Pickles originated inthe Eastas a form of food preservation.
One of the prime purveyors of pickles you may not be thinking about?
When you see them on a menu,alwaysorder them.
In Japanese culture, that rice bran is fermented and used to create nuka beds.
When vegetables are placed in the bed, they are effectively pickled by the fermentation process, really quickly.
But nuka beds are far more interesting than other pickling mediums, because they are an active ferment.
It comes in a bag, and because the rice bran is not yet fermenting, its shelf stable.
Assuming you start with plain rice bran, youll empty a bag into a glass container and addnon-iodized salt.
Add 13-15% of the weight of the bran.
Use 13% if youre in a cooler climate, and 15% in warmer climates.
see to it it is all incorporated.
The consistency should feel like something in between a paste and wet sand.
Next, youll add aromatics, and possibly a fermentation starter.
Each serves a different purpose apples add sweetness, kombu adds umami, and chilies keep pests away.
Mix these into the bed and ensure they are fully covered by the nuka.
Put the lid on your nuka bed, and let it sleep overnight.
Twice a day if its really muggy and hot.
Once a day, turn your nuka with freshly washed hands.
Mix it up, confirm everything in it is covered with nuka, then pat it down.
The natural and good bacteria on your hands is what helps ferment the nuka bed.
It may take a while for them to pickle at first, but that speeds up over time.
The more vegetables you ferment, the better your nukazuke will taste and the faster your bed will work.
To start, take some radishes, check that theyre clean, and push them into the bed.
Cover completely with rice bran and let ferment.
Taste one every day as you turn the nuka, and return the rest to the bed.
Once your reach that perfectly pickled sweet spot, remove the rest of the radishes and enjoy.
The thinner they are, the faster they pickle.
As you pull vegetables out, dust off the nuka and give them a quick cold water rinse.
They should be tangy, not just salty.
That should stop the fermentation process long enough for you to vacation.
When you return, remove the salt and keep the nuka outside of the fridge.
