The Adventures Of The Pickled Ginger

Many months ago, I bought a jar of pickled ginger at the Oriental Store in Raleigh. What for? Well, if you eat sushi then you know that pickled ginger are served on the side. I make my own sushi rolls sometimes so I figured I’d copy the Hibachi restaurants by having pickled ginger on the side as well. Just because they’re home-made sushi, doesn’t mean they can’t be Hibachi restaurant-worthy.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t open the jar of pickled ginger. I have made sushi since I’ve bought it but I haven’t been able to serve sushi with the pickled ginger. No matter how hard I’ve tried to twist the cap, I just can’t open it. So the jar had been siting in the fridge, unopened. My husband discovered it a few months ago and wondered what’s it’s doing in our fridge. I gave him the story I just told you guys above. He was flabbergasted that I haven’t used it coz I couldn’t open it. That or he’s flabbergasted that I just can’t open the damn thing. I can’t remember. Either way, I’m flabbergasted that he’s flabbergasted over the fact that these things happen in Dexie’s World. Like Duhhhhhh.

Before I completely digress, let’s go back to the pickled ginger.

Today, as in September 18th 2010, at about noon, I grabbed a can of soda from the fridge then I sort of glanced on the side compartment and saw the jar of pickled ginger. It’s one of the few things I was able to salvaged from the cooler when we moved to this new house two weeks ago. I decided that the jar and I have an unfinished business. It’s now or never. It’s do or die.

So I twisted and twisted and twisted until my wrist couldn’t take anymore twisting. Yes, I cussed at the jar a few times too. I’ve given up and was about to put it back in the fridge to sit for how many more months, I don’t know. But then I suddenly remembered my Home Economics Teacher. I can’t remember her name but I know she wears glasses. I think I heard her say, “Do the back of the knife-tap trick.”

I wasn’t confident of the trick but I’ve used it before with other tight jars and it worked so I figured, hey, why not. So tap tap I did. I tapped and turned the jar in between to tap the other sides. After the 1st cycle, I twisted the cap but it still wouldn’t open. So I did another cycle of back of the knife tapping.

And finally, freaking finally, I opened the jar. I finally saw the inside of it. I can finally spoon out the pickled ginger. I can finally display it in my pretty blue Chinese plate. I tasted a few. They taste like pickled ginger, except really really really cold. One of these days, I can serve homemade sushi with pickled ginger. Maybe I’ll chopped some up in small pieces to add in stir-fries too. Or ginger flavored cupcakes, or cookies. Hmmm. I’m just glad the darn thing is finally open without using any expensive kitchen gadgets from those annoying infomercials. Back of the butter knife, imagine that. Those Home Economics classes are serving its purpose. Who knew?