Robyn Marantz Levy didn’t grow up with North African food in Verona. But when she married Remy Levy, who was born in Morocco, her palate changed. The Levys, who own Remy’s Kitchen and Bath Studio in Totowa, often eat with an extended family of accomplished cooks. This recipe comes from a niece and nephew who run a Lubavitch Chabad in Queens.
Robyn Levy says this recipe can also used to pickle other vegetables, such as baby eggplants or cauliflower florets, or even eggs the same way. That makes it a good recipe to have on hand this season since the hot, dry summer has left us short of kirby cucumbers to pickle.
Ingredients
1 pound small, juicy turnips, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 fresh beet
12 allspice berries
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
6 coriander seeds
2 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons coarse (kosher) salt
Method
1. Have ready 4 sterilized 1/2 pint canning jars with rings and lids.
2. Distribute the turnips and spices among the jars.
3. Pour water into a saucepan and add the salt.
4. Bring the brine to a boil over high heat, then pour it over the turnips.
5. Make sure the turnips are completely submerged in the brine; poke out any air bubbles.
6. Close the jars and leave in a sunny place for 2 weeks, turning jars upside down briefly daily to distribute the contents.
7. Then store jars in a cool, dark place. Pickled turnips will keep for a year, but must be refrigerated once opened.
Home page photo by John Morgan via Flickr.
When you say “close the jars” do you mean seal them by processing somehow or simply twisting the caps on? Will they keep for a year with just the caps twisted on?
I have a surplus of turnips and would love to try this.
One more question…what do I do with the beet? The directions don’t mention it.
The beet goes in the jar to give its pleasant rosy color, so the turnips don’t look too much like…. Turnips! As for processing, the recipe’s author says that, with this fermentation process, you don’t need to can them.