How to make pickled ginger (gari) at home

To make pickled ginger (gari) at home, scrape young ginger, slice it paper-thin along the grain, salt it for 30 minutes, blanch it for a minute, then pack it into a clean jar and pour over a warm mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and water. Refrigerate it and wait at least a day. It's ready to eat after 24 hours and better after three. It takes about twenty minutes of work and keeps for weeks in the fridge. It tastes fresher and cleaner than most shop-bought versions.

What gari is, and what it's for

Gari is thinly sliced ginger pickled in sweetened vinegar, the pale pink or ivory slices served alongside sushi. Its job is to clear the palate between pieces, so each new piece of fish tastes of itself. It's eaten on its own, a slice or two at a time, not piled on top of nigiri.

The colour tells you something. Young ginger turns a soft natural pink when pickled, because pigments in its pink-tipped shoots react with the vinegar. Mature ginger gives a pale yellow pickle, which tastes fine. The vivid magenta gari in some shops is usually coloured.

Choosing ginger

The best gari is made from young ginger, known in Japan as shin-shōga. It has thin, papery, almost translucent skin, pale creamy flesh and pink tips where the shoots were. It's juicier, much less fibrous and milder than mature ginger. Look for it in Asian grocers and some greengrocers, usually in late spring and summer.

Ordinary mature ginger works too. Choose plump, firm, smooth pieces with no wrinkles, and slice them as thinly as you possibly can. The pickle will be hotter, more fibrous and pale yellow rather than pink, but still very good.

Ingredients

For about 300 g of gari:

• 300 g young ginger
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 200 ml rice vinegar (plain, unseasoned)
• 100 g sugar
• 100 ml water

You'll also need a clean glass jar with a lid, big enough to hold the ginger and liquid, and a mandoline or a very sharp knife.

Method

1. Scrape, don't peel. Use the edge of a teaspoon to scrape off the skin. A spoon follows the knobbles and wastes almost nothing. Young ginger's skin is so thin it barely needs it.
2. Slice paper-thin, along the grain. A mandoline makes this easy. Always use its guard. Cutting along the fibres keeps the slices whole, while slices cut across the grain tend to fall apart.
3. Salt and rest. Toss the slices with the salt and leave them for 30 minutes. Then squeeze out the liquid. This draws out water and softens the heat.
4. Blanch for 60 seconds in boiling water, then drain well and squeeze gently. Any longer and the ginger turns limp.
5. Make the pickling liquid. Warm the vinegar, sugar and water in a small pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool slightly.
6. Pack and pour. While the ginger is still warm, pack it into the clean jar and pour the warm liquid over to cover it completely. This is when the pink colour starts to develop in young ginger.
7. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Leave for at least 24 hours before eating.

Adjusting the sweetness and heat

The pickling liquid above is two parts vinegar to one part sugar, loosened with water. That gives the gentle sweet-sharp balance of good sushi-counter gari. It scales easily: for 150 g of ginger, halve everything. If you prefer a drier, sharper pickle, cut the sugar to about 70 g. If it tastes too sharp, add a little more water rather than more sugar.

The heat depends mostly on the ginger. Young ginger is mild, while mature ginger can be fierce. To tame a hot batch, slice it even thinner and don't skip the salting step, which draws out some of the pungency along with the water. The pickle also mellows as it sits, so taste it after three or four days before deciding it's too strong.

Storing gari

Keep gari in the fridge, fully covered by its liquid, in a clean, lidded jar. Always use a clean fork or chopsticks to take slices out. Kept this way it lasts for up to about two months, and its colour and flavour settle over the first week. This is a fridge pickle, not a preserve for the cupboard. If it smells off, grows mould or the liquid turns cloudy or fizzy, throw it away.

The leftover pickling liquid is a lightly gingery sweet vinegar. It's good in salad dressings or a cucumber salad.

Common mistakes

• Slices too thick. Thick gari is chewy and fiery. Aim for slices you can almost see through.
• Cutting across the grain. The slices break up. Slice along the length of the fibres.
• Skipping the salt. Without it the ginger stays watery and harsh, and it dilutes the pickle.
• Over-blanching. A minute is enough. Longer and the crunch goes.
• Using seasoned sushi vinegar. It's already sweetened and salted, which throws off the balance. Use plain rice vinegar.
• Expecting magenta. Homemade gari is pale pink at most. That's the real colour.

Serving gari

Serve a small mound of gari at the side of the plate with any sushi meal. It's good with rich fish such as salmon and tuna, and with cured mackerel. Beyond sushi, a few slices lift rice bowls, noodle salads and grilled fish.

The Gari recipe in The Art of Sushi sits in the chapter of sauces and sides, alongside other simple pickles and salads such as Sunomono and Quick Tsukemono. If you're putting together a full sushi evening, pair it with our guide to making sushi rice at home and the beginner's guide to nigiri, maki and temaki.

Questions people ask

Why is some pickled ginger bright pink?

Young ginger turns pale pink naturally when pickled. Shop-bought gari that's vivid pink or magenta has usually been coloured. It tastes much the same, but pale pink is a sign of young ginger.

Can I use ordinary ginger?

Yes. Choose firm, smooth pieces and slice them as thinly as possible. The result will be hotter, a little more fibrous and pale yellow, but it works well.

How long does homemade gari last?

Up to about two months in the fridge, covered in its liquid, in a clean jar. Always take slices out with clean utensils.

Should I eat gari with the sushi or between pieces?

Between pieces. A slice or two clears the palate so the next piece tastes clean. It isn't meant to be placed on top of the sushi.