Yukina no fusubezuke (Pickled yukina cabbage) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

1. Clean the yukina, remove any green or damaged parts, and cut into 3 cm pieces. Split the thickest part of the root lengthwise so that it is easier to eat.

2. Prepare a wide-mouth pot, a colander the size of the pot, and a bowl the same size as the colander. Boil plenty of water in the pot and prepare cold water in the bowl.

3. Place the cut yukina in a colander and dip them in boiling water for 3 seconds while still in the colander. Then immediately pull them out. If the quantity is large, keep them in the boiling water a little longer. Keep the pot of boiling water on the fire while doing this.

4. Drain the hot water, flip the yukina as you shake the colander. And again dip it in boiling water for 3 seconds, and then immediately pull it up. Flip the yukina again, dip it in boiling water, and pull it up (three times in total). It is important not to overboil because the firmness, and crunchiness is the key.

5. To ensure uniform hardness throughout, cover the colander with yukina and steam for 1 1／2 minutes in the residual heat.

6. Immediately cool in a bowl of cold water. Change the water, and cool again thoroughly under running water. Drain.

7. Sprinkle salt over the boiled yukina, and mix it well.

8. Put them in a pickling container and seal with a thick plastic film to prevent the pungent flavor from escaping. Place a weight twice as heavy as the yukina. If you do not have a pickling container, prepare a plastic bag as thick as possible, put in the yukina, close the bag tightly, and put a weight on the bag (Water is produced, so it should be double-layered). When the water rises, reduce the weight by half and place the bucket in a cool place such as a refrigerator.

9. The third day after pickling, it becomes pungent and ready to eat. It is best to eat it within a week, as the pungency will disappear over time.