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1
Pack the vegetables whole into a wooden barrel or deep non-reactive vessel, layering them with salt and the first application of sakekasu. Press firmly so the kasu surrounds the vegetables completely with no air gaps. Seal the vessel and store in a cool, dark space. The vegetables should be entirely submerged in kasu with no surface exposed.
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2
After the kasu has visibly absorbed moisture from the vegetables and become slack and wet — typically after several weeks to months — remove the old kasu entirely. This is where the dish lives or dies: exhausted kasu that is left in place stalls fermentation and produces a harsh, raw result. Pack the vegetables into a fresh charge of sakekasu, press down firmly, reseal, and return to cool, dark storage. Repeat this exchange as each successive kasu becomes saturated.
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3
Continue aging in cool, dark conditions. At the minimum threshold of six months, cut a sliver from one vegetable and assess: the interior should show an amber colour with a firm-chewy texture and a sake-fragrant, deeply savoury character. At this stage the pickle is edible but unrefined. Premium narazuke requires one to three years, by which point the colour deepens to dark amber-brown and the flavour becomes long, complex, and intensely umami.
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4
To serve, remove the required quantity of vegetables from the kasu. Rinse the surface kasu briefly to control intensity; the interior of the pickle is fully infused and requires no further treatment. Slice very thin — narazuke is highly concentrated and thick slices overwhelm. The correct cut is translucent to near-translucent, revealing the dark amber interior.