Syrian Pickles Recipe
- 1 large beet, peeled and quartered (omit if pickling tomatoes)
- One of the following (if you want to mix cauliflower and turnips, use half the amount of each):
- 1 head cauliflower, broken by hand into florets
- ½ medium-size head green cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 pounds turnips (about 4 large), peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds, then sliced again into semicircles
- 7 medium-size very firm (almost unripe) yellow or green tomatoes, left whole
- 4 cups cold water
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- 4½ tablespoons coarse or kosher salt
- 4 large cloves garlic, cut into halves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Fill a 1-quart jar with the vegetable of choice, placing the quartered beet on the bottom, if using.
- Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and garlic to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, mix well, and close the jar tightly. Set aside in a cool, dark place for 3 full days (72 hours). Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 months.
