Tsukemono: Turnip and Persimmon

Acharazuke: Turnip Persimmon Pickles
serves 3 to 4
from Japanese Pickling, page 48
The following is an adaptation of the recipe in the book in order to use ingredients on hand. My version has more persimmons or less turnips than the original, and I used more chile peppers. If you can’t find dried persimmons, dried apricots would be a possible substitute.

• 12 ounces turnips
• 1 teaspoon salt
• about 3 ounces dried persimmons (a very generous 1/4 cup, coarsely chopped or julienned)
• 2 dried chile peppers (remove seeds and membranes—mine were Japanese)
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar (be a bit generous if your fruit is a bit dry)

1. Peel turnips and cut into sticks, about 1/4″ x 1/4″ x 1 1/2.”
2. In a bowl, sprinkle the turnips with salt to draw out liquid. Let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them occasionally. Drain and squeeze to get rid of the salty water.
3. In another bowl, combine persimmons, peppers and vinegar.
4, Finally, add the drained turnip sticks to the fruit, chile, vinegar bowl. Mix and let sit for at least 1 hour.

Note: these tsukemono hold up better for eating as leftovers than most quick pickles. In fact, they tasted better to me the second day!

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