Mibuna no asazuke / salt-pickled mibuna mustard greens

Mibuna has a tingling spicy taste, which is especially clear when pickled with salt. Taka no tsume red chili slices add an extra jolt, while thinly sliced kombu kelp brings a mellow note that softens the overall taste.

<Ingredients>

Large handful mibuna mustard greens (180 g in photo)
1 1/4 tsp salt (approx. 3.7 g/2% of mibuna weight -- see notes)
1 taka no tsume red chili (slices)
1 3-4 cm kombu kelp (larger in photo, as I reused a piece used to make dashi)


<Directions>
1.

Chop mibuna into 3-4 cm, and thinly slice or cut kombu.

2.

Place mibuna in a large bowl, sprinkle salt, and mix well.

Add kombu and red chili slices, and mix well.

3.

Place in a container, place another container with water or a rock as a weight, and let sit in the fridge for several hours (at least 2 hours).

(At left, after 6 hours)

<Notes>

• In order to prevent the dish from becoming too salty, make sure to measure mibuna to figure out how much salt to add. In principal, 2% salt is enough, and it could be as high as 3% if you are pickling for a shorter time. I use kosher salt, which is lighter than sea salt (3 g per 1 tsp kosher salt vs. 5 g per 1 tsp sea salt). 
• Adding kombu is optional but strongly recommended.
• Putting mibuna mixed with other ingredients in a Ziploc bag and placing some kind of weight on top works, too.
• If you have lots of time, mibuna mixed with other ingredients can be placed in a Ziploc bag and refrigerated (without weight) overnight.
• After pickling is complete, remove weight; keeps in the fridge for at least 4 days.