Korean green chili pepper pickles, gochu jangajji

고추장아찌

Gochu jangajji are one of many types of Korean pickles. Unlike the vinegar quick pickles popular in the U.S., Korean pickles are fermented and seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. The result is a delicious mixture of sweet, sour and salty.

Cheong gochu, the traditional green chilli peppers used in this recipe, are long peppers with a thin skin and not overly spicy. If you like your pickled peppers extra hot, you can substitute serranos or jalapeños. Serve gochu jangajji on the side with a bowl of rice with a bit of the brine for a tasty snack.

prep time: 
15 min
inactive time: 
1440 min
cooking time: 
60 min
total time: 
75 min
Time notes: 
Inactive time includes 24 hours to brine
Spicyness: 
3
Spiciness: 
hot
Flag meal as: 
healthy
vegetarian
Serve as: 
side dish (ban-chan)
Cooking Method: 
raw
Main Ingredient: 
vegetables
Serves: 
4
20oz
Ingredients: 
Water 물
Ingredients: 
Sugar 설탕
Ingredients: 
Vinegar 식초
Ingredients Heading: 
text
Ingredients Optional: 
text

Good to Know

You can use other types of peppers if you like.

Simple version: Instead of boiling the brine, add soju.
-Mix 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of soju
-Pour the brine into the jar
-Seal and refrigerate for a week

More questions? Please leave your questions below in the comments section. We will do our best to answer as soon as we can.

instructions
photos
summary
Ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions are for the default serving size.
Click to enlarge photos.
Ingredient amounts in the recipe summary are for the default serving size.

1. Sterilize container (optional)

Boil enough water to completely fill your container. Add some coarse sea salt for extra sanitizing effect. Place a clean e-jen Fermentation and Storage Container in a clean sink. Place the inner vacuum plate in the container. Pour boiling salt water in the container and let it overflow. You can use a heat safe glass jar instead if you like.

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1

Boil water with salt.

Pour in container

2. Dry container

When the water is cooled to be safe to touch, pour the water out. Air-dry the container completely.

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2

Pour out water

Air-dry

3. Clean chilli peppers

Wash 20 green chilli peppers and dry them with paper towel.

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3

Wash & dry

  • 20 green chilli peppers

4. Cut stems

Cut off the stem of each chili pepper leaving about ¼” of it or you can remove the stems completely depending on your preference.

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4

Cut stem leaving ¼”

5. Make holes

Make 3 to 4 holes on the body of the pepper with a toothpick or a skewer. Be careful not to crush the chili peppers..

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5

Make holes

6. Place peppers in a jar

Place the green chilli peppers in the sterilized container or glass jar.

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6

Pepper in the container

7. Make the brine

Mix ½ cup of water, 1½ cups of soy sauce, 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of vinegar in a pot. Bring it to boil on medium heat. When it starts to boil vigorously, take it off the heat.

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7

Mix

  • ½ cup water
  • 1½ cups soy sauce
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup vinegar

Boil

8. Pour the brine

Pour the brine into the container without cooling it down. Make sure the green chili peppers are completely immersed in the brine. Seal the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

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8

Pour into container

Seal

Leave it

  • room temperature
  • 24 hours

9. Boil the brine again

Pour the brine out of the jar and bring it to boil again. When it starts to boil vigorously, take it off the heat. Cool down and pour the brine back into the jar. Seal the jar and keep it in the refrigerator for one week.

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9

Pour the brine out

Boil

Cool down

Pour back into a jar

10. Refrigerate

Seal the jar and keep it in the refrigerator for one week.

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10

Pour the brine out

Boil

Cool down

Pour back into a jar

Seal

Refrigerate

  • 1 week

11. Serve

Take out a few pieces of green chilli peppers and place them on a side dish plate. Add a spoon of the brie to the plate. You can cut into bite sizes if you like instead of serving as a whole.

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11

Serve a few

Add a spoon of brine

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