Turnips are in season and a great way to use the bounty is to make pickled turnips. Patricia gave us two beautiful freshly harvested turnips which we used to make Turshi Left, or pickled turnips that are popularly eaten all around the mediterranean region. They are simple to make and use a salt and vinergar brine and fresh beetroot to give an attractive pink colouring to the turnips.  They are crunchy and delicious as part of a meze, with falafel, olives, other vegetables, Baba Ghanoush and pita bread.

Pink Pickled Turnips (Turshi Left)

Ingredients:

• 2 turnips
• 1 small beetroot
• white vinegar
• 1 level teaspoon Celtic, or pickling  salt per cup of brine. (this salt has no additives so keeps the brine from becoming cloudy when used for pickling)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the turnips cuting off root and shoot ends 
2. Quarter the turnips and slice into 1cm slices. You can put these through a potato chipper or chop them into small chips.
3. Peel and slice a round of beetroot about 1 cm thick
4. Find a jar that will hold the turnip pieces tightly to the top with a centimeter to spare for the beetroot slice
5. Pack the turnip pieces tightly into the jar
6. Fill the jar with water to the top holding the turnips down
7. Empty the water from the jar into a measuring jug, holding back the pieces to measure the amount of brine needed for your jar
8. Divide the quantity to approx 40% vinegar 60% water. ( we used just under 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of water to fill our jar)
9. Bring water to the boil and pour out the required measure into a pyrex jug and fully dissolve the salt in it
10. Pour the vinegar into the water and stir well
11. Pour the brine into the jar packed with turnip pieces to cover
12. Add the slice of beetroot to the top of the turnips, making sure that it is covered by brine. Add a little extra water to top up if needed. Turnips and beetroot should be fully submerged in brine
13. Seal with the lid and invert the jar a couple of times to make sure the brine get into all the spaces between the turnip pieces.
14. Refrigerate for at least two weeks before using. Invert the jar a couple of times during this period to distribute the beetroot colour into the liquid. The beetroot should colour the turnips an attractive pink by the time they are ready to eat
15. Turshi Left are traditionally served in a meze or with falafel in middle eastern cuisine. They are also a tasty addition to eat as an accompaniment to any meat dish or in salads

    

    

Growing your ingredients:

Growing Turnips

Growing Beetroot