A delicious and colourful side to any dish! I enjoy adding them to my chicken caesar salad for a sweet and tangy treat.
Specifications
Serving: Makes approximately 3 largemouth jars.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Shelf Life: Store them in a cool, dark place for up to a year (for optimal flavour and texture, use within 6 months).
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 kg / 3 lbs large fresh turnips, peeled and cut into about ⅓ inch sticks or slices
- 1 large red beet, peeled and cut into about ⅓ inch sticks or slices
- 3 cloves of garlic
Brine
- 750 ml / 3 cups pure white vinegar (≥5% acetic acid)
- 375 ml / 1 ½ cups cold water (see note)
- 18 g / 3 tbsp pure sea salt or picking salt (must not have anti-caking agents)
- 50 g / ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Boil mason jars and lids for 10 minutes, insuring that the water is covering the jars.
- While sterilizing jars, mix vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a low boil until sugar and salt are dissolved. Keep hot but do not continue to boil. You can reheat the brine just prior to filling your jars if necessary. The brine must be boiling hot before filling your jars.
- Stuff the turnips into sterilized jars, while it’s still hot, along with a few pieces of beet and a clove of garlic. Add the brine, covering the turnips completely, and leaving ½ inch headspace from the top of the jar; screw on the lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for pint sized jars then remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before moving them.
Notes
Vinegar Percentage Levels
You can safely reduce or increase the salt and sugar content in the brine to your liking but do not alter the vinegar to water ratio or use a vinegar with less than 5% Acetic acid. Keep in mind that as the jars cure for a few months the flavours will develop. Pickled products are better after several months on the pantry shelf.
Cold Water
It’s a good reason to use cold water instead of hot for cooking: hot water will contain more dissolved minerals from your pipes, which can give your food an off-flavor, particularly if you reduce the water a lot.