Turshi - Pickled Peppers & Carrots
“Turshi, turšija, turşu, torshi” all means the same thing: delicious pickle vegetables. Anything can be pickled, but this particular combination of sweet peppers and crunchy carrots with aromatic parsley and garlic is my favorite! Homemade turshi is salty, savoury, acidic, and packed with flavor. The best part? No chemical preservatives that are often found in store-bought pickles. Pickled vegetables also boast probiotics, woo-hoo to a healthy gut!
Samborka peppers are often used in this type of turshi recipe, but they aren’t that easy to come by. I really want everyone to experience the pride and joy of making your own turshi… so I choose mini sweet peppers that are easily available nationwide. I highly recommend using organic produce if possible. Local farmer markets are amazing and most supermarkets have an organic section nowadays.
Many of us are lucky enough to have produce available year-round at the supermarket, but if you garden, you know how valuable peak season produce is. Even if gardening isn’t your thing, you know theres a vast difference in taste when eating in season! Pickling is a traditional way to preserve vegetables before frost sets in. It’s part of winter preparations along with making ajvar (pepper spread), spoon sweets (fruit preserves), jufka (egg noodles), kompot (stewed fruit), and dried/smoked meats.
If you’re nervous about jarring, rest assure, this has been done by generations of people without Pinterest-perfect labelled pantries. This particular recipe can be jarred the old-fashioned way or kept in the fridge from the start. More on prepping jars and canning here.
Turshi (two 24 oz Jars)
Ingredients
2 lb mini pepper (tops, seeds, pith removed)
8 garlic cloves (peeled)
2 1/2 c carrots (peeled & chopped into 1/2 inch circles)
2/3 c parsley (stems removed, packed)
2 1/4 c water
1/3 c vinegar
1/4 c oil
2.5 tbsp table salt or 5 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
Directions
•Sterilize One 48 oz OR two 24 oz jars.
•Wash vegetables and prepare as described above.
•In a large pot: bring water, vinegar, oil, salt and sugar to a gentle simmer.
•Flash cook peppers quickly for 5 minutes in the simmering brine. They should be slightly softened but still sturdy. Remove from brine with a slotted spoon. Remove pot from heat. Save brine for the last step, DO NOT discard!
•Begin layering vegetables evenly into jars. Alternate peppers, carrots, garlic, parsley and repeat until there are no more vegetables.
•Return brine to heat. Once it reaches a simmer, pour into jars to cover vegetables. Immediately cover tightly with lids and turn upside down. This step allows the jar to vacuum pack. Allow to come to room temperature before storing in fridge. If you’d like to store for a longer time, refer to this article on canning.
•Allow 1 week before opening. This is enough time for the vegetables to absorb the brine and the flavors to marry. (If you’re too excited and Turshi cravings are keeping you up at night… you can definitely enjoy the day.) Keep refrigerated once open.
AJDE, LET’S EAT! Tag me on IG if you try it @balkanbasics
