Pickle, which is an industrial food in today's modern life, has become an anonymous food consumed in almost world cuisines. Let's say that although pickles always come to mind during the winter months, they have been discovered by people who have been trying to find a method of preserving vegetables and fruits for a long time since ancient times and it has been presented to the world as a food that can be consumed all year round. Just like bacon ...

Pickles, which can be made from a variety of fruits and vegetables from cucumbers to plums, grapes to garlic, have a very special place in table culture in Turkish Cuisine. Pickles are not consumed only as a side dish in Turkish cuisine. There has always been a plate reserved for it. Even the value of its water is known, the glass is also consumed. Preparing for the coming days of fresh vegetables and fruits according to the season, that is, to ensure that the vegetables and fruits are preserved for a long time without rotting, is to make pickles. Some of us also call it "pick up". Cucumbers, peppers and cabbage highlight the "To Be Pickled" list. How to make the marinade is also a sweet topic of discussion; With lemon or vinegar?

Although it is not known exactly by whom the pickles were first made, ancient civilizations are also frequently seen in their name. XIV. We come across recipes for pickles in "Tutmacının Tabiat-nama", which was translated from Persian to Turkish in the 16th century. Pickle, which is a word from Persian to Turkish; Persian -Tursh- is an extract from the word "sour or salty, mouth-burning". The Persian word is a synonym for the verb "to dry, to become thirsty" in Avesta (Zend). As can be understood from the word it derives from, Pickle; It is sour, salty and has a dominant flavor.

In Turkey, there are currently 6 different types of pickles that have proven their original taste and have completed their "Geographical Indication" registration processes. These; Bursa Orhangazi Gedelek Pickle, Ankara Çubuk Pickle, Mus Corti Pickle, Çorum İskilip Pickle, Sivas Pezik Pickle, Ordu Dürme Pickle. Although these are similar in their production processes, the small touches made and the climatic conditions of the region where they are produced turn them into unique tastes. For example, Çubuk Pickle, which has been made for centuries in Çubuk, a district of Ankara, is made using bay leaves, which gives the pickle a different scent and fullness.

Pickles is, in a way, one of the invisible heroes in world history. Since it is a food that can last for a long time, it has witnessed many migrations, sea voyages and wars; He has always supported the sailors and explorers in making new discoveries. Amerigo Vespucci, allegedly named after America, was a merchant supplying pickles to ships in Spain. If it weren't for the pickle, the sailors would have a hard time traveling for months, perhaps the history of the discoveries would change. Maybe that's why Napoleon and Caesar said that pickles encouraged the soldiers, who knows ...

We can find many pickle recipes in Ottoman Cuisine as well. Because pickles remained in the kitchen for a long time as a healing food. When we look at old sources, we even see a recipe for pickled peppermint, and in these sources, it is stated that pickled peppermint strengthens the stomach, cuts hiccups, eases digestion when eaten between meals and after meals, relieves toothache, increases appetite and removes smelly dirt from the body. In the past, when people got sick, they ran to small shops or peddlers in the neighborhood and drink pickle water. And they passed on this information from generation to generation. Now that we've talked about so many pickles, it's time to set up a pickle. 😊

 

• 2 kilograms of gherkin cucumbers
• 2 liters of water
• 3 tablespoons of rock salt
• 1 glass of vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon salt
• 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 2 handfuls of chickpeas
• 20 cloves of garlic
• 4 medium red peppers
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch of parsley

• Wash the gherkin cucumbers and parsley and drain with a dry cloth.
• After boiling 2 liters of water, turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Clean the inside of your red peppers and cut them into medium size.
• After extracting your chickpeas and garlic, check your warm water and add vinegar, rock salt, lemon salt and powdered sugar to the warm water and mix.
• Place the washed chickpeas at the bottom of the clean and dried pickle jar.
• Throw 1-2 cloves of garlic in the jar.
• Place the gherkin cucumbers firmly in your pickle jar without leaving much room in between.
• Add the brine mixture you prepared with warm water to the jar.
• If the water you have prepared is not enough to fill the jar completely, you can add boiled rested water and a piece of rock salt by adding vinegar.
• If your jar is full, add the parsley on top and put the lid lightly on it and leave your pickle for 2 hours in a sun-free and non-humid environment.
• Then close the lid completely and keep the pickle jar inverted for 2-3 hours in order to distribute the ingredients evenly and not to make air.
• After a few hours, turn the jar upside down and keep it in a dry and sun-free environment for 15 days, and your pickle is ready.