Recipe: “Shwarma Pickles”

My oldest son is in love with the crispy pink pickled turnip spears found in shwarmas. Something about the tangy, peppery crunch has him hankering for them and they are not a common pickle to find in the store. A few years ago, I turned to the internet to find some recipes for them and made a batch of salty ones. They were yummy, but not quite the flavour I was looking for. This year I tweaked the recipe a bit to make them a bit tangier. This is a great way to use up the turnips we received from our CSA, as we are not otherwise big fans of this root vegetable!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs small turnips
• 1 small beet
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup pickling salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Scrub turnips and beet -- peel, if their skin is very tough. Cut the turnips into 1cm spears. Cut the beet into slices. Pack the turnip, beets and garlic into a 1.5 liter jar, alternating in layers.

Hello, World!

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, pickling salt, sugar, peppercorns and rosemary to a boil. Remove from heat and add the vinegar. Pour into the jar. The brine should cover the turnip. If it doesn't add a bit more salted water.

Cover tightly, shake, and store in fridge. Allow the pickles to sit 1 - 2 weeks before eating.

Note: If you like a less spicy pickle, reduce the amount of peppercorns.