A flavour-packed and gut-friendly recipe from chef and fermentarian Clare Heal aka Sycamore Smyth who picks her Growing Communities box up at Finsbury Park every week.
I saw a lot of turnips in the swap box the other day. I gladly traded my bananas for them and made a big batch of torshi left, aka Middle-Eastern pink pickled turnips. But I wanted to spread the turnip joy so I’m sharing this recipe. It brings some welcome colour to this time of year and is perfect if one of your new year’s resolutions was to eat more fermented foods.
You may have encountered these almost luminous pickles served with falafel but it’s easy to make your own. These quantities are enough for a 750ml jar but scale up or down according to what you have. You don’t need to sterilise the jar but make sure it’s scrupulously clean.
6 turnips
1 beetroot
3 garlic cloves
1 celery stick (plus leaves if possible)
4 bay leaves (fresh or dried, either is fine)
25g sea salt
100ml cider or white wine vinegar
Peel the turnips and beetroot and cut them into thick batons – roughly the size of a fat chip.
Put the garlic, celery and two bay leaves at the bottom of your jar and then fill it up with the turnip and beetroot. Pack them down well.
Mix the salt into 500ml water until it is fully dissolved then add the vinegar. Pour this brine into the jar, making sure all the vegetables are covered.
Add the final two bay leaves and something to weigh the vegetables down. This could be a glass or ceramic pickle weight if you have one or you could use a smaller jar that fits inside the mouth of the first, a turnip top or other large veg scrap, or a plastic sandwich bag filled with water. You just need something that keeps the veg pieces under the brine as they ferment.
Seal the jar and put it somewhere at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. I recommend putting a plate underneath in case of leakage.
Leave for between one and two weeks, “burping” the jar every couple of days to let out any gas (careful when you do this as the bright pink brine can stain your clothes). The brine will become deeper in colour over the first few days and the turnips will turn from white to pink.
Taste them regularly. When they have reached a level of acidity you like, move them to the fridge. They’ll keep for several months.
Notes (If ifs and and ands were pots and pans….)
The celery is optional but recommended, I like the extra flavour it brings. The garlic not only brings flavour but extra microbial action so is a great addition.
Whatever you do though, don’t skip the bay leaves. They contain tannins, which are really important for keeping your pickles crunchy.
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