Sweet and Sour Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes

中文菜谱： 酸甜泡洋姜

I grow Jerusalem artichokes every year.  Well, to be more accurate, they pretty much raise themselves over the years.  All I did was to plant two young plants in the field which was a gift from a loving close friend.  They grew like crazy and I harvested a lot of Jerusalem artichokes the first year.  That encouraged me to grow them every year after that.

 Besides, they are perfect for pickling. Jerusalem artichokes are very crunchy when pickled.  And they have a mild flavor so that they go well with most other pickled vegetables.  I did Sichuan style pickles with my home grown Jerusalem artichokes first year. (it was posted here: https://www.yankitchen.com/english-blog/sichuan-style-pickled-jerusalem-artichoke)

I harvest more Jerusalem artichokes than ever this year.  After sharing them with friends and families, I still have a lot left.  Besides Sichuan style pickling this year, I also try sweet and sour flavor.  You know what?  They are a hit too!

I accidently planted a young one next to my window.  It grew into a big beautiful plant.  At the end of summer, those small bright yellow flowers were blooming.  Weren’t they just pretty?

Time to dig out the Jerusalem artichokes

I couldn’t believe one single plant can yield so many Jerusalem artichokes

These were harvested from my vegetable garden.

That was less than half of the crop this year

I used garden hose to rinse off excess dirt

Jerusalem artichokes as well as potatoes。。。O(∩_∩)O~

I brought Jerusalem artichokes home and rinsed them again.

Air dried them on racks for about one day.  Their color became a bit dull.

I pickled half of them Sichuan style.

The other half was sweet and sour flavor which my hometown has been famous for.

It is really quite simple.

In a clean glass jar, mix white vinegar and sugar at the ratio of 3:1; use 2:1 if you have a sweet tooth.  Add a pinch of sea salt.  Mix well.  Add Jerusalem artichokes.

They should be ready to eat in a week.

It is very crunchy and I love it about them

Sometimes I want to spice things up.  Dice the pickled Jerusalem artichokes and mix them with garlic chili paste.  That gives the pickled a spicy twist and more flavors.

Pickled Peanuts with Vinegar and Onion

中文菜谱：

简单好滋味的老醋花生

Pickled peanut is a dish, well, an appetizer to be exact, very popular during hot summer time across mainland China.  It is extremely simple and easy to make.  Just toss roasted peanuts and chopped onion, along with vinegar and some other seasonings.  And then wah-lah… you have a refreshing and crunchy peanut appetizer!

It sounds easy.  But it will take a few tries to achieve great flavors.  And the variations are limitless.  You can add celery, cilantro, chili peppers…  And every family has its own seasoning recipe too. All they have in common are peanuts, good vinegar and chopped onion.  

Ingredients：

1 cup raw peanuts
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (go with aged vinegar if you have one on hand )
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or use more or less to taste)
3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
chopped cilantro
1 medium sized onion, peeled and chopped
salt to taste

Directions：

I love peanuts with that red thin layer of skin on.  The ones without it will taste just fine too.

Preheat oven to 350F/177C

Spread peanuts on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.  When time is up, turn off oven heat.  Leave the peanuts in the oven until they are cooled down. 

Peanuts will be very crunchy when they cool down.

I have been using this vinegar for years.  The aged version tastes better.  Whenever I see them on shelves, I would stock up O(∩_∩)O~

Add peanuts, along with chopped onion, cilantro and all the seasonings to a large bowl.

Mix well.

It can be served right after everything is mixed together.  But the flavor would be so much better if you let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

A few hours later, color has dulled a little bit, but all seasoning s and flavors combine better and the taste is smoother and more harmonious. 

Peanuts are still crunchy.  The contrast between crunchy peanut and juicy onion is well balanced and interesting.   I just can’t get enough of it O(∩_∩)O~