Sichuan's Naturally Fermented Pickles (Pao Cai)

Step 1

Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature, and add liquor. Taste the brine to make sure the taste is pleasing to you and adjust accordingly.

Step 2

Sterilize container and lid by rinsing with boiling water.

Step 3

Wash vegetables and cut them into large bite-size pieces. Leave green beans whole. Dry them well and add to pickle jar, along with the Sichuan peppercorns (if using), dried chilies and ginger.

Step 4

Add brine almost to the top, then cover vegetables with the cabbage leaf, tucking it into the jar and making sure all other ingredients are under it. Top off brine and seal jar loosely. (If using a Weck jar, use only the clips and not the rubber seal; if using a Mason jar, just screw lid on loosely, allowing an escape route for the gases.) Refrigerate any extra brine. If using a larger jar or crock, you may need to weigh down the cabbage leaf with a piece of flexible plastic, water-filled baggie or other improvised, sanitized device to keep all vegetables under the brine.

Step 5

Sit the jar on a plate in case of overflow, and leave in a cool, dark place such as a pantry or cupboard to ferment. Sample the vegetables every day or two to check their sourness. If the cabbage leaf has been exposed to oxygen and appears funky, replace it with a new, fresh one. Top off brine if it is not above the vegetables. When they are pickled to your liking, store jar in the refrigerator. Cabbage can take as little as 1 day, while green beans and other vegetables take 3 to 5 days or longer, depending on the size of the vegetables, the room temperature and the desired sourness.

Step 6

If using a larger jar or pickle crock, monitor it for the white yeast film that can occur naturally on the surface in lacto-fermentation and remove any that occurs. As you use the pickles, replenish the crock with more brine, seasonings and vegetables.