Where can I find mustard greens?

You can find mustard greens at most Asian markets. There are many breeds of mustard greens. I used the longed steams and large leaf kind. If you find the large steamed with short leaf kind, chop them into smaller pieces before pickling to help with ease of use in pickling and eating.

Are pickled mustard greens healthy?

Yes! Pickled mustard greens are very healthy. The pickling process uses all-natural ingredients with no added sugar or preservatives.

What do pickled mustard greens taste like?

Pickled mustard greens taste like kimchi without the spicy gochujang peppers. It’s salty, sour, and crunchy, with a slight taste of the bitterness of the mustard greens. The leafy part looks and tastes like pickled napa cabbage too. T

Thai Pickled Mustard Greens (Pak Gad Dong)

Name: Thai Pickled Mustard Greens (Pak Gad Dong)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: PT-490356H29M44S
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 pounds mustard greens, chopped into 3-4 inch pieces; 1 cup sticky rice. Jasmine rice is fine, too; 6 cups water; 1/4 cup salt; 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar; 1-3 pieces of herbs. Choose garlic, ginger, fresh or dried chilis, chives, bay leaf, or green onions. All are optional and customized as needed.; Large glass jar with lid; Fermentation glass weight.; Cotton nut milk bags or cheesecloth; Ziplock bags are to be used with cooking twine or rubber bands.

Description

Thai pickled mustard greens (Pak Gad Dong) are a delicious pickle vegetable used in many Thai dishes as a tasty side dish to boost flavors. If you love the strong taste of pickles, olives, capers, or any tasty pickled vegetables, you’ll love this recipe!

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds mustard greens, chopped into 3-4 inch pieces
1 cup sticky rice. Jasmine rice is fine, too
6 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1-3 pieces of herbs. Choose garlic, ginger, fresh or dried chilis, chives, bay leaf, or green onions. All are optional and customized as needed.

Helpful Tools:

Large glass jar with lid
Fermentation glass weight.
Cotton nut milk bags or cheesecloth
Ziplock bags are to be used with cooking twine or rubber bands.

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Instructions

Step 1. Make the rice water. Soak the sticky rice in water in a large bowl for 15-20 minutes. Drain the milky-looking rice water and save it for pickling the mustard greens.

Step 2. Make the salt and vinegar brine. Add salt and vinegar to a medium-sized bowl and stir vigorously until the salt is mostly dissolved. Set aside for mixing in the jar later.

Step 3. Smash the herbs. Then lightly smash the garlic and ginger (or any of your favorite herbs) to release the oil and add to the rice water.

Step 4. Prep your mustard greens. Wash the mustard greens in cold water and let them dry, then cut them into large pieces, 3-4 inches long. Cut the thicker stems into thin pieces about 1/4 inch thick and 3-4 inches long, and place in a large bowl.

Step 5. Massage your leafy greens. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt to the mustard greens and massage them with your fingers for 2-3 minutes. Rub salt into the greens until they look bruised and wilted.

Step 6. Place in jars for fermenting. Wash your glass container, towel dry, and add the chopped-up mustard greens to the jar. Layer the leaves with herbs of choice and tuck them in between. Pack it in tight.

Step 7. Add the liquid to the jar. Pour the cool, salty brine with vinegar into the jar, then add the reserved rice water until wholly covered with the mustard greens.

*Make sure there's enough brine to cover the top of the jar, or mold will form.*

Step 8. Make the fermenting weight. Pour the soaked rice into a cotton cloth sack, synch the string tight, tie a knot, and place the sack over the mustard greens in the glass jar. This weight will help keep the mustard greens under brine water.

*It’s ok if the top of the sack is not completely submerged, but be sure all the mustard greens are.*

Step 9. Fermentation time! Close the lid and keep the glass jar at room temperature. For a quicker fermentation, keeping it in a sunny spot is fine, too. This recipe is fast and easy and doesn't require a long time for the mustard greens to be pickled.

Step 10. The color of the mustard greens will change from bright green to yellow as time passes. Check the mustard greens on day two and taste a small piece to see if you like the flavors.

If your mustard greens are getting spicy, remove the chilis. If the flavors fit your liking, you can do it here or pickle them for 2-4 more days for a more robust flavor. Once you are happy with the flavors, place the glass jar in the fridge.

They stay good for up to 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

Notes

When cutting the mustard greens, cut the stems into small ones rather than leaving them in large chunks. Leave the top of the greens large or uncut as they wilt into smaller pieces in the pickling process.
Don’t throw away the rice in the rice sack once you pick the mustard greens. I steam or cook the rice and TASTE the BOLD and DELICIOUS pickled rice!
Jasmine or Japanese rice is ok as a substitute for sticky rice.
If you don't have a tall glass jar, use a large empty pickle jar. Wash it well with soap and hot water before use.

There are four options for placing the weight over the glass jar.

1. 1. Use cotton nut milk bags (as seen in the pictures above.)
  2. Use fermentation glass weight.
  3. Use cheesecloth to wrap the sticky rice as weight, then place that on top of the glass jar.
  4. Make 1-2 water balloons with zip-lock bags. Tie the zip-lock balloons tightly with rubber bands or twine.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 2-5 days
Category: Side dish
Method: pickling
Cuisine: Thai