We have had a great year with the bamboo harvest of 2024, bringing it home by the backpack-full. It is the invasive (and technically banned in Connecticut) Phyllostachys aureosulcata, yellow groove bamboo. The shoots are very tender when they first emerge, covered with the papery sheath. Robert and Gillian just break them off at ground level to bring home for cleaning. Usually we cook and freeze the shoots, but this year we made some bamboo kimchi, pickled bamboo with garlic, bamboo stuffed with foragers sticky rice, bamboo and cucumber salad, and this spicy pickled bamboo. We also like to snack on it with a squeeze of lemon and some salt.
Spicy Chili Pickled Bamboo Shoots- makes enough brine for about 12 pints of prepared bamboo
140 g (5 oz.) water
140 g (5 oz.) white vinegar
90 g (5 Tbsp.) chili garlic paste
70 g (5 Tbsp.) cane sugar
25 g (5 tsp.) salt
10 g. or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, micro-planed or minced
Bamboo shoots
1. Prepare the bamboo: slice from bottom to top and peel off the outer, papery sheath. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pS4iNezhfSgJZnAR6 Add to a large pot with about 1 c. or a handful of plain white rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes. Drain off the water and rice, you will need to shock the bamboo in cold water. Then swish it around and try to remove all of the remaining rice from the chambers. Pack the bamboo into sterilized jars.
2. Make the brine: Combine the water, vinegar, chili paste, sugar, alt, and garlic in a saucepot. Bring it up to a boil and make sure the sugar is dissolved. The pH should register at 3.3
3. Prepare a canning pot with rack and boiling water.
4. Pour the hot brine over the bamboo and use a sterilized chopstick or skewer to poke out the air bubbles. Leave about 1 cm headspace. Wipe the rims and screw on canning lids. Process in the boiling water for 12-15 minutes. Remove from pot and cool.
