Has anyone made pickled turnips?

[taxlady]

I love the pink / purple pieces of pickled turnip that I get with Lebanese food and similar cuisines. Has anyone made it at home? I understand the principal - cut up some turnips and a small beet (for colour), add salted water, let it ferment for a few days.

I want to know if anyone has tried this and can give me the proportions. Also, any tips or gotchas would be nice to read about.

Yes, I can find recipes on the web. But, I would like to read the experience of people here on DC. You folks aren't complete strangers.

 

[Silversage]

I pickle many things, carrots, daikon, watermelon, red onions, bologna, etc.. But I’ve never pickled turnips. I’m hoping someone answers this.

 

[summer57]

Yes, I've made pickled turnips many times over the years.

Quick pickled turnips

From Joy of Pickling:


I like using baby turnips, about the size of a golf ball. I'm sure you could use larger turnips & cut them into wedges or cubes.


1 pound baby turnips, trimmed top & bottom & peeled or scrubbed
2 tsp pickling salt
1 cup water
1 tbsp seeded & minced hot pepper
3 tbsp sugar
1.5 cups rice vinegar,


Score each turnip several times at top and bottom. Put the turnips into a bowl. Stir the salt into the water until the salt dissolves and pour this brine over the turnips, Let them stand for 30 minutes to an hour.


Drain the turnips well, retun them to the bowl with the minced pepper and toss well. Combine the sugar and vinegar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the liquid over the turnips, Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days, after which they wiull be ready to eat,
Well covered, they will keep for several months.


I've also made spicy & sour Korean Pickled Turnips, from the same book:


1 pound small turnips, peeled
1.5 tbsp pickling salt
2 tsp korean pepper flakes
3 green onions, minced
8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sugar


Slice the turnips very thinly crosswise. If they are bigger than about 2 inches across, half them lengthwise first.
Put the slices into a bowl and rub them with 1 tbsp of the salt. Let them stand at room temp for about 3 hoursm, occasionally turning them in their brine,


Drain and rinse the turnip slices, and then drain them again. Add the remaining .5 tbsp salt and the remaining ingredients.Pour the mixture into a quart jar nd pour water over the contents so they are covered by about 1 inch. Cap the jar loosely and let it stand at room temperature.


After 6 - 8 days, when the turnips are a sour as you like, cap thr jar tightly.. Store the jar in the fridge, where the pickle should keep for several weeks.


I like them both, but prefer the Korean style.

 

[summer57]

I see the book also has
Pink Pickled Turnips
and I've made them before - the page is marked.


2 pounds small turnips, peeled and quartered
Leafy tops of two or three celery stalks
1 small beet, peeled and sliced
4 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
1 tbsp pickling salt


Put the turnips, celery leaves, garlic and beet into a sterilized 2-qt jar. Combine the vinegar and water and stir in the salt until it dissolves. Cover the turnips with this liquid. Cap the jar and let it stand at room temperature for 10 days.


Eat the turnips right away, or refrigerate the jar. This will keep well in the fridge for about 1 month, but I know I ate them first,


This is clearly a great book! The Joy of Pickling by Linda Zeidrich

 

[taxlady]

Summer, those Korean pickled turnips sound delicious.

 

[taxlady]

I guess I should have specified that I don't want any vinegar. I want the turnips to be lacto-fermented. I have had them both ways and really prefer the way they taste with no vinegar.

 

[GotGarlic]

I made fermented sauerkraut once, but not pickled turnips. I would suggest getting a fermentation kit with an airlock to create an anaerobic environment in the jar. This describes how they work and has links to where they can be obtained.

https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermentation-lids/

 

[taxlady]

I made fermented sauerkraut once, but not pickled turnips. I would suggest getting a fermentation kit with an airlock to create an anaerobic environment in the jar. This describes how they work and has links to where they can be obtained.

https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermentation-lids/

Yup, I picked up a couple of fermentation lids and weights a little while ago. I am eager to try them out. One fits regular Mason jars and the other fits the wide mouthed ones.

 

[summer57]

Summer, those Korean pickled turnips sound delicious.

Yes, they are! You don't have to use Korean chili powder, I get it in big bags for kimchi so always have some around. Smoked pimento might be good, too - or anything you have on hand.


The Korean pickled daikon is similar, and there's a German version - Sauerruben. I think I'm going to have to get my pickling jars unpacked! Just moved to a new place with a nice big kitchen.

 

[taxlady]

Yes, they are! You don't have to use Korean chili powder, I get it in big bags for kimchi so always have some around. Smoked pimento might be good, too - or anything you have on hand.


The Korean pickled daikon is similar, and there's a German version - Sauerruben. I think I'm going to have to get my pickling jars unpacked! Just moved to a new place with a nice big kitchen.

Well, I might get around to trying those other things, but I'm really looking to make some of those fermented, Middle Eastern, purple, turnip sticks.

 

[karadekoolaid]

This is a version of Torshi Left -Lebanese pickled beetroot & turnips. I originally made this with just water and salt, but then decided to add a bit of vinegar - because i like the acidity.
500 gms raw beetroot, sliced
500v gms raw turnips, sliced
celery leaves
3 cloves garlic, sliced
750 mls water
250 mls white vinegar
1 1/4 TBSPS salt

Arrange the beetroot and the turnip in layers in a large, wide mouthed Mason jar. On each layer, add a celery leaf and a slice or two of garlic.
Dissolve the salt in the water/vinegar mixture, and when the liquid boils, pour it over the vegetables.
Seal, and leave for 2 weeks before eating.