These pink pickled Middle Eastern style turnips are crisp and mouth puckeringly pickly. The perfect side for rich sausages and the like and a great addition to a Halloween feast.
Here we are the day before Halloween and today I’m giving you another turnip (neep) recipe to keep us well and truly rooted (sorry couldn’t resist) in Scotland and our age old tradition of embracing the turnip as opposed to the ubiquitous pumpkin for Halloween. So here it is Pickled Turnip!
I love to pickle!
Keen larderites will know that you can pickle practically anything really. From onions to carrots, plums to walnuts, and all manner of goodies in between. Pickled turnips are mouth puckeringly tart, but make a nice addition to your pickly pantry and go well with robust flavours.
Middle Eastern Pickled Turnip
This is a very popular pickle in the Middle East. Served everywhere from breakfast to supper with felafel to main dishes. You can use any type of turnip for this recipe. From the little white ones with red tops to the Scottish swede (and yes we call those turnips up here).
Go pink!
The addition of a little piece of beetroot in the jar at the beginning of the process lends a wee touch of magic, turning the pickled turnips from pale and somewhat uninteresting, to a very pretty blushing bright pink with far more dish desirability!
Ingredients for pink pickled turnips
You’ll need 250g/9 oz fresh turnip for this. Peel and chop the flesh into cubes about 1cm in size.
You will also require a clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of chopped beetroot, 200ml/7 fl oz white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt.
How to make pickled turnips
Heat the vinegar and salt gently till the salt dissolves then remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pack all ingredients into a wide mouthed jar (Kilners good for this) and leave in a cupboard for a week. It will start off pale and creamy coloured but within a day will start blushing and going pink. By the end of the week it will be a really pretty colour and nicely pickled!
It is now ready to eat so store in the fridge and just dive in there with a cocktail stick!
How long will these pickled turnips keep
They will keep in a sealed jar for about 6 months in a cool dark cupboard. Once opened store in fridge and use within a month.
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
Looking for more fun and easy pickling ideas? Then check these out before you go;
Sweet and sour pickled blackberries
Spanish savoury pickled cherries
Traditional English pickled onions
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Pink Pickled Middle Eastern Turnips
Ingredients
- 250 g turnip
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp beetroot chopped
- 200 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Peel and chop the turnip into chunks about 1cm square and peel the garlic
- Heat the vinegar and salt till salt has dissolved then allow to cool
- Toss all ingredients into a wide mouthed jar and pour over the vinegar.
- Set aside in a cupboard for 1 week and watch it turn pink.
- It is ready to eat after 1 week.
- Store in cool cupboard. Once opened store in fridge and use within a month
well that looks like fun even though I would have never thought of pickling turnips. When I go and get my carving one later today I will have to get one for making pickles too! My hubby pulled the last of the beets from the garden last weekend so a way to use up those little stragglers
Hope the turnipping is a success!
Have a happy halloween tomorrow
K x
More turnip love for my daughter…she says “keep them coming please…” 😉
Will do my best
K x