Vietnamese Dried Pickles for Lunar New Year

Happy Sunday, everyone! Lunar New Year (Tết) is 3 weeks away so I thought today, I'd share a super easy yet delicious pickles recipe. These crunchy pickles are served along-side Vietnamese Mung Bean cakes (which I shared last year). I am making them again next week. My Mom usually makes this but sadly, I am not seeing my parents this year due to COVID so I am trying my hands at making it. They turned out incredible! You can sun drying the vegetables. It's not doable for me since it's currently 16 degrees outside =) You can also use a dehydrator to speed up the process but it's not necessary. You can make crunchy and savory pickles without any fancy kitchen gadgets. It's easy to make and keeps well refrigerated.

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. mixed vegetables - I used Daikon radish and carrots but you can also use cucumbers and/or green papayas if you like
• 2 lbs. light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sea salt
• 2.5 cups fish sauce
• Airtight Mason jars -  Make sure your jars are completely clean and dry before filling them with vegetables.

Directions:

• Clean the radish and carrots by scrubbing lightly under running water
• Cut the vegetables into spears (approximately 1/2″ thick x 3″ long). Keep the skin
• Wash the vegetables one more time and allow to dry
• Pour 1/3 cup sea salt into the radish/carrots mixture and mix well
• Let the mixture sit for 4 hours (it will produce a large amount of liquid after 4 hours)
• Rinse with tap water thoroughly and allow to dry
• Pour 2 lbs. light brown sugar into the vegetable mixture and mix well.
• Let it sit for another 6-8 hours. I let it sit overnight.
• After 8 hours, fill jars with dried vegetables. Do not discard the brown sugar liquid
• Pour a mixture of brown sugar liquid and 2.5 cups of fish sauce into the pot
• Over medium heat, simmer until reduced by at least half (roughly 30 minutes). Tips: I used my Instant Pot to simmer the pickling liquid outside (just press the "Saute" button and set it for 30 minutes). Works perfectly. Try that if you don't want your house to smell like fish sauce =)
• Turn off the heat and allow pickling liquid to cool completely
• Pour pickling liquid into the jar and close lid tightly
• The pickles will be ready to eat in 3 days. They last up to six months in the fridge.

Speaking of Lunar New Year, I ordered this traditional ao dai a few weeks ago (available in 10 colorways). It's on its way to me! This is a made-to-order dress so it'll take a few weeks to arrive. I am sharing it now just in case you are looking to get a new dress for the new year. I can't wait to see it in person. There are tons of gorgeous designs you're interested. I'll be sure to do a review when it gets here.

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Vietnamese Dried Pickles for Lunar New Year