Dried Lotus RootDrying Time, Storage and a Pickle Recipe

Lotus root (renkon) is a crunchy root vegetable full of holes. Outside Japan, look for it at Asian grocery stores, fresh or vacuum-packed. Drying makes its crunch even more pronounced.

Dried lotus root is also great deep-fried as chips or added to stir-fries, where its sweetness and aroma stand out.

	Drying time	Storage
Dry	2–3 days	3 weeks at room temperature (fridge in humid summer)

Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.

How to dry lotus root

1. Wash: Scrub the skin with a brush to remove dirt. Peeling is optional.
2. Cut: Slice into rounds about 8 mm (⅓ in) thick.
3. Soak: Soak in water for about 10 minutes. This removes astringency and limits discoloring while drying.
4. Pat dry and dry: Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels and spread on a basket without overlapping. Put them somewhere sunny and breezy, turn about once a day, and bring in by evening.

Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.

When it’s done

Dry (2–3 days)

It’s done when the rounds have shrunk, darkened, and are hard with no bend when flexed. They dry from the edges around the holes inward; the thick parts toward the center dry last.

Day by day

Before drying

Day 1

Day 2

Storage

• Dry: Put completely dry rounds in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 3 weeks. In humid summer weather, keep them in the fridge.
• Frozen: Frozen, they keep 2–3 months.

Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell are signs of mold or spoilage. Don’t eat it; throw it away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.

Rehydrating and using it

• Rehydrate: Soak in water for 5–10 minutes. Even rehydrated, it’s crunchier than fresh.
• Use it dry: Add straight to chikuzenni (simmered chicken and root vegetables), tonjiru (pork miso soup) and curry.
• Chips: Deep-fry dry rounds without soaking in oil at a lowish temperature (about 160°C / 320°F) and sprinkle with salt for lotus root chips.
• Good in: Kinpira, stir-fries, pickles, simmered dishes.

Recipe

Dried lotus root pickles

Ingredients

• About 10 slices dried lotus root
• A: 100 ml (scant ½ cup) water, ½ tsp chicken stock powder, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 50 ml (3½ tbsp) rice vinegar, 1 dried red chili

Method

1. Soak the dried lotus root in water for about 5 minutes.
2. Bring A to a boil in a pot, add step 1, and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let it cool in the liquid so the flavor soaks in.

Keep in a clean container in the fridge and eat within 4–5 days.