Every week, our office receives a CSA box full of seasonal fruit. Recently, it contained a ton of unripe pears, so I knew I had to try out Roy Choi's pickled pear recipe for myself.
The simple pickling brine combines equal parts water, sugar, and rice vinegar and then salt to taste. Weighing down the contents with another bowl prevents oxidation and helps speed up the fermenting process.
These pickled pears will awaken your palate. They retain their crisp, crunchy texture while soaking up the rice vinegar and sugar. Adding a little salt on the outside rounds out the sharp vinegar flavor. Eat them as you would other pickles: a few nested on the side of an egg breakfast, sliced thin and placed inside a sandwich for lunch, or alongside an Asian stir-fry.
