rhubarb misozuke

one of my favourite seasonal twists to misozuke

3 ingredients•Prep: 20 mins

Kenji Morimoto•

September 30, 2025

Misozuke is a form of tsukemono (Japanese pickles) where miso is the main fermentation agent. This same method can work for various vegetables - such as daikon and cucumber - and even protein such as tofu and meat (!!), however for it to properly ferment, you’ll need to ensure the miso used is unpasteurised (or homemade!); using miso alone can work however the addition of the mirin adds a gentle sweetness.

And what to do with the fairly liquified miso? The miso itself doesn’t extract a ton of flavour from the rhubarb (which may surprise you given how much water there is from the rhubarb), so you can use it just as you’d use miso in your kitchen!

Ingredients (3)

Rhubarbs(2, cut into 2 inch pieces)
rhubarb can be cut into smaller/larger pieces, however the smaller it is, the faster it'll ferment
Miso paste(250 g)
any miso type will work but my preference is a red variety
Mirin(3 Tbsp)

Instructions

Mix the miso and mirin together - this is your fermentation base.
In a shallow glass container, spread a layer of the miso mixture and layer the rhubarb pieces, in layers, and ensure the top layer of rhubarb is entirely covered in the miso mixture. Put a piece of cling film or parchment paper on top to minimise oxygen exposure.
If you need more of this mixture, scale up the recipe, however this will depend on the container size you use.
Ferment at room temperature for roughly two weeks, after which the miso mixture should be fairly liquified. At this point, depending on the temperature of your home, it should be done and you can move it to the fridge where it can last indefinitely. Wipe off the excess miso from the rhubarb and slice into bite sized pieces before consuming.