Pickled daikon and cucumber is cool, crunchy, and refreshing, and it pairs perfectly with heavier dishes. Crisp, sweet, and sour, it also makes a nice snack and is not only delicious, the chunks are satisfying to munch on!
Add the sugar and salt to the hot water and stir to dissolve completely. Add the vinegar and set aside.
Peel and cut the daikon into ½-inch chunks.
Cut the cucumber into ½-inch chunks.
Transfer the daikon and cucumber chunks to a clean jar or food container.
Pour the vinegar solution into the jar. Gently shake the jar to help the chunks settle.
If the daikon and cucumber are not completely submerged, top off either more vinegar, water, or equal parts of both.
Seal the jar or container and store in the refrigerator, waiting until at least overnight before eating.
Notes
Korean radish, if you can find it, can be used interchangeably with the daikon in this recipe.
Adjust the proportion of vinegar to water depending on how sour you like the pickled daikon.
Keep the total amount of liquid the same.
Adjust the amount of sugar depending on desired sweetness, but I would not suggest omitting it completely.
I like saving the Atlas Mason jars from buying Classico pasta sauces and use one of these jars for storing the pickled daikon and cucumbers. However, any food container or jar will work.
Liquid should completely cover the vegetables in the jar. Add more water or vinegar (or both) to top off the liquid if necessary.
Allow the daikon and cucumber to sit in the pickled liquid overnight before serving.
For spice, add dried chili flakes or a fresh Thai chili pepper (halved lengthwise) to the jar.