Crisp, salty, and packed with umami, Japanese pickled vegetables bring a burst of contrasting colors, textures, and tastes. Known as tsukemono (漬物) in Japanese cuisine, these aren't just condiments; they're an essential part of every Japanese meal. They cleanse the palate, preserve produce, and sneak in big flavor with minimal effort. From the light crunch of asazuke to the briny depth of shoyuzuke, this lineup of common types of pickles encompasses a spectrum of textures and tastes. Some are ready in minutes, others take days, but all of these homemade pickles are easy to make.
Jump to:
1. Japanese Pickled Cabbage (Asazuke)
2. Beer and Wasabi Pickled Cucumbers
3. Pickled Sushi Ginger (Gari)
4. Japanese Pickled Carrots (Shoyuzuke)
5. Japanese Pickled Cucumber (Shiozuke)
6. Pickled Carrots and Daikon
From salty to sour, fresh to fermented, Japanese pickled vegetables are a flavorful way to keep vegetables exciting year-round. All you need to go with them is a bowl of plain rice and miso soup, and you have yourself a traditional Japanese breakfast. I hope these recipes inspire you to explore the world of tsukemono at home.
Joseph says
Mark, thank you so much for posting these recipes. I don't know what it is, but my earliest memories of Japanese cuisine was eating these novel little pickles placed on the table in a restaurant with my dad and wanting more and more. There's something about the 'tang' as you call it and that little bit of rubbery-ness with crunch and that dichotomy that I loved so much. Since then, I note that the use of these in restaurants here in the States has diminished and I've longed for authentic recipes that include these. I know I can trust anything you put out, I'm looking forward to making all of these and experimenting with more. Thanks again Mark for bringing the completely approachable Japanese recipes out there for everyone to experience.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Joseph, it's been years since I've been to a family style Japanese restaurant in the US, but I used to go as a kid growing up in CA and I remember always getting a plate of asazuke (usually made with regular cabbage). I didn't realize it's no longer common to serve these. I hope this is able to bring back some good memories for you.
Dan says
Thank you! One of my favourite things in Japan is the variety of pickles!
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome! There are so many. I recently found a shop selling pickled hard boiled eggs and pickled tofu.
Kathy Stroup says
I made Asazuke earlier this week. It’s so delicious! The colorful tangle of red and green cabbage hides golden treasures of ginger nuggets and bites of Meyer lemon. The pop of bright orange carrots stands out from the dual cabbage base, while the deep green scallions create a depth of shadows. I chose to leave my konbu large, but its briny flavor has permeated every vegetable. The ocean of flavors dance and swirl in my mouth, every bite a new combination of flavors and textures.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yay I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's such a nostalgic flavor for me from my childhood.
Lin says
Greetings,
I saw the following method (in a YouTube video)...
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-japanese-preserved-cucumbers-cucumber-kyuri-salt-vinegar-form-tsukemono-appertizing-pickles-image53345541
and was curious what ingredients are used.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lin, this is called Nukazuke. "Nuka" means rice bran (the brown stuff surrounding a kernel of rice). This is usually combined with a lot of salt and enough water to create a paste which is then used to pickle and ferment vegetables. It requires some maintenance (like turning the nuka over every day to maintain even aeration), but it makes tasty pickles especially as the nukadoko matures and you get some lacto-fermentation going on.
Lin says
Thanks Marc,
Knowing the name Nukazuke makes the search so much easier. 🙂
Found some really good links. One even uses sake lees too ?!?!?
Marc Matsumoto says
Great to hear it! Vegetables pickled in sake lees (sake kasu) are called kasuzuke.
Jen Brulé says
These are WONDERFULLY presented recipes-- thank you! I learned a lot and am inspired to make all three types of tsukemono 🙂
Marc says
I'm so happy to hear this was helpful Jen, I hope you enjoy these!
marta edwards says
Hello and thank you for the helpful information. I am a beginner at this. The main question I have is - once the pickling process in complete, do you throw away the pickling liquid and transfer the vegetables to a container of your choice, or do you keep the liquid with the vegetables for as long as the vegetables remain in the refrigerator? I have yet to find any information that answers my question about what to do with the pickling liquid, so thank you in advance for clarifying this.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marta, for this recipe you can leave the pickles in the brine until you use the pickles. This is typical of store-bought Japanese pickles as well. Whole pickled veggies are usually packed in brine, whereas sliced pickles do not include brine and have a shorter shelf life.
Emilie Tissier says
Hi,
I would like to know how long you can keep the pickles in the fridge once they’re ready?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emilie, these pickles are best enjoyed fresh (within 3-4 days) after that they'll start to lactose-ferment which will make them sour. If they turn slimy, smell bad, or get mold on them, throw them out.
Katie says
Hi Nami,
Thank you for this post, it’s been very helpful! We are wondering about mushrooms. How would you make mushroom pickles? Would you use the shoyu brining method? Could you put them in the same bag as the carrots? Also, is it ok to do cucumbers, carrots, and cabbage all in the same bag? What method would you use? Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Katie, I think you have the wrong website (Nami is over at Just One Cookbook) 😉. To answer your question, Mushrooms aren't usually pickled in Japan. Instead mushrooms are usually simmered using soy sauce, mirin and konbu to make a sweet and salty condiment called Tsukudani. If you really want to make pickles with them, I'd recommend diluting the brine quite a bit as mushrooms absorb liquids like a sponge and will mostly likely end up too salty if you use the brine as is.
Janelle Rhodeback says
This came up for me while googling kabocha shiozuke. The past 2 autumns I've been able to find these delicious pickles at a stall in a local depachika. It's my last autumn in Japan, so I'd like to figure out how to make them. I don't KNOW that they are salt pickles, but I guess that they are. This year I bought the pickle as an entire half kabocha. Do you have any ideas on how much salt and how long to pickle something like that? It may not be common, but it should be!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Janelle, yes you can pickle kabocha in brine. Just use the recipe for the cucumbers. A lot of pickles in Japan have MSG added, so if you want that extra umami kick like the store-bought ones, you might need to add a little to get there. Personally I like the more natural taste of sake and kombucha (which both contain naturally occurring glutamate). You'll also want to use a smaller kobocha. I usually like to use young kabocha when making pickles, but fully mature ones will work as long as they are not too big (the big ones have very tough skin).
Fabio says
Thank you so much! I was hoping for a while that you would gives us your take on japanese fermentation / pickles (you have of course done that before, but it's nice to have more information 🙂 ) . I really like that you also spent some time on which vegetables work and which you specifically enjoy.
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Fabio, I'm so glad to hear you found this useful! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know!