Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (2024)

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Making pickled sushi ginger at home is easy, quick, and you only need a few ingredients! Let me show you how to make it!

Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (1)

If you’re a Sushi fan, chances are you also love Japanese pickled sushi ginger (Gari). Usually, they are served together, and if you are asking me, they belong together. Enjoying a plate of sushi without pickled ginger sushi isn’t the same!

And because I find it incredibly delicious, I love to prepare pickled ginger myself, rather than buying it.

Gari, how it’s originally called, is a typical Japanese recipe. But don’t worry, the recipe is super simple, no Asian cooking skills required!

It tastes slightly sweet and sour and adds flavor to any Asian dish with its pleasant spiciness.

Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (2)

Homemade vs. Store-Bought

Sushi ginger is available in every Asian shop and every major supermarket, so why bother making it yourself?

Homemade pickled ginger tastes better, no discussion! Making it from scratch with fresh ginger simply can’t be beaten by the store-bought version. It’s wonderfully aromatic and has a decent bite. Furthermore, it’s free of any preservatives.

Sure, it’s quicker and easier to place it in the shopping trolley while shopping. However, if you like cooking and love homemade food, I highly recommend trying it once. The recipe is simple, can be followed by anyone, and you only need a few ingredients: ginger, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.

What do you need?

Fresh Ginger:Make sure to buy fresh, preferably young ginger. You recognize it by the smooth skin and an even and light color. Old ginger, on the opposite, is wrinkled, dry, and usually smaller cause it shrunk a little.

Rice Vinegar:Available within the Asian aisle in the local supermarket or any Asian market. If you have an Asian shop in your city, make a stop and buy your Asian ingredients there. They are usually much more affordable than in regular supermarkets. Be attentive while shopping, rice vinegar often stands next to Mirin and does look exactly the same. But both products are different. Mirin is much sweeter and less acidic than rice vinegar.

Mandoline Slicer:Having one comes very handy for this recipe. You want your ginger to be thinly sliced, which works best with a mandoline slicer. The thinner the ginger, the better it tastes. Alternatively, use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler.

How To Make Sushi Ginger Recipe – Step-by-Step

This visual guide with step-by-step pictures should help you along the way- definitely recommended if you are preparing sushi ginger for the first time.

If you are a pro, skip right to the recipe at the end of the post, where you will also find the exact quantities and everything else you need to know to make this recipe.

  • Peel the ginger using a sharp teaspoon.
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  • Slice the ginger finely using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife.
Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (4)
  • Add the sliced ginger with ½ tsp salt in a small bowl, mix, and set aside for 5 minutes.
Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (5)
  • Bring a small saucepan with water to the boil. Add salted ginger and cook for 1 minute (up to 5 minutes if you love pickled ginger less spicy and mild).
Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (6)
  • Drain over a sieve, wait until cold, and squeeze out all excess liquid using your hands.
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  • Place the ginger in a small mason jar.
  • Add rice vinegar, sugar, and salt into the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, switch off the heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
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  • Pour the hot liquid over the ginger and, if necessary, press the ginger down with a tablespoon so that it is fully covered with the liquid.
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  • Close the lid, let it cool, and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving.
Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (10)

Recipe FAQ

How long does it keep fresh?You can store the pickled sushi ginger in the refrigerator for weeks. The flavor develops over time and tastes best after a few days.

With what can I serve it?With any kind of Sushi, Asian stir-fries and noodles such as those Udon Stir-Fry Noodles!

Eaten up all the ginger?Don’t spill the vinegar mixture. Keep it in the fridge and use it next time to prepare a stir-fry sauce, mixed with soy sauce and a little brown sugar. Tastes delicious, fresh, and logically gingery!

More Asian Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Rice Paper Sushi
  • Vegan Dumplings
  • Vegan Summer Rolls
  • Tofu Banh Mi Sandwiches
  • Vegan Thai Iced Tea

Did You Try This Recipe?

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📖 Recipe

Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (11)

Sushi Ginger

Making pickled sushi ginger at home is easy, quick, and you only need a few ingredients!

Author : Aline Cueni

4.93 from 14 votes

Click on the stars to leave a vote!

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Prep Time :15 minutes mins

Cook Time :5 minutes mins

Total Time :20 minutes mins

Servings : 1 Jar

Calories : 184kcal

Ingredients

  • 3.5 oz (100 g) ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

  • Peel the ginger with a sharp teaspoon and slice it finely using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife. Add it with ½ tsp salt in a small bowl, mix, and set aside for 5 minutes.

  • Bring a small saucepan with water to the boil. Add salted ginger and cook for 1 minute (up to 5 minutes for less spicy and mild sushi ginger). Drain over a sieve, wait until cool, and squeeze out all excess liquid using your hands. Fill the ginger in a small mason jar.

  • Add rice vinegar, sugar, and salt into the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, switch off the heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour it over the ginger and if necessary, press the ginger down with a tablespoon so that it is fully covered with the liquid. Close the lid, let it cool, and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving.

  • Keeps fresh for weeks if stored in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Ginger Cooking Time: 1 minute is for spicy ginger, the longer you cook it, the less spicy it gets. Don’t cook longer than 5 minutes.
  • Eaten up all the ginger? Don’t spill the vinegar mixture. Keep it in the fridge and use it next time to prepare a stir-fry sauce, mixed with soy sauce and a little brown sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1759mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (16)

Aline Cueni

I’m a girl who loves to cook and bake delicious homemade food. Let me help you to incorporate more plant-based foods into everyday life! Vegetarian & vegan recipes can be anything but boring.

Pickled Sushi Ginger Recipe (Gari) - Homemade | Aline Made (2024)

FAQs

Is pickled ginger gari good for you? ›

Ginger in particular stimulates circulation, reduces nausea and is an anti-inflammatory herb. Fermented foods are essential in a healthy diet, and they can be fun and easy to make yourself. Gari is a delicious and long lasting ginger pickle, with no fake pink colouring!

How long does homemade pickled ginger last? ›

Secure lids and allow the jars to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The pickled ginger, which is ready to eat after several hours, will keep in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Is sushi ginger the same as pickled ginger? ›

Gari is often served and eaten after sushi, and is sometimes called sushi ginger. It may also simply be called pickled ginger. In Japanese cuisine, it is considered to be essential in the presentation of sushi.

How do they make sushi ginger? ›

To make sushi ginger, use only young ginger. Thinly slice and pickle it in a sugar and rice vinegar mixture. The sliced ginger will naturally become light pink from the tips of the young ginger (see the photo). Many commercial producers artificially dye the pickled ginger pink.

Is too much pickled ginger bad for you? ›

Ginger is safe to eat daily, but experts recommend limiting yourself to 3 to 4 grams a day — stick to 1 gram daily if you're pregnant. Taking more than 6 grams of ginger a day has been proven to cause gastrointestinal issues such as reflux, heartburn and diarrhea.

Is sushi ginger good for your gut? ›

While it is often served alongside sushi or sashimi as a palate cleanser, pickled ginger also offers several potential health benefits, including: Digestive Health: Ginger has been shown to have digestive benefits, such as reducing nausea and vomiting, improving gastric emptying, and easing indigestion.

Why is gari pink? ›

Pink ginger is common ginger that has been pickled, giving it a light pink color. Gari is made from common ginger that has been pickled in a mixture of sugar, salt, rice vinegar, and sometimes dashi, a Japanese stock.

Why do Japanese eat pickled ginger? ›

Sushi ginger can be consumed either before, during, or after sushi. Pickled ginger is believed to be a Japanese tradition that helps keep flavors pure.

What is gari in sushi? ›

Pickled ginger is called gari or amazu shoga in Japanese. It's served with sushi or sashimi and helps enhance the flavors and clear your taste buds.

Do I need to refrigerate pickled ginger? ›

Pickled ginger should be kept in a cool, dark place until you are ready to open it, such as a pantry or cabinet. After opening, pickled ginger should be kept in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container as you would with other condiments.

What is the difference between ginger and sushi ginger? ›

The ginger you get at the market it fresh. The sushi ginger ( gari) is pickled, therefore it has been soaked and marinated in a brine, usually water, vinegar of various types, salt, spices, herbs, coloring. And therefore it will have a variety of different flavor and texture profiles.

Can you eat sushi ginger raw? ›

If you want to add some extra heat, put a bit of wasabi on the fish directly with your chopsticks. As for the pickled ginger, it's not meant for the sushi at all! Pickled ginger is to be eaten between different pieces of fish as a palate cleanser.

What are the benefits of Gari? ›

Gari is high in fibre and so it helps with digestion, diarrhoea, constipation and even irritable bowel syndrome. The catch though is to not eat too much within a period otherwise you'll get constipation. Because of the Fibre content in Gari, it reduces your appetite for a while which prevents you from eating more.

Is Gari good for digestion? ›

2. Great for your digestive system : Garri contains fibres that are not soluble in water. It helps in the absorption of toxins that enter your intestines. In that way, it improves your digestive health and keeps it chugging along nicely.

What are the health benefits of fermented ginger? ›

Fermenting garlic and ginger can enhance their already numerous health benefits. As garlic and ginger go through the fermentation process, the number of probiotic bacteria in them increases. Consuming probiotic bacteria has many benefits including improving your digestive system and immune system.

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