Homemade Turkish Pickles (Tursu)
Crunchy, garlicky Turkish tursu made the traditional way with grape vinegar, coarse brine salt and a handful of dried chickpeas. Ready to eat in three to four weeks.
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Ingredients
1kg small firm cucumbers (or 4-5 long cucumbers, halved)
2 medium carrots, cut into thick sticks
3 green tomatoes, quartered (optional)
6-8 small hot green peppers, pricked with a knife
1 whole garlic bulb, cloves peeled
500ml grape vinegar
3 tbsp coarse brine salt (non-iodised)
1 tbsp dried chickpeas
1 tsp lemon salt (citric acid)
2 tsp granulated sugar
About 1 litre drinking water (not hot)
A few sprigs of fresh dill or parsley stalks (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Sterilise a large glass jar (about 3 litres) with boiling water and let it dry completely; any grease or residue will spoil the brine.
- 2
Wash the vegetables well. Trim the cucumber ends, cut carrots into thick sticks and prick the peppers so the brine can penetrate.
- 3
Pack the vegetables tightly into the jar in layers, tucking garlic cloves, dill and the dried chickpeas between them.
- 4
Stir the coarse salt, sugar and lemon salt into the water until fully dissolved, then mix in the grape vinegar.
- 5
Pour the brine over the vegetables until they are completely submerged; weigh them down with a small glass or a cabbage leaf if they float.
- 6
Seal the jar and keep it at cool room temperature away from direct sun. Open briefly after 2-3 days to release any gas, then reseal.
- 7
Taste after 3 weeks; in cooler UK kitchens allow up to 4 weeks. Once sour and crunchy, move the jar to the fridge, where it keeps for 2-3 months.
No Turkish table is complete without tursu. From cucumbers to cabbage, green tomatoes to hot peppers, almost any firm vegetable ends up in the pickle jar, and the salty-sour crunch cuts beautifully through rich dishes like kuru fasulye and grilled meats. Making your own at home in the UK is far easier than it sounds, and the result beats any supermarket gherkin.
Three details separate great tursu from mushy disappointment. Use coarse, additive-free brine salt rather than fine table salt; iodine and anti-caking agents can cloud the brine and soften the vegetables. Use real grape vinegar for authentic flavour. And add a spoonful of dried chickpeas: an old bakkal trick that kick-starts a gentle fermentation and keeps the pickles lively and crisp.
All the essentials, including Billur coarse brine salt, Burcu grape vinegar and Duru chickpeas, are delivered across the UK by Turkish Online Market. If you cannot wait a month, a jar of ready-made mixed pickles will tide you over while your own batch matures on the counter.
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