Chinese pickled mustard green is quite similar to Vietnam dưa chua is a featured ingredients in many Chinese cuisine especially in Shangdong and Sichuan cuisine.
In Szechuan cuisine, pickled vegetables are hidden stars. They are not as famous as Kung pao chicken, twice cooked pork or Mapo tofu, but they are side ingredients for many yummy dishes like Szechuan boiled fish with pickled vegetables.
When I was still a child, my grandmother grew several different types of mustards including this mustard green (Chinese leaves mustard 芥菜) and mustard with large stem (大头菜). The former one was pickled directly and the later one was cut into shreds and sun dried before storing in the jars. Each time, when the fresh pickled vegetables were ready, the aroma filled the whole room and we were all expecting yummy dishes out of them.
This indeed is a very easy and simple but there are several tips I need to share. I am using a large glass jar and I pick around 4 trees each time.
- How to choose mustard green for pickling recipes
For pickling, I would recommend choose matured ones with some stem than younger ones because they usually have stronger taste and contains less water.
- How to prepare the container-jar
No matter you are using a glassy jar or Earthenware jar; soak it with boiling water (really hot waters) for around 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. It is really important to use oil-free and water free tool to take some of the pickled mustard greens out.
- How long can this pickled mustard green keep?
It can be kept for around 6 months, so you can make a large batch once. But all the mustard green should be soaked in the water, so you will need a large container.
Separate the mustard green or cut into large chunks and rinse in running water. Discard any dirt leaves.Lay the washed mustard greens in a clean gridiron or anything similar to dry the water. Turn over several times and make sure that there is no water on the surface. I would suggest air-drying for around 12 hours until the leaves begin to wither.
Prepare the glass gar: wash the gar with boiling water and then set aside to drain.
Transfer the withered mustard green in a large bowl. Rub the leaves with salt until they are totally withered and begin to loose water. Squeeze the water out. Then place the mustard green leaves in the glass jar. Press each layer down. Add around 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn seeds in the jar. Pour enough boiled water to soak all the leaves.
Pickled Mustard Green is a really important ingredients for many yummy Chinese dishes and it is very popular in Chinese cuisine.
- 1 kg mustard greens
- Boiled water as needed
- 2.5 tablespoons salt
- 1 large airtight glass jar
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn seeds , optional
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Separate the mustard green or cut into large chunks and rinse in running water. Discard any dirt leaves.
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Lay the washed mustard greens in a clean gridiron or anything similar to dry the water. Turn over several times and make sure that there is no water on the surface. I would suggest air-drying for around 12 hours until the leaves begins to wither.
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Prepare the glass gar: wash the gar with boiling water and then set aside to drain.
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Transfer the withered mustard green in a large bowl. Rub the leaves with salt until they are totally withered and begin to loose water. Transfer the mustard green leaves in the glass jar.
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Place 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn seeds and remaining salt in the jar. Pour water to soak all the leaves. Use a weigh to make sure the mustard greens are soaked in water.
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Cover the jar completely, move to shade place and wait for 7 to 15 days until the water becomes bright yellowish green (the time is based on room temperature, the warmer, the shorter).
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Taste it to see whether it is ready. The well- picked mustard green should be salty and slightly sour.
It is really important to use oil-free and water free tool to take some of the pickled mustard greens out.
For healthy consideration, adding some vitamin C to the jar can help to reduce nitrite content.
So happy to have found your website as I have been searching for authentic Sichuan recipes in English. Please keep up the good work!
Hi Lena,
Thanks for dropping me this note. So encouraging!
Do I use hot water to add to the vegetables?
So the jar has to be sealed for the time of fermentation?
Hi Olga,
As long as the water is boiled, it would be perfectly Ok. Hot water should work too.
Finally, I can braised pork belly with mustard greens. Thanks
Yes, braise pickled mustard green with pork belly is an excellent idea. Very yummy!
Thanks so much for the recipe, Elaine! Starting the ferment this afternoon…will update you on how it goes!
Great Mo, I am waiting for the progress.
Sounds interesting. I haven’t tasted pickled mustard greeens yet, but I do like dua chua so I expect I would like this, too. I find it interesting that the pickling is done with only salt and water .. and of, course, the peppercorn which I assume for mostly for the spicy and flavor. Please, could you tell me what is the yellow object on tope of the greens in one of your photos? I don’t see it mentioned anywhere.
Hi Dee,
This pickled mustard green is very similar to dua chua. And that yellow object is the top of kitchen container. I am using it as a weight to keep all the mustard green soaked in the salted water.
i am a total beginner and cannot find the answer to this question by googling. when you are allowing the mustard greens to pickle, should the pickling jar be sealed (i.e. airtight)? or just covered slightly so air can escape? how much should it be covered, basically? will this work if done in the fridge or will it be too cold for fermentation? thanks!
Hi,
For your question. You can pickle mustard greens whenever in the year. They need to be kept in airtight container, completely separate from air. And place the jar in shadow and cool places.
If the jar is sealed tight, wouldn’t it eventually explode when fermenting? Or do you keep the lid a tiny bit loose?
I love pickled vegies with pork belly and intestine cooked in dark soy eaten with a rice porridge as was sold by hawkers in Singapore Chinatown
Hi Eddy,
I love intestine very much. I used to think intestine might not be accepted outside China. Thanks for the information. I bet it is very yummy!
Recently in some of the Chinese restaurants in NY, I have run into sweeter versions of this. Is it just a matter of reducing the salt level and adding sugar? Or keeping salt level and adding sugar?
Sure Ed, if you want a sweeter version, you can slightly reduce the salt and add some sugar. That’s just a taste difference. But it should be completely ok.
Hi Elaine,
Love all your recipes! Can you suggest some recipes for using pickled mustard greens?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your kind words. We usually use this pickled mustard greens with stews like this one https://chinasichuanfood.com/szechuan-fish-suan-cai-yu/. But you can replace fish with pork, chicken etc.
Sounds lovely! Thanks!
You are the most welcome! Sarah.
I am pickling a little different, but was looking after I started and found this web site and I think it’s awesome idea and how you answer everyone. I will try yours very soon 🙂
I did some research for how the typical eighteenth century ship rations could be modified for greater nutrition and variety of flavor. I tried to account for foods available then and methods of preservation that were used.
As you can see, it calls for one pint per day of mustard greens. The question arises of how to preserve this much of them for about 200 passengers and crew for a ten-week ocean voyage (England to Pennsylvania), which is why I searched on Google and found this post. Any other suggestions?
Eighteenth Century Passenger Rations
Per person, per week
Unknown quantities :
vinegar, brandy, bread (of undetermined type), dried pasta, dried noodles, whole barley meal, honey, dried blueberries, dried raspberries
7 gallons water, 7 gallons small beer
Daily diet items per week:
7 pints mustard greens, 3.5 pints sundried tomatoes, 1,5 lbs. Cheddar cheese, 3.5 cups sunflower seeds, 1T. coriander,
1 T. dried marjoram, 1 T. dried rosemary, 1 T. dried basil, 1T. dried parsley, 0.5 cup paprika
Meat days:
Suitably preserved (pickled, dried, smoked,etc.)
5 pork chops, 0.5 lbs. lamb liver, 1 lb. bacon
Fish days:
Also suitably preserved
1 lb. oysters, 0.5 lb. mackerel, 0.5 lb. herring
Dear friends, is possible to used bok choy
Best regards, jose
We never use Bok Choy to make pickled. Sorry I don’t know Jose. But I really don’t recommend you changing the ingredient.
My mom stir fries this with cabbage and ground pork. So yummy!
I tried this recipe (I’m a beginner), and after one week I tried a little bit. It was so salty, almost inedible. After rubbing the leaves with salt, then adding a tablespoon of salt to the jar, does seem like a lot of salt. Am I doing something wrong? Should they be rinsed before using?
Hi Gary,
The pickled mustard green should be slightly salty than common dishes. Have you squeeze out the salted water? And how it tastes? If it is well fermented but just too salty, you can soak them in clean water and use this batch in stir fry dishes or soups.
I have been making pickled mustard greens for many years. I never rub the leaves with salt, I just wash with water. Add 1/4 cup of salt for each gallon of water. I use tap water at room temperature.
My grandma used to make this. Now my mom makes them but they don’t taste the same. It’s missing the sour taste. Any ideas?
Anna,
If it has no sour taste, I believe the reason is the overused salt.
Some recipes call for “preserved” and some for “pickled” mustard greens. Are these different?
Yes, the two use different methods. Preserved usually is dry without pickling water.
Thanks so much for the recipe! I used this with my home grown mixed baby mustards and it came out beautifully. Tangy, salty, just right!
Great try Nina. Home grown vegetables are best for pickles.
Hi Elaine, can you please explain addig the vitamin c to avoid nitrites? what forms does the vitamin c come in??
I recommend using fresh lemon juice as a source of vitamin C. Or you can use vitamin C powder or tablet.
Thank you for sharing this Elaine! I can’t wait to try it myself. It looks delicious – I love pickled vegetables regardless of what they are. I’m excited to do this at home!
Most Americans think “pickled” means vinegar. So I think you so much for this different meaning, and I like the flavor very very much when i made it.
Vinegar is not nice flavor to my taste.
Peter,
Chinese pickled use salty water only and the sour taste is bought by Lactobacillus. While acetic acid is responsible for the sour taste of vinegar. So they taste differently. I stand with you and prefer sour from Lactobacillus more than the taste from acetic aid.
once it’s done pickling, do you keep in fridge or at room temp?
Cool places in the room.
My mom is Fukieinese. She did all the steps you mentioned to make pickled mustard. But I remember she would cook a tablespoon of rice with lots of water. Then use the water of the boiled rice to soak the salted mustard.
She waited until the water cools off before mixing it into the container with salted mustard.
In a Kimchi recipe I noticed boiled rice water is also used to make Kimchi.
Do you know what the function of the boiled rice water is in the pickling of mustard green and Kimchi?
Does it increase the process of fermentation in both?
We use cooked rice glue in kimchi to help the seasonings stick on the cabbage. But we do not use it in pickle mustard green traditionally.
The cooled boiled rice water is supposed to provide a good environment for growing bacteria good for the guts
Hi Elaine, I love your recipes! Most recently tested is wonton (last week) and they all turned out amazing.
I tried making pickled mustard greens about approx. a month ago. I think I went a little heavy handed with the sea salt, and the sundrying of the leaves at the time…
Over the one month period, I noticed that there’s a cloudy ring (for a lack of words) at the bottom of my jars. The brine turns somewhat slimy, and significantly reduced (probably to rehydrate the leaves).
I did taste a small piece; it was slightly sour, quite salty and had the unique peppery taste of mustard greens and peppercorns.
I’m unsure if the above signs are something to be concerned? Should I top up the jar with more salted water?
Thank you so much, and can’t wait to use it with pork belly!
Sorry, I do not think I understand what’s the meaning of a cloudy ring. Can you drop me a picture on facebook or ins?
I can not find mustard greens anywhere 🙁 do you think bok choy would be a good substitute?
Mic,
Bok Choy seems not a good option for me.
I often take this picked mustard green recipe to eat with rice at home.
Me too. I love to stir fry it after chopped with several dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn. One of the best partners for rice.
Hi
Thank you for sharing ur pickled mustard recipe. I will try to make it.
Hi Elaine,
I love all the recipes I have tried on your blog. I feel like I have learned so much of my cooking through here! I wanted to ask you… what do you recommend for vitamin C when adding to your suan cai? Would adding Vitamin C affect the flavoring of the pickles?
I have made suan cai twice now without giving the nitrate/nitrite levels a second thought.
Laura,
I have heard about adding vitamin C. But it seems not necessary for me.
I understand nitrate is quite upsetting, but low frequency is relatively safe.
Thanks for another great recipe Elaine!
Is this then the same thing as ya cai (芽菜)？Could you use it for dandanmian？If not, how would you homemake ya cai?
The process of Ya Cai is different from Suan Cai. Ya cai is preserved but not pickled and also requires more technique. I never make Ya Cai at home previously and I still recommend you buying directly from the store.