Pickled Turnips for Shawarma

Steps

1. 1

   Peel and cut turnips

   • Use a vegetable peeler to remove the thin papery skin from each turnip.
   • Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
   • On a cutting board, cut each turnip lengthwise into thin batons about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and 2 inches (5 cm) long.
   • Aim for consistent sizes so they pickle evenly.
   • Place in a large bowl.

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   Ready when: Turnips are uniformly cut and ready to pack

   Tip: Don't peel too thickly—you want just enough to remove the skin. Uniform size ensures even pickling.

2. 2

   Prepare beet

   • Peel the beet by running a vegetable peeler or knife over the skin under cold running water until the dark red skin comes away.
   • Pat dry.
   • Using a sharp knife, slice the beet thinly (about 1/8 inch or 3 mm), then cut each slice into thin matchsticks.
   • The beet will stain; this is intentional—it colors the brine pink and flavors the turnips.

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   Ready when: Beet is sliced into thin matchsticks

   Tip: Wear gloves if you want to avoid beet stains on your hands. The staining is temporary but can be intense.

3. 3

   Pack jars with vegetables and garlic

   • Divide the turnip batons between the two sterilized jars, packing them fairly tightly to fill the bottom third of each jar.
   • Scatter half of the beet matchsticks and half of the garlic cloves into each jar, distributing them evenly among the turnips.
   • Fill the rest of each jar with the remaining turnip batons, alternating layers with remaining beet and garlic.
   • Leave ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace at the top of each jar.

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   Ready when: Both jars are packed with vegetables and garlic, ½ inch headspace remaining

   Tip: Pack snugly so vegetables stay submerged once the brine is added, but not so hard that you crush them.

4. 4

   Make the brine

   • In a medium saucepan, combine the white vinegar, water, and salt.
   • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt, about 3–4 minutes.
   • Once boiling, remove from heat and let it cool for 1–2 minutes so it's hot but not dangerously so.

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   Ready when: Brine is at a rolling boil and salt is fully dissolved

   Tip: Don't skip heating the brine—it helps the flavors meld and keeps the pickles crisp.

5. 5

   Pour brine and cool

   • Carefully pour the hot brine into each jar, distributing it evenly, until vegetables are completely covered and the liquid comes to ½ inch (1 cm) from the rim.
   • If you need a bit more liquid, top with room-temperature water.
   • Let the jars cool to room temperature on a clean kitchen towel, about 30–40 minutes.
   • Once cool, cover tightly with lids.

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   Ready when: Jars are cool to the touch and lids are sealed

   Tip: Don't cover with lids while hot or you'll trap steam; let them cool uncovered first.

6. 6

   Refrigerate and cure

   • Transfer the sealed jars to the refrigerator.
   • The pickles will be mildly tart and crunchy after 3 days, which is the minimum time to wait.
   • However, they taste best after 7–14 days as the flavors deepen and meld.
   • The longer they sit, the more the beet color will intensify and spread throughout.
   • They will keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.

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   Ready when: Turnips are translucent at the edges, pink-tinted throughout, and taste tangy and crisp

   Tip: Shake or invert the jars every 2–3 days to distribute the beet color evenly if you like uniform pink coloring.