How to Make Vietnamese Pickled Mustard Greens

Drying the Mustard Greens

Purpose: Drying the mustard greens before pickling helps them become crunchier. However, over-drying will make the pickles tough.

Unlike pickling eggplants, do not wash the mustard greens before drying. Leave the leaves whole and lay them in the sun to wilt slightly. Washing them beforehand can cause the pickles to become soggy. If the sun is strong, dry for about one day. If conditions aren't ideal, just dry until the greens are slightly wilted. Be sure to spread the leaves apart to allow the core to dry as well.

Preparing the Ingredients

Separate the roots from the spring onions, clean and dry them, then cut into 3cm segments. Clean the roots thoroughly, as they tend to retain more dirt.

Don't discard the roots! If you don’t have enough, ask your vendor for more.

After drying, wash the mustard greens. At this point, they should weigh around 850g. Separate the leaves, thoroughly cleaning the stems, as they tend to trap dirt. Discard any old or damaged leaves to prevent the pickles from becoming soggy.

Also, remove the inner core of the greens, as it can become bitter when pickled. Instead of discarding it, you can blanch the core and dip it in fish sauce with a boiled egg for a tasty treat.

After washing, let the greens drain in a colander.

While waiting for the greens to dry, prepare a salt solution by mixing 30g of salt into 1 liter of cooled boiled water. Stir until the salt dissolves. This solution will be used to briefly soak the greens before pickling, which helps reduce bitterness and prevents sliminess and scum.

Soak the cut mustard greens in the salt solution for 3-5 minutes, keeping the stems and leaves separate.

Making the Brine

While the mustard greens are soaking, prepare the brine. In a large bowl, mix 1 liter of cooled boiled water with 20g of salt (about 2 tablespoons) and 10g of sugar. Stir well until fully dissolved. The common ratio used for pickling 1kg of greens is 1:4:1 (1 liter of water, 40g salt, and 10g sugar). However, because the greens wilt during drying and absorb salt more easily, 40g of salt would make the pickles too salty.

This salt ratio is half of what’s typically used for pickling eggplants, as mustard greens absorb salt more readily.

Cookbeo has found through trial and error that refined salt tends to make pickles saltier than coarse salt. Adjust accordingly if you are using refined salt to avoid overly salty pickles.

Pickling the Mustard Greens

Prepare a glass jar or a ceramic container for pickling. Avoid using plastic containers, as the pickles taste better and last longer in glass or ceramic. Ensure the jar is clean and dry to prevent the brine from becoming cloudy and the pickles from spoiling.

First, layer the stems in the jar, followed by some spring onions and chilies. Continue alternating layers of greens, spring onions, and chilies until all the ingredients are used.

Finally, top with a layer of spring onion roots, then pour the prepared brine over the greens, making sure they are fully submerged.

In hot summer weather, the pickles will be ready to eat in about 1 to 2 days.