Pickled Rhubarb with Ginger

Last week flew by waaay too fast.  It must be an unspoken law of physics that when you take time off of work, time speeds up, because all of a sudden it's Sunday afternoon and the past week is a blur.   Most of my time off was dedicated to a garage sale (who knew those things are so much work!), but I did also manage to fit in a few garden projects here and there, including this pickled rhubarb.

I've been waiting to try pickled rhubarb for quite some time, and finally the timing was right to dedicate a few stalks to the recipe that has been brewing in the back of mind all this time.  In the past year or two, I've really enjoyed trying out different savory rhubarb dishes - not that I don't still enjoy a good rhubarb jam or sweet treat, but there's just something about the complexity of rhubarb flavor that comes out in a more savory dish that I really love, and this pickled rhubarb did not disappoint!  

They are great little bites on their own: crunchy, tart, and incredibly tasty, but add them a salad, and you've really got something spectacular!   

On Friday night my mom made an amazing salad with napa cabbage, scallions, and candied clusters of slivered almonds, ramen noodles, and sesame seeds for a family birthday celebration that we hosted.  We quickly discovered that adding a few bites of pickled rhubarb to the salad made it even better.  Without a doubt, both recipes will be making repeat appearances very soon! 

Pickled Rhubarb with Ginger

2 stalks of rhubarb, sliced

1 inch pice of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

pinch of salt

Slice rhubarb stalks into 1/4 thick bite-sized pieces and set aside.   Peel and thinly slice the ginger root, and toss it with the rhubarb pieces.  Pack the rhubarb and ginger into a sterilized half-pint jar, leaving half an inch of headspace.  

In a small sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients and heat until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.  Pour hot liquid over rhubarb until rhubarb is covered.  Cover jar and refrigerate for 1-2 days for flavors to develop. 

Yields 1 half pint