Mu-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Radish)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1 quart glass jar or small onggi with lid
• •Nonreactive mixing bowl
• •Small saucepan
• •Clean pickle weight or small sauce dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the radish

   Cut the radish into pieces about 1.5 cm thick and 5 cm long, like sturdy half-moons or short batons. Keep them even. Thin pieces become salty before they cure; thick pieces stay white in the middle and never learn the soy properly.

2. 2

   Salt it first

   Put the radish in a large nonreactive bowl and toss with the salt until every piece is touched. Let it stand 2 hours, turning it every 30 minutes. By the end, liquid should pool in the bowl and the radish should bend slightly without snapping. This is the step that keeps mu-jangajji firm. If you skip it, the radish waters down the brine and goes soft.

   Taste one piece after salting. It should be firmly seasoned, not harsh. If it is painfully salty, rinse it for 5 seconds under cold water and dry it well.
3. 3

   Drain and dry

   Drain off the salty radish liquid and discard it. Do not pour that liquid into the pickle jar. Pat the radish dry with a clean towel, because extra water weakens the soy cure you just measured.

4. 4

   Boil the brine

   Combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sugar, rice syrup if using, garlic, ginger, and dried chili in a small pot. Bring it just to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then boil 2 minutes. The boil gives the brine a clean start and pulls the aromatics into the soy; it is not for cooking the radish.

5. 5

   Pack and cover

   Pack the salted radish into a very clean 1 quart glass jar or small onggi. Pour the hot brine over it, including the garlic and ginger, and press the radish below the surface with a clean weight or a small sauce dish that fits inside the jar mouth. If the top pieces float in air, they pickle unevenly.

6. 6

   Cool and cure

   Let the jar cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. Turn the jar once a day for 3 days. The radish is ready when the edges look translucent brown and the bite is firm, salty, tart, and a little sweet. It will keep improving for about a week.

7. 7

   Season to serve

   Lift out only what you will eat and slice it thinner if you like. Serve plain, or toss 1 cup pickled radish with sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallion, and a small pinch of gochugaru. Season only the portion going to the table; the jar keeps better when the stored radish stays clean in its brine.

Chef Tips

• •Use Korean brewed soy sauce, the everyday ganjang used for dipping and braising. Do not use guk-ganjang, the soup soy sauce, unless you reduce the amount sharply, because it is saltier and can make the radish hard-edged.
• •Choose radish that feels heavy and tight, with no spongy give at the stem end. A tired radish will not become good jangajji because soy sauce cannot restore crunch that the market already lost.
• •This is a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable preserve. Keep the radish submerged, use clean chopsticks every time, and discard the jar if you see mold, slime, or an unpleasant fermented fizz.
• •For longer keeping, drain the brine after 5 days, boil it for 3 minutes, cool it completely, and pour it back over the radish. That old habit is useful even with a refrigerator.

Advance Preparation

• •Mu-jangajji needs at least 3 days in the refrigerator before serving. It is better after 5 to 7 days, when the soy has reached the center of each piece.
• •Stored submerged in its brine and handled with clean utensils, it keeps refrigerated for 3 to 4 weeks. Season with sesame oil and scallion only right before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 70g)