Asazuke Quick Pickling Seasoning

Simple Seasoning for Homemade Asazuke Pickles

Asazuke no moto (浅漬けの素), or “asazuke base,” is a liquid seasoning for making asazuke, Japanese lightly pickled vegetables, at home. Mix one packet with 3.5–7 oz (100–200 g) of vegetables, and in about 1.5 hours you have a light, salad-style pickle. One package of 10 packets is enough to pickle over 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of vegetables.

The flavor starts with Umi no Sei’s traditional sea salt, “Umi no Sei,” made directly from seawater on Izu Oshima. According to the company, the minerals in the salt help bring out umami as the vegetables ferment and keep them pleasantly crisp. Instead of sugar or flavor enhancers, the sweetness and umami come from the ingredients themselves: a freshly made dashi of Rishiri and Rausu kombu from Hokkaido and shiitake from Kyushu, pure rice mirin aged for over a year, and pure rice cooking sake. A lactic acid fermentation liquid, made by culturing 16 kinds of lactic acid bacteria in soy milk and aging it for a year, helps the pickles ferment, as traditional Japanese pickles do. All ingredients are from Japan, and it is made without MSG, sweeteners, colorants, sugar, or yeast extract.

Pickles have long been a companion to rice in Japan. In the traditional meal of ichiju issai (一汁一菜), “one soup, one dish,” the one dish is said to have originally been pickles.

How to Make Asazuke

1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly, drain, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Place 3.5–7 oz (100–200 g) of vegetables in a plastic bag or bowl, add one packet (10 g), and mix well to coat the vegetables evenly.

2. Let sit for about 1.5 hours, massaging or mixing every 15–30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. It is best to enjoy within 3 days.

For a lighter, salad-style pickle with less salt, pickle for about 1.5 hours, or use 5.3–7 oz (150–200 g) of vegetables. For a saltier pickle to serve with rice, pickle for 3 hours or more, or use 5.3 oz (150 g) of vegetables or less.

Tips for Different Vegetables

• Root vegetables: Slice thinly if you want to enjoy them sooner, or thicker to enjoy the texture. Fresh vegetables taste better with the skin left on. Turnips are especially recommended, as they easily develop sweetness and umami.
• Leafy vegetables: For cabbage and napa cabbage, which have both leaves and a core, slice the core thinly so the flavor soaks in evenly.
• Cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes: Rub cucumbers with salt before pickling for a better texture. Slice eggplants thinly and massage them well to help prevent discoloration. Cut tomatoes in half, or pierce them in several places with a bamboo skewer, before pickling.

• Contents: 10 packets x 0.35 oz | 10 g

Ingredients: Salt, pure rice mirin, pure rice sake, kombu, lactic acid fermentation liquid, dried shiitake mushrooms
Allergen: Soybeans (in the lactic acid fermentation liquid)
Producer: Umi no Sei
Origin: Japan
Included in the package: 10 packets

Usage and Care

• If storing after pickling, keep in the refrigerator. It is best to enjoy within 3 days.
• On days below 77°F (25°C), leaving the vegetables at room temperature for about an hour before refrigerating will help them pickle better.
• Store packets at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and high heat.

Domestic Orders

• Usually ships out in-stock items within 3 business days of order.
• We use FedEx, USPS Priority Mail, or USPS First Class Mail to ship our products, depending on the size and weight of the package.
• Read about the shipping information and terms in our Customer Service Page.
• Free shipping with purchase of $375 or more! (Within Continental US only. Total purchase amount to qualify excludes free shipping offer items.)

International Orders

• Usually ships out in-stock items within 5 business days of order.
• We use FedEx or USPS International for international shipping.
• We do not accept any returns for international orders. Any additional charges (including but not limited to import tax, custom fees, VAT, brokerage charge) that might incur after the order lands in the destination country must be borne by the recipient.
• Read about the shipping information and terms in our Customer Service Page.