Sichuan Paocai (Pickles)

Equipment

non-reactive pickle jar
scale

Ingredients

vegetables of choice radish, celtuce, mustard greens, ginger, long beans, carrots, etc. (see above in post for how to prepare and cut)
water, filtered or boiled then cooled ~7 cups for 2.5L pickle jar
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns optional
1 star anise optional
10 fresh or dried chilies optional
1% rock sugar or granulated sugar ~2 tsp for 2.5L pickle jar
3% salt
2.5% Chinese baijiu or vodka ~1/4 cup for 2.5L pickle jar

Instructions

Establishing the paocai brine

Start with a clean workspace and clean ingredients. Wash all produce and trim blemishes. Wash the pickle jar with hot, soapy water and dry. Wash hands before proceeding.
Begin by placing your empty pickle jar on a scale and tare to zero. Add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and chilis. Add prepared vegetables to the jar, starting with the longest to ferment first (large or dense), and place the fastest to ferment (thin, tender veg) on top. Press down to pack the vegetables together as best you can, and don't let them extend up past the jar's neck.
Without taring the scale, fill the jar with water to its neck, making sure to cover all vegetables. Record the combined weight of the vegetables and water.
Multiply the weight by 3% to determine how much salt to add. For example, if my vegetables and water weigh 2300g I will add 69g salt. Multiply the weight by 1% to determine how much sugar to add. Add the salt and sugar directly to the pickle jar, using a clean utensil or your hands to stir and disperse.
Multiply the weight by 2.5% to determine how much baijiu/vodka to add. Pour directly on top of the brine without stirring.
Add a fermentation weight or a piece of clean plastic wrap to keep vegetables submerged. Replace the lid and seal by adding water to the moat or placing a fermentation airlock depending on your jar. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Softer, quick fermenting vegetables will be ready in as soon as 4 days when starting the brine from scratch. Denser vegetables may take 7 days until ready to use. It is normal for the brine to turn cloudy or leach color from the vegetables.
After the first few days, check for bubbles (a sign of active fermentation) and signs of spoilage (e.g., surface mold or an unpleasant smell). Once fermentation is active, usually after 3-4 days, you can retrieve pickles with clean hands or utensils to taste periodically.
When opening the jar to retrieve your paocai, carefully tilt and lift the lid to avoid water from outside the jar dripping inside.
Once ingredients reach your desired sourness, remove them from the jar and store in an airtight container in the fridge to halt further fermentation. Tender, quick fermenting vegetables are best transferred to the fridge as soon as they are sour to retain their texture. Dense vegetables like mustard greens can be left to ferment for months, becoming softer with time.

Maintaining the paocai brine

It's typical for people to take what they need from the jar as they cook and eat, then replenish with fresh vegetables as they go.
If you like how your pickles taste after the first batch is complete, simply add more vegetables to the brine and wait for them to ferment. You may also choose to adjust the brine with additional salt or sugar to taste.
To add seasoning: I like to add salt and/or sugar equivalent to 0.5% of the weight of ingredients between batches if I notice a lack of seasoning (e.g. if I have 1000g of vegetables + brine, I'll add 5g salt).
To reduce seasoning: If your pickles are too salty, it's perfectly fine to remove a ladle of the brine and replace with boiled and cooled or filtered water.
Adding salt isn't necessary between every batch, since the established lactobacillus bacteria will outcompete undesirable microbial growth.
The simplest way to eat paocai is to slice vegetables into bite size pieces and dress with a teaspoon or two of chili oil. Mix and serve alongside the meal, ideally with rice.
To maintain the paocai brine, clean the jar occasionally by washing the lid with hot, soapy water and wipe down the moat with a clean towel.
Ensure the vegetables are submerged, adding more brine (filtered or boiled and cooled water + 3% salt) as needed. Also ensure the airlock is topped with water each time you check on your paocai!
A paocai brine can be used for hundreds of years if maintained. If a thin white film of kahm yeast forms, refer to the section in the post above to troubleshoot. Happy pickling!