Danmuji
Recipe:
1 white radish, peeled and sliced to 1/4” thick pieces
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 cup gardenia fruits (OR 1/2 tsp turmeric)
1.5 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar
Peel and slice radish. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp salt to draw out the water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Gently squeeze to get rid of excess water.
Place gardenia fruits in a plastic ziplock, crush with a meat tenderizer. Add crushed fruit to a small saucepan along with 1 cup of water. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain liquid, discarding the solids. This should yield at least 1/2 a cup of dye. (If using turmeric: boil liquid for 5-10 minutes and proceed with rest of recipe)
Add dye back to saucepan along with 1/2 cup of water, the sugar and salt. Simmer to dissolve the sugar. Allow it to cool completely.
Pour your cooled liquid into a large mason jar. Add the vinegar and prepared radish. Make sure they are fully submerged. Place in fridge to allow them to pickle for 2 days before consuming.
These will last for about a month in your fridge.