Pickled chilies are loved across the central and southwest regions in China. The most popular styles are from Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Sichuan. The Sichuan-style pickled veggies have a distinct spicy aroma and salty, umami flavor. It is one of the key ingredients of quintessential Sichuan flavors.
Sichuan Pickled Veggies
The Sichuan-style pickled veggies have a distinct spicy aroma and salty, umami flavor. It is one of the key ingredients of quintessential Sichuan flavors.
Equipment
Ingredients
Brine base
- 2.1 quart filtered water
- 4.25 oz kosher salt
- 0.25 cup Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 bulb garlic (peeled)
- 0.5 lbs fresh ginger
- 0.5 lb fresh facing heaven chilies (tabasco chilies are a good substitute)
- 2 tbsp baijiu (or a vodka that's over 100 proof)
Recommended veggies
- 1 lb radish
- 1 lb Chinese long beans
Rinse the jar
- 0.25 cup baijiu (or other 100+ proof grain neutral alcohol)
Instructions
Start the pickle jar
- Throughly clean and dry pickle jar, then rinse with the baijiu or your choice of substitute, cover and set aside
- Throughly clean and dry garlic, chilies, ginger, and the veggies of your choice; cut veggies up, if needed
- Add salt and Sichuan peppercorn to filtered water, bring to boil, then boil for 5 minutes and let the brine cool to room temperature
- Drain the Sichuan peppercorns and put them into the jar
- On top of the Sichuan peppercorn, pile dried ingredients in the order of chilies, garlic, ginger, and the veggies of your choice (make sure the veggies you plan to eat first are on top)
- Pour cooled brine into jar just enough to cover the veggies, the pour in the bajiu (or substitute)
- Cover the jar, and create an air seal by adding water to the rim
- Since we are not using "mother liquor", the fermentation should take longer and be ready in 3 to 4 weeks
Maintenance
- Leave jar in a shaded, cool spot; check weekly to make sure air seal is still in effect (enough water in the rim to keep the cover fully submerged)
- Watch out for kahm yeast (white film floating on top of brine) forming; if formed, remove immediately and pour 2 tbsp (30 ml) of baijiu on top of brine before covering the jar
- When adding new veggies, make sure to clean and dry veggies thoroughly (optional: also rinse veggies in boiling water for 30 seconds) before adding into the jar, and pour in 1 tbsp (15 ml) of baijiu before recovering the jar
- Whenever you open the jar, make sure to add 1 tbsp of baijiu before recovering the jar
- The brine should taste more salty than sour; if that is not true, add .7 oz (20 g) of salt to the brine and check again in 3 days
- Make sure to use clean utensils when taking veggies out of the jar, and AVOID LETTING OIL INTO THE JAR
Notes
Pickled aromatics and veggies are essential to Sichuan cooking. Most Sichuan homes have at least one giant (by giant I mean over 3 gallons) pickle jar at home.
I recommend glass jars for newer and infrequent picklers, as it’s easier to keep an eye on things. Make sure to protect it from light, though.
Ceramic pickle jars are better for maintaining ideal fermentation environment and encouraging the survival and growth of desired microorganisms, especially if you are an enthusiastic fermentist with access to mature “mother liquor”.
Product recommendations
Recommendations and sources for less common ingredients and tools can be found among my Product Recommendations
*Please note: nutrition information is my best approximation based on the ingredients I used when creating the recipe; it is intended to be informational only