I love love pickles especially these pink pickles!!!! The pickles get their pink hue from the beets. Turnip and beet pickles are crunchy, briny, salty, savory I could eat a bowl full. The combination of the earthy sweet beets and the turnips paired with garlic and some spice like jalapeno is incredible. My dad and my sister Reem are the pickle experts in our family. Dad never follows a recipe so I naturally asked my sister Reem to help (you are welcome everybody).
Pickles and olives are an important part of the Middle Eastern pantry or staple ingredients. Growing up a plate of pickles and a bowl of olives were standard on the breakfast, lunch or dinner table. In the summer you will see lots of cucumber pickles, in the winter more cauliflower or eggplants depending on the season.
These pickles are pretty simple, all you need is a few ingredients, no special pickling tools and the best part they are ready in a few days. They are perfect for the inpatient lady in me. The pickles will get more zesty, crunchy and their pick color will deepen over time. They are absolutely delicious on their own (I snack on them every time I open the fridge), part of a mezze table, in sandwiches, with falafel, on top of hummus, or baba ghanouj. Also they are really good eaten with lentil rice (mujadara) or lentil soup. They will last in the fridge up to 3 months. And the best part they have no added colors or preservatives. They are naturally pink from the beets.
Ingredients:
6-8 turnips
3 beets
2 jalapenos (optional)
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced (optional)
8 tbls coarse sea salt
8 cups of water (2 Liters)
distilled white vinegar
Tools: sterilized glass jars
Directions:
Directions:
Dilute the salt in the water and set aside. Cut the beets and the turnips in half and then cut into wedges about 1/4 -1/2 inch thick. In a sterilized 2 liter glass jar or two smaller jars stack the veggies alternating the beets and the turnips. Add the jalapeño and the garlic slices. Fill third of the jar with distilled white vinegar. And then fill the jar with the salt water mixture all the way to the top to cover the vegetables. Cover the jar with a tight lid. Give it a nice shake to distribute everything evenly. Let it sit at room temperature for 5-7 days and watch the mixture turn pink its pretty cool. After 5 days the pickles are ready to eat. Refrigerate after opening. Jars will last for a few months in the fridge.
