Torshi (Pickled Vegetables)

A Pickling Product

Torshi is a product of pickled vegetables. Pickling is 1 of many types of preservation methods.

Torshi is really popular in the Middle East, and some surrounding countries. It is eaten as a side or palate cleanser. Torshi comes from the word torsh, which means “sour” in Farsi (Persian) . Torshi is a very popular side eaten with almost anything that is not sweet. Many families in the middle east develop their own signature to making their own Torshi. A lot of these recipes are passed down through generations. Torshi has many variants from pickled garlic, lemons, and eggplant to everything in between. The recipe I am going to show you, I learned from my Mother and my Mother learned it from her’s, and so on.

Torshi has 3 basic ingredients

• Vegetables
• Garlic
• Vinegar

Sounds simple?

Yes, but there’s a lot more that goes into a good Torshi.

Recipe

• 1 carrot
• 1 red beet
• 1 turnip
• A bunch of pearl onions peeled
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbs kosher or pickling salt
• 1 ts red chili flakes
• 1 ts spoon dried dill
• 1 clove of garlic sliced

*These measurements can vary depending on container size and vegetable preference.

Cooking Instructions

First and most important we need to sanitize the Glass jar (Glass jar preferred. some use clay pots or plastic containers). Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Once water has boiled turn of the heat and submerge the jar into the water (this helps kill of Bactria that maybe in inside the jar) BE CAREFUL. Remove the jar from the hot water and start boiling more water. During this time place the vegetables into the jar except the red beets otherwise they will bleed. Once the water has boiled take 1 cup of the hot water and put it into the jar. mix the salt, red chili flakes, and the dried dill with the vinegar to dissolve the salt. Add the red beets, the vinegar and the sliced garlic. Give a slight shake to mix the vinegar and the water.

Place the jar in a cool place for at least 3 days.

Note

• Any Vinegar can be mixed in, but do notice that a good level of acidity is needed
• The Larger the cut of vegetables the more time is needed for the brine to be fully absorbed by the vegetables.
• It is possible to keep adding vegetables to the same container / brine, but make sure the vegetables are well cleaned, as to not create unwanted bacteria which will result in throwing out what we made and starting over.

• If you observe mold forming, do not eat.

• Air tight container will help make it last longer.

• Depending on how good you are at keep the Torshi clean, it can last for more than a year.

Pickling

Definition: the process of preserving food by fermentation in brine or submersion in vinegar.

Pickling has existed since ancient times as a way to preserve food, as there was no refrigerators. Pickling was and is used all over the world to preserve countless different types of food. It provides an easy way to store food, which is easily done during any season. It also provided the convenience of being a portable food that you are able to take with you anywhere. Many travelers, sailors, and tribes would use pickled and other preserved foods as one of their main food sources when traveling. It is more convenient since it can last a very long time (taking in consideration that most people walked, it would take months to go from city to city).As of now supermarket pickles are known to last 1-2 years sometimes more. Pickles have also been mentioned by many through out history, some of them being India, ancient Egypt, and even Shakespeare in the play “The Tempest”.

The Science

All vegetables contain harmless bacteria that increases during the process of pickling. This is a good thing, as it prevents bad unwanted bacteria from growing. If bad bacteria grows, then it results in the vegetables going bad/spoiled.

The process of a vegetable becoming pickled is called Lactic Acid Fermentation. This process causes the sugars in the vegetable to metabolize, preventing unwanted production of bad bacteria. This process produces Carbon Dioxide and Alcohol (not enough to get you drunk).

Now, you might be wondering; shouldn’t the vegetables lose their crunch after being submerged with hot water?

Well, we all know that hot water causes vegetables to cook and go mushy.

Firstly, we used hot water to help dissolve any unseen dirt particles and send them to the bottom of the container over the pickling period. Secondly, Hot water is a very good way to purify the vegetables from bad bacteria.

Now, how do we maintain crunchiness?

After the water was added, we then added the vinegar brine and brought the temperature of the water down. Since Pickling is a cooking method, the enzymes and fiber in the vegetables start to break down. Vegetables also contain a Polysaccharide(a carbohydrate) called Hemicelluloses. Hemicelluloses has many functions, 1 of them being, holding the cells together like glue. This is where vinegar comes in. Vinegar slows down the process of the enzymes and fibers being broken down, allowing the vegetables to continue pickling for longer periods of time, for a richer flavor. The end result, the vegetables are pickled all the way through, and still maintained their crunchiness.

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