Super Easy Cauliflower Pickle Recipe

 

Turkish Pickles

Turkish Style Pickled Cauliflower (Karnabahar Turşusu) Recipe

Fermented vegetables (and fruits) or pickled vegetables (and fruits) have been consumed by the humanity since ancient times. So, we can say that pickle (or Fermented vegetables) is one of the oldest foods in the world. In Turkish we call it "Turşu". Turşu is the name given to sour pickled vegetables or fruits. Pickle (Turşu) is an integral staple of our Anatolian (Turkish) Cuisine.  Turkish People love pickle (Turşu) very much. According to the Turkish People, a meal without Turkish Pickles (Turşu) is not complete. Especially, we consume it in winter days more than the other times. But, in fact, we consume pickles throughout the year. Turkish people like to make their pickles as colorful as posible, for instance pickles of cucumber, snake cucumber, green pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, unripmellon, green tomato, carrot, banana, orange, apple are mostly prepared at kitchens by the Turkish women. Also, you can find very very different and interesting pickles in pickles shops; such as Anchovies pickle, hard-boiled egg pickle, mushroom pickle, red onion pickle etc.

Formerly people feed their children and rest of the household as seasonally. For example: When we were children, in january month; we mostly consumed spinach, cabbage, carrot and leeks. In february month; we consumed cauliflower, leeks, carrot and celery. Until the end of April, our parents didn't buy tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper or strawberry, apricot, peach etc. because of the their season didn't come. But, todays world is really different. You can find everything in the markets, bazaars or groceries. What about new generation? They are happy! They adapt the today's world very much. We think that; generation gap is never disappear around the world.  

Cauliflower is a very healthy vegetable

Cauliflower is an very healthy vegetable that it is a significant source of nutrients and it contains high amounts of vitamin C. Also, it is well known as an antioxidant vegetable. Generally, our moms prepared the cauliflower pickle in February month. So, we decided to prepare cauliflower pickle and we made it at last week. We are going to share its recipe with you in today. It really goes well with the every dish. Actually, you can eat pickles with almost every dish. 

How to Make Turkish Style Pickled Cauliflower (Karnabahar Turşusu)?

When you ask that "What is the best time for Turkish Pickle (Turşu)?" Our answer is cool or cold times. Cold times are always the good time for the homemade pickles as the temperature is perfect for the process of giving vegetables or fruits their long-life and sour taste. Generally, our pickles times begin at the autumn times and continue to end of the February or beginning of the March. And when you ask "is pickle good for health? " Our answer is; it is always healthy for the one. 

During the February we have consumed different types of cauliflower base dishes (cauliflower recipes) such as; cauliflower stew (Karnabahar Yemeği), baked cauliflower with feta, dill and onions (Karnabahar Mücveri) etc. Now time is cauliflower Pickle time. Last week (second week of the February month), we made our "Easy Cauliflower Pickle" for the household. Like every Turkish citizen, we like to eat pickles with almost every dish.   

How do you make cauliflower pickles?

As we mentioned in the earlier posts; There are a lot of ways of making Turkish Pickle (Turşu) and every family has its own secret ingredients. Below is a step-by-step our way of making pickle (Turşu), taken from our moms! 

But first: Please pay attention to these "Important Things About the Making Turkish Pickle" !

• "Rock Salt, Vinegar and Garlic" are very important ingredients of Turkish Pickles. Also, lemon juice is important and very effective ingredient for the making Pickles, we use all of them.
• Vinegar is a very important ingredient, so that you should use good quality vinegar, 
• Rock Salt is a very important ingredient, we always use rock salt for the pickles. But if you want, you can use sea salt. 
• Don't forget to use chickpeas! Because they are very important for the fermentation process. 
• Water of Pickles or juice of pickles should be prepared in the steel or aluminum pots or teflon pot. Also, we use good quality water for the pickle.

Ingredients: one medium size Cauliflower head

Remove the leaves and stems, broke it into small florets

Wash them well and dry 

Now your cauliflower is ready to place in jars

Ingredients: 1 or 2 Glass jar/jars, garlic, dried chickpeas

Ingredients: 1/2 sliced lemon, 1/2 lemon juice,
and lemon salt

Ingredients: Rock salt or if you want you can use 
Sea salt

Good Quality vinegar always better

Mix bottled water, rock salt, vinegar, lemon salt,
lemon juice and red pepper flakes in steel pot

They asisst the fermentation process

We always use 1/2 Teaspoon Red pepper flakes.  
It adds different taste to pickle

Place your chickpeas and bay leaves into the
 bottom of the jar

Place your garlic into the bottom of jar

Then place you cauliflower lorets into the jar

Then place your sliced lemons next to cauliflower florets

Fill your jar or jars with cauliflower florets and 
Other ingrefients

After placed sliced lemons, pour the juice of pickle
on it. Cover the all ingredients with water of pickle 

Keep your pickles cool and humid place for 14-15 days

Recipe of Turkish Style Pickled Cauliflower (Karnabahar Turşusu)

Like other our pickles preparation, this pickle's recipe is super easy and simple. It is not complicated. 

Here it is our step by step "Turkish Style Pickled Cauliflower (Karnabahar Turşusu) Recipe";

Very good family favourite;

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 small size glass jar of about 1 or 2 litres (if you want you can use plastic jar, it is acceptable, but do not use metal)
• 1 Medium size Cauliflower head, leaves and stems removed, broken into small florets,
• Dried chickpeas (nohut), enough to cover the bottom of the jar. Chickpeas assist the fermentation process and absorb impurities that would otherwise make the juice cloudy.
• 1 or 2 litres water, (bottled water), 
• 1Cup vinegar -Vinegar of grape-, (nearly 1liter of vinegar per jar),
• 1 or 2 Tablespoons Rock salt, 
• 1 Teaspoon Red flakes pepper, (it is optional),
• 5-7 Garlic cloves, 
• Half lemon sliced and we also used rest of its juice, (it is optional, but we often use it),
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon salt, (it is optional, but we often use it),
• 4-5 Bay leaves,

Preparation:

1. First of all, clean your jar well, preferably with boiled water. Then, put your all ingredients of pickle on your work surface. Then, wash your cauliflower florets well and drain. 
2. Then, take your jar of pickle and cover the bottom of the jar with a layer of chickpeas (Because, chickpeas assist the fermentation process and absorb impurities that would otherwise make the juice cloudy). Then, layer the cauliflower florets into the clean glass jar (or jars). Put all of them in it.
3. Then, put bottled water, vinegar of grape, rock salt, lemon salt and juice, red flakes pepper and garlic into the large steel pot and stir the ingredients until they mix well. 
4. Then, place your sliced lemons in jars. Now, cover the cauliflower florets and sliced lemons with pickle's water. You can pour out the remaining water. Tightly cover the jar. Keep it cool and humid place for about 10 to 15 days. It is done, you may serve. 
5. Cauliflower pickle and other Turkish Pickles (Turşu) go well with "meat dishes" and "Buttered rice (pilaf), chickpeas dish" or Turkish white beans (Kuru fasulye) dish. 

Enjoy! 

Please let us know how this "Turkish Style Pickled Cauliflower (Karnabahar Turşusu) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.  

Super easy homemade cauliflower pickle 

 

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