Name: Pink Pickled Turnips
Total time: 2 d 1 h
Ingredients: 1¼ cups white wine vinegar; 1¼ cups water; 2½ tablespoons sugar; 1½ tablespoons canning and pickling salt; 3 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; ¾ teaspoon whole allspice berries; ¾ teaspoons black peppercorns; 1 pound turnips , peeled and cut into 2 by ½-inch sticks; 1 small beet , trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces

Why This Recipe Works

These pickled turnips are whimsically fuchsia in color (from intermingling with beets) and provide just the right crunch to complement any dip or spread. Because these pickles are typically served with robust, flavorful foods, we chose to keep them mild with just a bit of garlic, allspice, and black peppercorns. Once we were happy with the flavor profile, we turned to the question of how to best impart a bright pink color to our otherwise boring white turnips. Betacyanin, the pigment responsible for beetroot's deep red color, brightens into a vibrant pink when in contact with acid. Our vinegar brine was the perfect medium to impart the beet's color to our turnips. First, we tried boiling pieces of raw, peeled beet in the brine along with the aromatics. Doing so made for a dull pinkish-brown brine and turnip pickles that took on an overwhelming beet flavor; this is because betacyanin degrades and dulls with prolonged heat exposure. Instead, we mixed pieces of beets with the turnips in the jars and poured the hot brine over them. The acidic brine coaxed a beautiful hot-pink color from the beets, while the lack of cooking minimized any dulling. The beets left behind in the jar will eventually become pickled as well and make for a tasty treat.

Before You Begin

The turnips need to be refrigerated for two days to allow the brine to fully penetrate and pickle the vegetable. These pickled turnips cannot be processed for long-term storage.

Instructions

Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, allspice, and peppercorns to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain brine through fine-mesh strainer, then return to saucepan.

Place two 1-pint jars in bowl and place under hot running water until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; shake dry. Pack turnips vertically into hot jars with beet pieces evenly distributed throughout.

Return brine to brief boil. Using funnel and ladle, pour hot brine over vegetables to cover. Let jars cool to room temperature, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 2 days before serving. (Pickled turnips can be refrigerated for up to 1 month; turnips will soften over time.)