This easy pickled hakurei turnip recipe is quick and simple to prepare. Turnips make a crisp, tangy, delicious pickle with great flavor and nice crunch.
I don’t know why turnips get such a bum rap, but I find them extremely exciting.
Perhaps people are only familiar with purple top turnips, which are often found rotting in the “boring section” of most grocery stores.
If you start expanding your vegetable procurement to a local farmers market or produce stand, however, a whole new world of turnip…turns up.
Sweet, mild white root turnips await, with hakurei being one of the most popular varieties you’re likely to find.
I’ve had some experience growing (and eating) these turnips and I’ve found pickling to be a really delicious way to prepare and store them.
What are Hakurei Turnips?
Hakurei turnips, also know as salad turnips or Tokyo turnips, are a variety of Japanese turnip now commonly grown on small farms in North America.
They are sometimes mistaken for a white radishes, but they are, in fact, a different vegetable altogether.
(Like a radish though, a turnip is a root vegetable and fellow member of Brassica plant family).
Hakurei turnips are a relatively easy to grow cultivar that thrives in cool weather. They start appearing at farmer’s markets in mid to late spring and then again in the fall.
What do Hakurei Turnips Taste like?
If grown under the right conditions, these turnips have a sweet, mild flavor with a crispy texture and tender skin.
They are delicious raw, but can also be roasted or used in soups and stews.
Their flavor and texture also happen to make them a great candidate for pickling!
Why This Recipe Rocks
- There’s no canning required, the turnips simply pickle in the refrigerator
- It’s sugar-free making it great for Paleo, Whole30, and Keto diets
- Pickling is a great way to preserve fresh produce from a CSA or farmers’ market
Ingredients:
For this recipe, you’ll need
- hakurei turnips: about one pound or two bunches of small turnips
- garlic: 2-3 smashed and peeled garlic cloves
- black peppercorns: about one teaspoon’s worth
- bay leaf
- white distilled vinegar: I love the tang white vinegar adds to most pickles, but rice vinegar also works great
- kosher salt
As far as equipment goes, you’ll just need a quart-sized canning jar with a tight-fitting lid, a large mixing bowl, and a colander.
How to Make Pickled Hakurei Turnips: Step-by-Step
Start by giving the turnips a good rinse in cold water, scrubbing the turnip bulbs well to remove any excess dirt.
Use a sharp knife to trim the root end and leafy greens from each turnip, leaving a small portion of stem attached to the bulb. Then cut each bulb into quarters.
Pro Tip: Save those turnip greens! Turnip tops are totally edible, nutritious, and delicious. You can treat them just like radish greens as discussed in this post.
Place the turnip wedges in a large bowl and toss them with a tablespoon of kosher salt.
Dump the turnips in a large colander and let them sit in the sink for about one hour.
This step helps remove excess water from the turnips which helps them pickle better in the brine.
Place a few smashed garlic cloves, peppercorns, and a bay leaf in the bottom of a quart-sized mason jar, then add in the turnips.
Pour in one and a half cups of white vinegar and one and a half cups water into the jar. Tightly screw a lid on the jar, then give it a good shake to mix everything together.
Place the jar in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours, then taste the turnips. They should have a tangy flavor but still have a crunchy texture. The flavor of the turnips will continue to develop over time.
The pickled turnips can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
How to Serve Pickled Turnips
- Add them as seasonal flair to charcuterie and cheese boards
- Toss them in salads of any kind. Use the brine mixed with a little olive oil as a tasty salad dressing!
- Pair them with roasted or grilled chicken (for some reason I really love the combo of turnips and chicken)
More Pickle Recipes
Easy Pickled Hakurei Turnips
Ingredients
- 1 pound hakurei turnips
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Instructions
- Rinse the turnips under cold running water, scrubbing the bulbs to remove any excess dirt. Trim off the root ends and leafy greens, leaving about one inch of the stem remaining (save the greens for another use). Cut each bulb into quarters.
- Toss the turnips and salt together in a large bowl. Transfer to a colander and drain in the sink for about one hour.
- Place the garlic cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaf in the bottom of a clean quart-sized canning jar. Add the turnips, then pour in the vinegar and water. Tightly screw a lid on the jar, then shake to combine.
- Place the jar in the refrigerator for 48 hours before enjoying. The turnips will keep in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Nutrition
Equipment
- 1 Quart-sized Canning Jar
- Mixing Bowl
- Colander
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