The forager chef Beth Al Rikabi explains why the turnip is so overlooked and how it can work brilliantly as a pickled delicacy

The forager chef Beth Al Rikabi explains why the turnip is so overlooked and how it can work brilliantly as a pickled delicacy

Beth Al Rikabi suggests an easy recipe for preserving an overlooked vegetable. Photographs Matt Inwood

Makes approx. 3 large jars
Published: September 9, 2024 at 6:00 am

I am a huge fan of the turnip. A humble root, it is often considered the reject of the veg box, historically fit only for consumption by those down and out or used as animal feed. This unsung hero, which I feel a compulsion to champion, can grow in mineral-poor soil, is rich in vitamin C and is extremely versatile in the kitchen. You can cube and sauté in lashings of butter to stir through pasta dishes, grate and add to sliced red cabbage as the base for a tangy coleslaw or cut into pleasing batons and pickle like in this recipe.

Forager chef Beth Al Rikabi
Forager chef Beth Al Rikabi © Matt Inwood

Inspired by those vivid pink pickled delights you may have enjoyed in your local Lebanese, I’ve added apples (because we all need a glut of apple recipes in autumn) and flavoured with bold characters including star anise, cardamom and hibiscus. These will permeate the pickling solution and enable you to get all the tastes when biting into your crunchy veg. The beetroot is mostly there to make things pretty, although its earthiness does ground all the heady tang and salty whizz of this condiment.

Here are more recipes from Beth

Ingredients

  • 300ml vinegar
  • 200ml water
  • 25g salt
  • 50g white sugar
  • 2 star anise
  • 4 dried hibiscus
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 300g turnip
  • 200g beetroot
  • 2 regular apples

Methods

  • Step 1

    Pop everything apart from the beetroot, turnip and apple into a saucepan and slowly bring to a gentle simmer until the dissolvable things have dissolved. Sterilise your jars and take out a big bowl.

  • Step 2

    Julienne (chop into matchstick-shaped pieces) the vegetables. Take your time. See it as a mindful activity and embrace slowing down. Peel everything, doing the apples last so they don’t turn brown. You want to end up with small pieces the sort of size you can imagine popping in your mouth. They will be accompanying something so only need to play a supporting role.

  • Step 3

    Pop all your veg into the bowl and mix to get an even spread of each.

  • Step 4

    Cram your mixed veg into the jars quite densely, then pour the pickling solution over each. If you are short on liquid, you can top up with boiled water. Give them a shake to make sure there are no air bubbles, then set aside to cool. You can keep these in the fridge for a few months and use them in sandwiches, or to accompany stews and curries. They are especially good served with baked feta, tabbouleh and minty yoghurt.

This unsung hero, which I feel a compulsion to champion, is rich in vitamin C and extremely versatile in the kitchen

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