Pickled Turnips

Step 1

Place the brine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Step 2

Stuff the turnips into sterilized jars along with a few pieces of beet and a clove of garlic and add the brine, seeds and all, to fully cover the turnips and leaving 1/4 inch headspace from the rim of the jar. Screw on the lids. (*See note for instructions on canning the turnips.)

Step 3

Let the pickled turnips sit in a relatively cool place for a week to enable to fermentation process. Then store them in the refrigerator and ideally eat them within two months. Using this method will result in a more interesting and complex flavor than canning them.

Step 4

If you are canning them for long-term storage: Add the brine to the sterilized jars while it's still hot, covering the turnips completely and leaving 1/2 inch headspace from the top of the jar, and 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. Store them in a cool, dark place for up to a year (for optimal flavor and texture, use within 6 months).