerate. Remove the weight once enough liquid has emerged to keep everything covered.

Pickle in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before tasting.

Remove only the portion needed with a clean utensil and serve it with rice or use it in rice balls, ochazuke, or fried rice. Keep the remainder refrigerated and finish it within about two weeks.