growing up, my mother would make those egyptian pickled beets, in a large glass container with a brown lid, which would take a few days to ferment. I remember watching them with my nose barely touching the kitchen counter with wide eyes, asking mom, "are they ready to eat?" for the first few days, of course, mom would say, no, they need a bit more time, they did not absorb the taste yet.
more than two weeks ago, i decided to attempt this impossible feat - making my own egyptian pickled beets just as my mom does. i did some research online and from a couple middle eastern books before determining if i was ready. i even asked my mom for assistance. she loaned me her large glass container with brown lid (the very same one she used while i was growing up!), and very carefully walked me through the steps as I scribbled down notes.
"should i peel the turnips and beets?" i asked my mother, and she nodded, "i always do that." I remember eating the inside, letting the skin out before eating them whole. i wondered to myself, is it the fermenting process that makes the color of the skin and the inside of the turnips different?
thrilled to be able to start on this project right away, i chopped a couple medium beets and a very large turnip that my sister-in-law grew in her farm, and put them in the mix.
pickling, aka brining or corning, is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation (typically the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol or carbon dioxide without oxygen) - think wine - in brine (solution of salt in water) to produce lactic acid, and storing it in an acid solution. the result is called a pickle, yep a pickle.
for more information, visit
wark's fermentation blog.
in the middle east, pickles are commonly made from turnips, peppers, carrots, green olives, cucumbers, beets, cabbage, lemons, and cauliflower. (one of my favorites is called fancy giardiniera. i'd go to
litteri's, a tiny italian market across the street from my work, and go crazy on pasta, pickles, and cheese) however that practice is exercised all over the whole, world with different vegetables. even herrings, cabbage, or bread-and-peanut butter pickle.
where did the word pickle come from? the word pickle is derived from the Dutch word,
pekel. because the word pickle holds different meanings, it may mean one thing in the U.S. and another in the U.K. i.e. Branston pickle in the U.K which is a jarred pickled relish. when asking for pickles in a different country, you may be surprised.
here's what you will need:
mom's famous pickled beets
ingredients
two medium turnips, cut into cubes
two medium beets, cut into cubes
vinegar
salt (a LOT)
water
jalapeno peppers, sliced (seeds can be opted out, at your discretion - we don't judge here)
 |
| see that big-ass turnip! |
directions
1) put all the ingredients in a large jar
2) cover with a piece of saran wrap, before fastening tightly
3) shake thoroughly
4) taste in two days, see if there is any pickling taste, if none, add salt and vinegar
.JPG) |
| pink and pretty |
5) continue tasting every few days until desired results occur
you know what would be a perfect ending to this? yep, a
shiisha. an old-fashioned, big shiisha with double apple flavor. yep.
now, what kind of pickles do you like? if you do not like pickles, what else do you like to eat in place of pickles and olives? share your recipes!
