Q: I love making homemade sushi, and my fiance and I make it fairly regularly. Whenever I get out the pickled ginger to serve as an accompaniment, however, the thought crosses my mind: Can't I make a better pickled ginger than what's in this can?
Please help me find an awesome, inspiring recipe for homemade pickled ginger. Also, any and all related information on pickled ginger would be welcomed.
Sent by Christopher
Editor: Christopher, what a great idea! We've never tried to make pickled ginger, but a little research seems to indicate that it's not difficult at all.
First of all, what is pickled or preserved ginger? According to GourmetSleuth, preserved ginger is ginger that has been pickled in sugar and brine and then dyed pink.
• Pickled Ginger at GourmetSleuth
The dye is a good point; we do know that the most authentic and fresh pickled ginger shouldn't be pink; it will be pale yellow, which is the natural color of fresh ginger.
Here are a couple of recipes we found; they both look very simple!
• Homemade Pickled Ginger at Fine Cooking. A very detailed and thorough set of instructions.
• How To Make Pickled Ginger at About.com - A no-cook method.
One tip: The Fine Cooking article recommends slicing the ginger with a spoon or a vegetable peeler. You will want very, very thin slices that are nearly transparent. If you don't already have a mandoline (we like the Benriner) you might want to pick one up. It would be ideal for slicing ginger. (And see this post for tips on peeling ginger, too.)
Readers, do you have any experience in making pickled ginger at home?
Related: How Easy a Pickle Can Be: The Zuni Pink Pickled Onions
(Image: Scott Phillips/Fine Cooking)
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Young ginger turns pink when pickled.
Here's a really easy no-cook method.
http://www.reneeloux.com/recipes/young_pickled_ginger/
The best pickled ginger I had was colored pink with the leaves of the red shiso plant, the same one that gives umeboshi plums their red color. I steeped some of the leves in rice vinegar, and if ever the grocery gets in some young ginger, I'm going to make some.
Umm that was "leaves", not "leves"
SmallHappyHands is right with regard to the pink color of ginger. As I was taught when I was living in Japan shiso gives the ginger it's pink color but it's red shiso which I have yet to find in the US. Mostly when I find fresh shiso it's green.
What a great idea! I set my dad up with all the fixins of sushi making for Christmas... the only thing that was ridiculously expensive was the ginger. No way should it be $5 for 8 ounces! I'm definitely going to make this for his birthday. GREAT idea!