Fermented Turnips (Sauerruben)

Sauerruben is sauerkraut's hot cousin, made from fermented turnips instead of cabbage. It's a traditional Germanic preserve from a time when cabbage and turnips were the big staple crops in Europe, before potatoes were introduced.

The flavor is crisp, tart and fizzy like a good kraut, but it's more delicate with a flavor all it's own. If you like to make ferments at home it'll be up your alley.

Kinds of Turnips to Use

I like the different varieties of turnips and their subtle differences. Here's a breakdown of some you might see at a farmers market or your local coop. Each turnip variety has a different level of sweetness.

• Scarlet is the sweetest turnip variety.
• Purple top turnips are the most common and least sweet.
• Gold turnips are slightly sweet.
• Hakurei turnips (not pictured) are the most tender and don't require peeling.

Choose a Shape

It takes more time to prep turnips than cabbage, but they make up for it by giving you more options in how they can be cut. Here's a few examples.

• Shredded or grated turnips
• Sliced into thin wedges
• Julienne
• Shaved "noodles"

Two Fermentation Methods

Traditionally you'd mix the turnips with salt, weighing them down in a fermentation crock like sauerkraut. Depending on how I'm feeling, I may use one of two methods: traditional fermentation in a crock or jar, or vacuum fermentation. All methods work fine, but vacuum fermenting creates a slightly stronger flavor.

Vacuum Fermentation

To ferment the turnips under vacuum, I mix the cut turnips with 2-3% of their weight in salt, mix quickly, and seal in a vacuum bag.

After seven days the bag will be filled with carbon dioxide, so I cut off a corner to release the gas and reseal. 2 weeks of fermenting is usually enough time for either method to get the taste of lactic acid we all know and love.

Fermenting in Brine

To ferment the turnips in brine you can put the turnips in a jar or other fermenting vessel and add brine to cover. I use 5% brine, or 5 grams of salt for every 100 grams of water. You'll add a fermentation weight to keep them under the brine as they ferment and the pH lowers. You can also use an airlock lid.

Variations

Think of the turnips as a blank slate you can add things to. Here's a few ideas I've used over the years.

• My favorite is a few strands of thinly sliced lemon rind.
• Add sliced jalapeno peppers for a little color and heat.
• Use the proportions for my Hosta Shoot Kimchi to make extra spicy fermented turnips.
• You can add caraway or other seeds, I do a version like that in my Root Vegetable Sauerkraut with Wild Caraway.

How to use

You can use sauerruben anywhere you'd use sauerkraut. At my first restaurant I served it with my choucroute garni, warmed with sliced apples, fresh turnips and butter. It's great with pork.

If you want to try that side dish, cook equal parts fermented and fresh turnips with sliced apples, finishing with butter and chopped fresh dill. There's a demonstration of it in the video. I also like adding ferments like this to soups, especially ones made with smoked meat. I think the ultimate might be a sauerruben Rueben.