Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
Bright pink Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips don’t just add a gorgeous pop of color to your meal, these homemade pickled veggies add the perfect crunchy, tangy addition to pitas, wraps, salads, and more!
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Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
One of the good things about being a military family is all the moving you have to do. It’s a blessing and a curse, actually.
On one hand, you have to leave a lot of things behind – friends, family, a house that you loved, your favorite Mexican restaurant, etc.
But on the other hand, you get to meet new friends, see other parts of your family, find a new house you’ll love, and hopefully, find another great Mexican restaurant.
One of our first duty stations was in northern Virginia, where Middle Eastern restaurants are thankfully, all over the place.
Plates with gyros, kabobs, hummus, and other goodies are often adorned with bright pink rectangular sticks. I used to never eat them. I don’t know why, but I would always pick them out and leave them on my plate.
When we moved back to California, I started shopping at an amazing market called North Park Produce, where you can buy all of your favorite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods prepared and ready to take home.
I bought a small container of those pink sticks and not only learned what they were (pickled turnips), but that I love them!
So, like any good foodie, I started making my own Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips. Now, they take a space on the top shelf of my fridge next to Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots and an assortment of other pickled goodies!
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Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Turnips
- Beet
- Fresh garlic
- Dried bay leaf
- Water
- White vinegar
- Pickling salt
- Black peppercorns (optional)
How to make Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
1) Start with very fresh produce. If the turnips are limp or soft, don’t use them.
Cut the turnips into rectangular sticks and chop the beet into a large chunk or two.
2) Add the veggies to your pickle jar with the garlic and bay leaf.
As you can see in the photo below, I only added two or three chunks of beet to the jar full of turnips – a little beet adds a lot of color!
3) Prepare your pickling brine by adding water, vinegar, and pickling salt to a small sauce pan.
Bring to a boil and stir until the salt has dissolved. Using a liquid measuring cup, pour the pickling brine in the jar with the veggies.
These pickled turnips are fantastic in my Healthy Mediterranean Hummus Veggie Wraps (shown below), pita sandwiches, and of course, on cheese platters with crackers and mustard.
They add a sublime tangy crunch to whatever you add them to.
Below, Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips are pictured in a Middle Eastern Bowl with Spiced Beef.
It has ALL the good things: rice, homemade hummus, spiced beef, feta cheese, Middle Eastern Salad Shirazi, and pita bread. I like to call it a party on my plate.
Looking for more pickle recipes? Here are some other pickled goodies:
- Italian Pickled Vegetables (Giardiniera)
- Habanero Garlic Pickles
- Pickled Hot Banana Peppers & Onions
- Garlic Dill Pickles
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do the pickled turnips last?
Using the freshest produce possible, the turnips should last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
What do Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips taste like?
These turnips are crunchy, tangy from the vinegar, and have a slight peppery flavor. They add a wonderful texture to whatever you add them to.
Why are the pickled turnips pink?
The turnips get their beautiful color from the pieces of beet that are added to the canning jar.
The beet releases its stunning color in the brining liquid and turns the white turnips pink.
The more beet you add, the darker the pink will be.
You don’t have to eat the beets, but you can’t help but love the gorgeous pink color they impart on the turnips.
My Quick Pickle Cookbook: 10 Easy Recipes + Bonus Pickling Guide (pictured below) is an eBook filled with 10 delicious pickle recipes all in one convenient location! It includes a bonus pickling guide to help you get started!
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NOTES:
- Need a jar for pickling? These are the ones I use.
- Only use super fresh produce. Produce that isn’t fresh results in limp turnips that are missing the quintessential crunch factor. Not only that, they’ll spoil sooner.
- I sometimes add black peppercorns to the jars with the other spices. Feel free to add some if you enjoy the flavor of black pepper.
Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
Equipment
- 1 3 cup canning jar
Ingredients
- 1 lb. turnips peeled and cut into sticks (approx. 3 turnips)
- 1 small beet peeled and cut into large slices or chunks
- 2 garlic cloves left whole and slightly smashed
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar label should say 5% acidity
- 1 1/2 tbsp pickling/canning salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns optional
Instructions
- Bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil and stir until the salt has fully dissolved. Pour into a large measuring cup.
- Add garlic, bay leaf, turnips, and beet to a 3-cup canning jar. Pour the liquid from the measuring cup over the veggies in the jar. Let come to room temperature before putting on the lid and refrigerating.
- The flavor of the pickled turnips will get better and better. You could eat them the next day, but after 2 days in the fridge, they'll be delish! Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
I also have a fun Facebook group for us foodies to share recipes and talk about food. I’d love to have you! Request to join HERE. Cheers!
Awesome! Always wondered what “Woody’s Mediterranean ‘” put on the falafel sandwich…. made the turnips two days ago and eating them today! Thanks!
So glad you are enjoying them! They’re great in wraps, in Greek bowls, and anytime you want a little tangy crunch :) Thanks for taking the time to rate them, I appreciate it!
Had this on Greek wrap awesome
I grew up near Dearborn, Michigan where there is a huge Lebanese population, and my first experience with pickled turnips was when I was probably eight or nine years old. I didn’t eat them either. As a wiser person I learned that I loved them and about that time restaurants in my area stopped phasing out the plate of pickles that they used to bring out as a free thing at the start of meals. One day I was at a restaurant with a girlfriend and I asked if I could have some pickled turnips and the waiter was in a grumpy mood and he told me that they didn’t come with my meal that I had ordered and that if I wanted to order them as a side it would cost $3. I didn’t think that was right because they used to give them out for free and I told him that I wasn’t one of those people who used to throw away the pickles like everybody else does and I really wanted them and I actually didn’t have the extra money that day. He stomped away, but then relented and brought me a plate of pickles.
I think pickled turnips are kind of an acquired taste. I can see how some people would not like them (like my old self), but they really do grow on you! I think tastes mature as you get older and that may be why we love them now. Thank you for sharing your story! Enjoy!