Sichuan Pao Cai (Chinese Kimchi)
It only takes 25 minutes to make authentic Sichuan Pao Cai (Chinese Kimchi) that can last for more than 30 years. These pickled cabbage, carrots, radish, daikon, celery, and peppers are savory, sweet, sour, refreshing, and rich in beneficial bacteria. They can be enjoyed as appetite-opening side dishes, or bring extra rich flavor to your food.
Equipment
- Pickling jar (Mine is 1.5 L)
Ingredients
Classic Sichuan Pao Cai Brine:
- 1 L water (Boil 1L of water, let it cool down to room temperature. Or use bottled water.)
- 60 g pickling salt (Can use kosher salt as a substitute, make sure there's no additives like iodine or anti-caking agents.)
- 20 g white liquor (>50% alcohol by volume) (I used Chinese baijiu. You can also use vodka.)
- 20 g rock crystals candies (Can use cane sugar as a substitute.)
- 15 pickled peppers (Store bought ones)
- 40 g pickled pepper brine ((Store bought one. Used as a "starter".)
- 4 g Sichuan peppercorns (Must-have)
- 2 g star anises (Optional)
- 3 bay leaves (Optional)
- 1 stalk green onion (about 10g)
- 10 g cilantros
- 4 garlic cloves - peeled
Vegetables to be pickled (feel free to substitute with your favorite vegetables):
- 100 g carrots - peeled
- 4 small red radishes - unpeeled
- 200 g white radish (daikon) - peeled
- 100 g cabbage
- 50 g ginger - peeled
- 40 g celery
Instructions
Prepare vegetables
- Peel garlics, ginger, daikon, carrot. Wash celery, cabbage, small red radishes, cilantros, and green onion. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Set aside.
- Cut daikon, carrot, and celery into baby-carrot-size pieces. Cut cabbage into wedges. You leave the whole peeled ginger piece intact, or cut the ginger into red-radish-size pieces.
- Make sure all the vegetables are clean and dry before adding them into the pickling jar.
Making Chinese pickles (Sichuan Pao Cai, 泡菜)
- Add 60g pickling salt to 1L bottled water, stir until dissolved.
- Put all the ingredients in the "vegatbles" section to a clean pickling jar.
- Add store bough pickled peppers, pickled pepper brine, Sichuan peppercorns, star anises, bay leaves, rock crystals candies, and garlic cloves to the pickling jar.
- Wrap green onion and cilrantro together to make a bundle, tuck them under the pickling jar's narrow opening, so that other vegetables won't float to the top.
- Pour salted water to the jar until it covers all the ingredients.
- Pour 20g white wine (Chinese baijiu or vodka) to the jar to prevent mold.
- Add bottled water to the moat, put the lid on. Store the pickling jar under room temperature in a cool and dark place for 2 days.
- 2 days later, use a pair of clean chopsticks to remove green onions, cilantros, and garlics. They are here for adding extra flavors. You can discard them or use them immediately in making meat dishes. Transfer pickled cabbages and carrots to a serving plate, serve as a side dish.
- The red radishes, carrots, and daikon can be enjoyed after 5 days since they have been pickled. Do not leave them in the brine for more than 7 days.
- Once all other pickled vegetables has been removed, store the pickling jar in the fridge, as water to the moat as needed. Pickled peppers and ginger can stay in the brine for up to 3 months.
- Once all the vegetables are removed, you can add fresh vegetables to the old brine to make more pickles. Add more salted water, spices (Sichuan peppercorns, star anises, bay leaves, cilantros, green onions, garlics ...) as needed. Remember to add white wine on the top to prevent mold.
Video
Notes
If you take good care of your pickling brine, it can stay good for up to 30 years. The older it gets, the more flavorful it will be.
Pickling vegetables in old pickling brine can be faster: cabbages take about 1 day; carrots, daikon, and radishes take about 3 days; long beans take about 1 week.