Pickled turnips are often found in traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. The natural pungent quality of turnips is enhanced in the pickling process to create a distinctly flavorful pickle. Often, a few slices of beet are added to produce a pink color.
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 to 1¼ tablespoons sea salt
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or vinegar of your choice, or more to taste
• 2 medium turnips, cut into ½-inch-thick matchsticks
• ½ small beet, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cabbage leaf, rinsed
Warm the water (no need to boil). Stir in the sea salt until it dissolves completely. Set aside to cool (use this time to cut the vegetables). Add the vinegar just before using. The brine can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed glass jar on the counter to use when ready to pickle.
Place a quart-size glass canning jar in the sink and fill it with boiling water to sterilize. Empty the jar and tightly pack the vegetables, garlic, and bay leaf inside to within 1 to 2 inches from the top of the jar, making sure the beets are mixed throughout the jar.
Pour the brine over the vegetables to within 1 inch from the top of the jar. Wedge the clean cabbage leaf over the top of the vegetables and tuck it around the edges to hold the vegetables beneath the liquid.
Set on the counter and cover with a fermentation lid (see A Primer on Pickling, here). (Alternatively, use a standard lid and loosen it a bit each day for the first few days, then every other day, to allow gasses to escape.) Let pickle for 3 to 5 days, depending on the indoor temperature. Check the taste after a couple of days, using clean utensils. Vegetables will pickle faster in warmer climates. Make sure the vegetables stay packed beneath the level of the liquid and add salted water (2 teaspoons sea salt dissolved in 1 cup warm filtered water) as needed.
When the vegetables are pickled to your liking, seal the jar with a regular lid and refrigerate. Vegetables will continue to slowly pickle in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 1 month. Taste for saltiness before serving and, if desired, rinse gently to remove excess salt. (See photo insert here.)
Calories: 1 (Per 1 tablespoon)
Carbohydrate: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Fat: 0 g