Use this easy recipe to make your own Japanese pickled ginger (also known as Gari ガリ) for sushi, ramen and other Asian foods. It’s simple, quick and so good!
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Pin ItHow to Use Japanese Pickled Ginger
- With Sushi: The very obvious and most popular use for pickled ginger is with sushi! It’s also incredible with other raw fish dishes like Poke.
- With Ramen and Curry: A really refreshing way to cut through the fattiness of richer Japanese foods like ramen and curry.
- With Asian Grilled Chicken: Great with teriyaki chicken or other Asian grilled chicken recipes.
- With salads: My favorite is with crunchy slaws!
- By itself: Eat pickled ginger regularly for countless benefits.
(Related: Ginger Cucumber Lemonade)
Pickled Ginger Ingredients
You only need 4 simple ingredients to make pickled ginger! Fresh ginger, rice vinegar (unseasoned), sugar (you can substitute honey if you need to) and salt.
How to Make Japanese Pickled Ginger for Sushi
- Prep and Blanche the Ginger. Peel and then thinly slice the ginger, sprinkle with salt, and let sit 5 minutes. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain well.
- Make the Pickling Brine. Simmer and rice vinegar and sugar until dissolved.
- Add Everything to an 8oz Mason Jar. Pack the ginger into a jar, pour the hot brine over to cover. Seal and cool, then refrigerate at least 48 hours (best after about a week).
Why is Pickled Ginger Pink?
If you’re wondering why pickled ginger is pink, it actually isn’t because of added food coloring!
Ginger turns pink when pickled because of a natural pigment found in ginger called anthocyanin, which actually reacts to the acid in the pickling brine.
For the most natural pigment, use as fresh and as young of ginger as possible. If you want to pump of the pinkness, use a very small amount of beet juice in your brine.
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Pin ItJapanese Pickled Ginger (Gari ガリ)
Equipment
- 1 small 8oz jar
Ingredients
- 6 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Peel the ginger.
- Using a mandolin, cut the ginger into thin slices.
- Sprinkle the salt over the ginger.
- Let set for 5 minutes.
- Add the ginger to a pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.
- Drain the ginger slices well.
- Add the vinegar and sugar to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until dissolved.
- Pack the ginger slices into a jars.
- Pour the hot brine over the ginger, leaving 1/2″ of headspace.
- Close the jar with a nonreactive lid.
- Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Good Pickle Recipes to Try
Pickle Recipes
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Pickled Egg Recipes
Old-Fashioned Pickled Eggs
Garlic Recipes
