Ingredients
9 to 10 ounces young ginger
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, organic preferred for great flavor
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, or 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2/3 cup unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar

Instructions
Use an inverted spoon to scrape off the thin, papery bits from the ginger. To cut super thin slices, use a mandoline or very sharp knife.

Transfer the ginger to a saucepan or heatproof bowl. Toss with the 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to reduce its harshness.
About 10 minutes before the ginger finishes mellowing out, bring a kettle of water to a boil. When the ginger is done, pour the just-boiled water over the ginger. Use enough water to cover the ginger. Gently stir and let sit for 20 seconds to further reduce the harshness. Dump into a mesh strainer. Don’t rinse. Shake a few times to expel water, then transfer into a 2-cup capacity glass jar.

In a saucepan (it's fine to reuse the one you just used!), bring the mixture of sugar, vinegar, and kelp to a boil. Stir once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour into the jar of ginger.

Cool, uncovered, then cap and refrigerate.