Yasai no misozuke

Step 1: Clean the jar or container and lid: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (or pour boiling water over and in it and air-dry upside down). Let it cool; it must be completely dry. Use a flat container with a lid, big enough to lay the vegetables in one layer.

Step 2: Bring the 3 tbsp mirin to a boil in a small pan for 30–60 seconds, until the alcohol smell has gone. Off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp sugar until dissolved, then stir into the 14 oz miso until smooth.

Step 3: Trim the 2 Japanese or Lebanese cucumbers; peel the 1 carrot and 7 oz daikon and cut them into sticks about 2 cm thick. Cut the 2 celery sticks into lengths if using.

Step 4: Rub the vegetables with 1 tsp fine sea salt and leave 15 minutes, until they look damp and slightly bendy. Pat them completely dry with kitchen paper.

Step 5: Spread half the miso bed in the container, lay the vegetables on it (wrapped in muslin if you like) and cover them completely with the rest, smoothing so no vegetable shows. Press cling film onto the surface and close.

Step 6: Refrigerate: cucumber and celery for about 24 hours, carrot and daikon for 2–3 days, until the edges look amber and translucent and a sliver tastes salty-sweet right through. Do not leave them more than a week.

Step 7: Lift out the vegetables, scrape off the miso with a clean spoon (it goes back in the bed), slice and serve. Once out of the bed they keep 3 days in the fridge. Reuse the bed 2–3 times; when it turns watery, cook it into miso soup. Discard the bed if mould, a sour or rotten smell or slime appear.