Pickling vegetables

I have a thing for pickled vegetables. My mother makes something called Achah (phonetically spelled sorry) which is carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, onion -julienned or diced and then marinated in a vinegary mix with some oil, chilli and sesame seeds. I need to get the recipe and make it...at least until the airlines allow people to mail me food... Another type of pickle I like is the type served in Japanese restaurants -particularly the radish. Japanese pickles can be very loosely divided into three kinds: 1. the kind that take some time to ‘ripen’, but then last indefinitely, rather like Western style pickles; 2. the kind that is ready in a few days, but which require a pickling bed that takes time to make and to maintain; and finally, 3. the quick and easy kind that can be made and eaten within a day. The last two kinds do not keep well - just like fresh vegetables, they must be eaten within a couple of days. Quick pickles, called sokusekizuke (instant pickles) or ichiya-zuke (overnight pickles) depending on how long they take to come to full flavor, are very easy to make. They are a great way to prepare vegetables without having to add any additional fat, though a few recipes do call for some oil. I think personal taste and judgement comes into play here as to when you think your pickles are ready for consumption. Fancy trying some of your own pickling at home? Here's what you need to know: 1. Choose very fresh vegetables, preferably in season. All kinds of vegetables can be used alone or in combination. The most popular pickling vegetables are Chinese/nappa cabbage, regular cabbage, cucumbers, turnips and daikon radish, but you can also use carrots, celery, various greens, etc. 2a. Salt is used to extract the moisture from the vegetables as well as for enhancing flavour. 2b. Umami ingredients. These are added for extra flavour and to bring out the natural flavour of the vegetables. The most common umami ingredient used is kombu seaweed. Other ones include tiny dried shrimp, bonito flakes* and dried shiitake mushrooms. Sometimes, instant dashi granules or ajinomoto (MSG) are used too. *I thought bonito flakes were for cats. 3. Other flavouring ingredients. Varying these can give character and interest to your pickles. Some common flavouring ingredients include: shiso leaves, fresh or dried; various citrus zests, flavored oils, citrus juices, vinegar, and aromatic vegetables like ginger and green onions. In case you can't get hold of Japanese vegetables or ingredients, here is a recipe that uses produce you can get anywhere: lemon honey mustard salad pickles -these keep for around 2 weeks in the fridge 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 Tbs. honey 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. dry mustard, reconstituted with a little water to form a paste -or use regular mustard if you can't find powder 1 bunch flatleaf parsley (including the stalks) 1 Tbs. black peppercorns 1 Tbs. red pepper flakes 1 medium fennel bulb 2 medium carrots 1 small head broccoli 1 celery stalk from the inner parts 1 medium cucumber Combine the first 7 ingredients in small pan to make the marinade. Stir over low heat until everything is dissolved. Take off the heat. Heat up a second (large) pot of water. Slice the fennel bulb thinly (I use a vegetable peeler). Peel and cut the carrots into matchsticks. Cut the broccoli into small florets, and peel and cut the stem part into matchsticks. Cut the celery stalk and cucumber into matchsticks too. Blanch the carrots and fennel in boiling water for 45seconds. Add the broccoli and boil for another 30 seconds. Don’t overcook -they should still be very crispy. To make it easier, put the veggies in a large strainer and hold this submerged in the boiling water -it saves fishing around and splashing yourself with hot liquid. Put the hot vegetables in the marinade and toss well. Add the celery and cucumber and toss some more. Here is a book I want to get hold of (English translation and so some of the ingredients are rather hard to come by if one doesn't live in Japan...): Quick & Easy Tsukemono: Japanese Pickling Recipes by Ikuko Hisamatsu.