Easy Pickled Sushi Ginger

One of my favorite parts of sushi is the pickled ginger served alongside it. I love the combination of sweet, salty, and tangy and eat it on far more than just sushi. It's a great addition to salads, sandwiches, or anything you want to give some extra flair. So when I found myself with lots of extra ginger last winter, I figured it was time to try making some myself. Turns out it was far easier and faster than I'd expected, and I'm happy to have one more thing I can now avoid buying from the grocery store in a plastic jar!

Here's the recipe, with the inspriation linked below:

Ingredients:

7 oz. fresh ginger
2 tsp. sea salt
boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water

Instructions:

Steralize an 8 oz. glass jar by submerging it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Peel the ginger using a knife, spoon, or vegetable peeler.
Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin on the thinnest setting to cut very thin slices of ginger.
Put the ginger in a bowl, sprinkle it with sea salt, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Pour boiling water on the ginger (just enough to cover it), and let sit for 2 more minutes.
Drain the water and squeeze out excess liquid. Set it aside on a towel to drain further.
Prepare the pickling liquid by combining water, rice wine vinegar, and sugar in a non-reactive sauacepan.
Turn the heat to high. As it reaches medium heat, stir to dissolve the sugar. Continue to heat to boiling, and let boil for 30 seconds.
Put the ginger in the steralized jar and pour pickling liquid on top.
Close the jar and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before placing it in the fridge.
You can enjoy the ginger as soon as it's cooled, but the flavors will continue to develop and may be better after 24 hours