Takuan (pickled daikon)

Step 1: Hang 2 daikon radishes in a cool, airy, shady place (or lay on a rack in a breezy spot), out of rain and frost. Leave for 5–10 days, until each radish bends into a U shape without cracking.

Step 2: Mix 10 ½ oz rice bran (nuka), 2 ⅛ oz coarse sea salt, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and ½ tsp ground turmeric thoroughly in a bowl.

Step 3: Cut off the leaves and tails. If the radishes are longer than your container, cut them in half. Rub each one all over with a handful of the bran mixture.

Step 4: Scatter a layer of bran mix in a clean food-safe tub. Pack in the radishes tightly in one layer, filling gaps, then scatter over some ⅓ oz kombu, 2 dried red chillies and ½ oz dried persimmon peel or dried apple peel and more bran. Repeat, finishing with a thick layer of bran.

Step 5: Cover with a clean plate or lid that fits inside the tub and weigh it down with about 3 kg (a bag of water in a bag works). Cover the top with a cloth.

Step 6: Keep somewhere cool, below 59°F. Within 3–5 days the radishes should release a brine that rises to the plate. If it hasn't, add a little more salt mixed with 100 ml cold boiled water.

Step 7: Leave for 3–4 weeks, until a radish is yellow right through and tastes tangy and sweet. Throw the batch away if you see fuzzy coloured mould or it smells rotten (a thin white film skimmed off the top is normal).

Step 8: To serve, rinse off the bran and slice thinly. Keep the rest in the bran, or wrap cut pieces and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.