Almost Turkish Recipes

Pickled Beets (Pancar Turşusu)



Pickled beets is one of the easiest and, at the same time, the most delicious pickled vegetables of Turkish cuisine. It is considered one of the indispensable mezes of the Turkish raki tables. It is also good with hearty winter dishes such as legumes.


1 bunch beets = ~2lb beets = 3-4 medium size beets
1 tsp salt
11/2  tsp sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (red wine, apple, etc)
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

-Wear a dark color shirt or a very old one and put on an apron, beet stain is "the" toughest of all.
-Cut the tops and bottoms of beets and wash them really, really well.
-Place in a pot, cover with water, and cook until soft. (if a knife can go though them easily, then they're cooked.) This may take more or less 30-40 minutes. If you prefer a pressure cooker, set the timer for 15 minutes.
-Once they cool down, peel the beets (which is super easy once they're cooked) and preserve the cooking juice.
-Cut the beets the way you like; you can cube (as in the picture); slice; or halve them.
-Layer beets, garlic, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a glass jar. (To give you an idea three medium size cubed beets fit in an Atlas jar.)
-Fill the jar with preserved beet juice. Close tight and refrigerate.
-It's ready to eat the next day; no need to wait for longer.



10 comments:

  1. When you say 'reserve the juice' after peeling the beets do you mean the cooking liquid too or only the juice that comes from peeling?

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    Replies
    1. I mean the cooking liquid.

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    2. Anonymous1:36 PM

      what would we need a beetroot water for ? and dont you cook vinegar with garlic and sugar in a pot before pouring on the beets? Natalie

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    3. Beets are boiled in plain water and vinegar and garlic are added later on after they're peeled. You need the cooking juice to top them off.

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  2. Merhaba Burcu : )

    This is delightful, looks great ;)
    Eline saglik, selamlar ve mutlu bayramlar!
    Ozlem
    www.ozlemsturkishtable.com

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  3. This looks good...I'll try this recipe.... as I remember my sister in law in Izmir made something like this when we visited there before....thanks for sharing your recipe and great photo's.
    Happy Kurban Bayram!

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  4. I really love turkish style pickled vegetables, but have never tried pickled beetroots before. I should give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Almanyadan Selamlar

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  5. I am excited to try this, I love beets, and I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy them. I like that the pickling process is so fast!

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  6. This recipe looks amazing! Love your blog!

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  7. Oh Burcu, I'm so excited to have just found your blog! You have some wonderful recipes and beautiful photos. I love Turkish food. Being Greek our tastes are very similar. I will have to spend some time going through your archives now! Thank you for a wonderful blog!!

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