Discover our recipe of fermented Lebanese pickled turnips that will make your taste buds flutter!
These Middle Eastern fermented pink turnips are as colourful as they are tasty. And they are a must for any self-respecting shawarmas!
This fermented version has a milder vinegar taste, but is just as crisp and delicious as the pickled ones found in restaurants.
Wondering how these turnips can see life in pink? You don’t need a radioactive weapon to get this fluorescent colour: a few pieces of beet in the brine will do the trick!
- Difficulty level: easy
- Type of fermentation: lactic
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Fermentation time: 3-4 weeks
Discover our lacto-fermentation guide to learn all about fermenting vegetables.
Fermented Lebanese Pink Pickled Turnips Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 700 g turnip or rutabaga (or enough to fill the jars)
- 1 small beet (for colour)
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic
- 20 g sea salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1-2 bay leaves
- Shish taouk spices or any inspiring blend (optional)
- Water in sufficient quantity* *(If the water is highly chlorinated, filter or let it stand in a jug for 30 minutes.)
Steps
- Pour 2 level teaspoons of salt (10g) into each jar.
- Add pepper and spices.
- Peel the turnips and beet, then cut into sticks of a size that will fit nicely into your future sandwiches. Peel the garlic.
- Pile the turnip sticks vertically with the garlic and beets, until they are tightly packed and cannot rise during fermentation.
- Pour in water to submerge the turnips (nothing should stick out).
- Add a fermentation weight or a ViscoDisc to keep the vegetables underwater.
- Close and gently stir the jars to dissolve the salt.
- Make sure that the lids are not too tight, so that the pressure can come out naturally during fermentation.
- Place the jars on a small plate to catch any excess liquid.
- Leave to ferment at room temperature for about 3 weeks (or more).
Open the jar and taste! Eat as is, submerge in a shameful amount of garlic sauce, or slip into any Middle Eastern-inspired sandwich (kebab, falafel, etc.). Delicious as a raw vegetable, dipped in hummus and baba ganoush.
Can be kept 1 year or more in the refrigerator.
