Do you want to learn how to make the best Korean Pickled Vegetables (Jangajji) with minimal ingredients, a simple and easy step-by-step process? These vegetables are pickled with just 3 ingredients brine - soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar! It is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy with crunchy vegetables. This delicious type of side dish (banchan) complements many other dishes in Korean cuisine.
Korean pickles are called Jangajji in Korean and can be made from a wide variety of vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, green chilies, garlic scapes, sesame leaves, and onions to name a few. Each type of Korean Pickled Vegetable offers a different taste and texture, making it a versatile accompaniment to Korean meals.
It has vibrant colors, crunchy textures, and bold flavors that make it a popular and essential banchan for Koreans. If you love sweet, sour, slightly spicy, and salty flavors, you gotta make these pickled vegetables, I guarantee you will like them as much as we do in our house.
If you like this recipe, check out this Kkaennip Jangajji Recipe next. In this recipe, I pickled sesame leaves instead of crunchy vegetables.
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Ingredients
I make some notes and substitutions to help you make this dish with success. This is an overview of the ingredients with a photo. Check the recipe card for a full list and exact measurements.
- Brine for pickles - It is a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water. The amount of brine needed will be based on the amount of vegetables. The ratio is 2:2:1:1 (2 cups soy sauce, 2 cups water, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 cup sugar) but you can customize it depending on your personal preference. Mix, stir, and taste then adjust according to your taste.
- Vegetables - The most popular vegetables for jangajji are cucumber, onions, and green chilies. I like to use what is available with the same crunchy texture such as:
- Zucchini
- Celery
- Daikon radish
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
Instructions
These easy-to-follow instructions with step-by-step photos will guide you to make the best Korean Pickled Vegetables.
Step 1. Prepare the vegetables. First, wash them thoroughly. Then cut them into bite-size pieces. Use a chopping board and a sharp knife.
Step 2. In a saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, water, and brown sugar. You can use granulated sugar as a substitute for brown sugar. Stir and taste the brine solution. You can adjust it to your preference. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat.
Step 3. Add the chopped vegetables into a clean glass jar or container with a lid. Do not overfill the jar.
Step 4. Carefully pour the hot brine over the vegetables in the jar. Be sure to submerge all the vegetables to soak all the flavors from the brine. Let it cool and cover it with a lid.
Step 5. Let it pickle overnight at room temperature then you can transfer it into the fridge to chill and store. It is ready to eat in a few hours after preparing but the longer it sits in the brine, the tastier it is.
Storage Tips
Store and keep the pickles in the refrigerator. These vegetable pickles will last up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Be sure that all the vegetables are covered with the brine and always cover them with a tight lid.
Helpful tips
- Choose fresh vegetables with similar textures to make pickled Korean vegetables. I have a few recommendations above on the ingredients lists.
- Pouring the hot brine over the vegetables will lock in a crunchy texture. You don't need to let it cool before pouring.
- Use glass or ceramic containers for pickling, as these materials do not react to the acidic vinegar. Make sure that the jars are clean and dry before using.
- One way to pre-measure how much brine you will need is to add the chopped vegetables into jars or containers, then add enough water to cover the vegetables. Pour out the water into another jar and check the amount of brine needed. For example, if you pour out around 2 and a half cups of water, you’ll need 1 cup each of water, soy sauce, and half a cup of vinegar for the brine.
- You can use the brine as a dipping sauce for Korean bbq, if you want a bolder taste, simply add more soy sauce as it has a similar taste to a chadol sauce.
- If you like to pickle and preserve more veggies, try my Pickled Cherry Tomatoes, Fermented Cherry Tomatoes, and Fermented Zucchini.
Your questions and answers
Jangajji is a traditional Korean side dish made with vegetables that are pickled using soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar as a flavorful brine. This is a Korean pickle known for its unique combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. Preserved foods like jangajji were developed to attain a certain level of vegetable consumption during the long, harsh winters In Korea.
Kimchi requires a fermentation process while jangajji is a non-fermented vegetable dish, usually pickled in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water.
Jangajji will last for about 1-3 months in the refrigerator if stored properly. Be sure that the vegetables are fully submerged in the brine.
Jangajji side dish pairs well with a wide variety of Korean dishes, including rice, grilled meats, seafood, salads, and noodle dishes. It adds a refreshing and flavorful contrast to the meal.
Use it as a dipping sauce for other Asian dishes that need a dipping sauce such as Korean barbeque. You can also make another batch of pickled vegetables or add it to other dishes with similar flavors. It is also delicious to sip it on its own.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Kimchi Recipes
Korean Pickled Vegetables (Jangajji)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow onion sliced in bite-size
- 5 cups zucchini sliced in bite-size
- 1½ cup celery sliced in bite-size
- 4 medium jalapeno sliced in bite-size
- 2 cups soy sauce
- 1 cup vinegar or any type of vinegar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Wash and cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Use a chopping board and a sharp knife.
- In a saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, water, and brown sugar. You can use granulated sugar as a substitute for brown sugar. Stir and taste the brine solution. You can adjust it to your preference. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat.
- Add the chopped vegetables into a clean glass jar or container with a lid. Do not overfill the jar.
- Pour the hot brine over the vegetables into the jar. Be sure to submerge all the vegetables to soak all the flavors from the brine.
- Let the veggies pickle overnight at room temperature then you can transfer it into the fridge to chill. It is ready to eat in a few hours after the preparation but the longer it sits in the brine, the more flavorful it is.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- Choose fresh vegetables with similar textures.
- Pouring the hot brine over the vegetables will lock in a crunchy texture.
- Use glass or ceramic containers for pickling, as these materials do not react to the acidic vinegar. Make sure that the jars are clean and dry before using.
- One way to pre-measure how much brine you will need is to add the chopped vegetables into jars or containers, then add enough water to cover the vegetables. Pour out the water into another jar and check the amount of brine needed. For example, if you pour out around 2 and a half cups of water, you’ll need 1 cup each of water, soy sauce, and half a cup of vinegar for the brine.
- You can use the brine as a dipping sauce for Korean bbq, if you want a bolder taste, simply add more soy sauce as it has a similar taste to a chadol sauce.
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