Pickled turnips, the most striking Middle-Eastern pickle

Among the numerous pickles of all kinds of vegetables found on a mezze table, pickled turnips are undoubtedly the most distinctive, both for the flavor and for the very pronounced pink color. Here all the secrets are revealed to prepare it easily at home and, as usual, to achieve a much better version than the commercial ones.

Additionally, a jar with sufficient capacity is required (approx. 2 liters, or 2 of 1 liter each, etc.). Wash it (them) properly before starting the process.

Process:

Boil half of the water and dissolve the salt in it. Add the other half, the vinegar and reserve.

Peel and cut the turnips into sticks. Do the same with the beetroot (although I like to cut it in another way so that I can easily differentiate them). Cut the garlic cloves into slices.

Arrange the sticks in the jar, adding in between the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and anise. Pour in the liquid, making sure that all the vegetables have been covered. Close the jar and let it rest for a week.

Before consuming, keep in the fridge for at least one day, to make sure you can serve it very cold.

Tips and tricks:

1. The most important secret is to remember to avoid common salt, which gives a decidedly bad taste.
2. The proportions of 25% vinegar and 7% salt allow the vegetables to both ferment and preserve properly.
3. It is convenient to use filtered water, to avoid the lime that running water has in many countries.
4. The purpose of garlic (like all other spices) is simply to add flavor, but don’t try to eat it. After a week of resting with vinegar and salt, it will have become extremely strong.
5. The beetroot is necessary to give the pink color so characteristic of these pickles. Don’t worry if it doesn’t have the same crunchy texture as turnips, that’s normal. Precisely for this reason, I am interested in cutting it with another shape and being able to identify it easily.
6. This fermentation method does not offer much difficulty and can be used with other vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, radishes, cauliflower, celery stalks, green tomatoes, baby onions, cabbage, etc. Remember to respect always the proportions of vinegar, water and salt to obtain a good result.
7. Serve very cold, this detail makes a big difference.
8. After a week of waiting, the pickled turnips will be ready. Its flavor may seem strong and intense to you, but it will settle and become a little softer after the second week.
9. These pickles will keep for up to 6 weeks from their preparation. After that, although they are still edible, their texture and flavor will become less interesting.
10. Remember that this method is not suitable for preserving products for a long time, since we do not close the jars under vacuum.
11. As a final fact of interest, anise seeds are not part of the traditional Middle Eastern recipe. I found this idea in an Armenian recipe book. But you can also add coriander, mustard, dill, etc.