Tourshi

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 400 gsmall pickling cucumbers, pricked once with a fork
• 300 gcauliflower, broken into small florets
• 200 gcarrots, cut into batons
• 200 ggreen tomatoes, quartered
• 150 gwhite cabbage, cut into thick wedges
• 2long green peppers, slit lengthways

Brine

• 2 litreswater
• 120 gcoarse non-iodised salt (6% brine)
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 1 tspcoriander seeds

Aromatics

• 1whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and lightly crushed
• 1large bunch of dill, stalks and flower heads included
• 4celery leaves
• 3bay leaves
• 2dried red chillies
• 6blackcurrant or cherry leaves for crunch (optional)

Directions

1. Wash the vegetables and leave them whole or in large pieces; small pieces go soft and lose the crunch that defines good tourshi.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water with the peppercorns and coriander, bring it to the boil to sterilise, then cool the brine completely to room temperature before it touches anything.
3. Scald a 2 litre jar with boiling water, then layer in the aromatics and vegetables, packing them tightly and pushing the garlic, dill and bay down between the layers.
4. Pour over the cold brine until everything is submerged by at least 2 cm, then wedge a crossed pair of celery stalks or a small glass weight under the shoulder of the jar to hold the vegetables under.
5. Cover loosely, so gas can escape, and leave at 18 to 22°C (70°F) out of direct sun.
6. Within 2 to 3 days the brine will turn cloudy and start to fizz when tapped; this is the lactic ferment starting and is exactly what you want.
7. Skim any white kahm yeast off the surface daily and check the vegetables stay submerged; anything that floats above the brine will go soft or mould.
8. Taste from day 5. When the brine is sharply sour and the cucumbers snap when bent, seal the jar and move it to the fridge, where it will hold for several months and keep slowly sharpening.

Technique

• This is a salt ferment, not a vinegar pickle. The sourness comes from lactic acid bacteria on the vegetables themselves, so use non-iodised salt and unchlorinated water, both of which inhibit the culture.
• 6 per cent brine is the traditional Caucasian strength and is high enough to keep everything safe while the acidity builds. Below about 3.5 per cent the batch can spoil.
• Cloudy brine and a yeasty smell are normal. Fuzzy coloured mould, a slimy texture or a putrid smell mean throw the jar out.
• Tourshi is a table pickle, set out in a small dish beside grilled food, cheese, bread and vodka, and eaten in single bites rather than as a salad.

Substitutions

• For a fast vinegar version, common in Armenian shops, cover the packed vegetables with a boiled and cooled mix of 1 litre water, 500 ml white wine vinegar and 60 g salt; ready in 4 days, sharper and less complex.
• Grape leaves, oak leaves or horseradish leaf all supply the tannin that keeps cucumbers crisp if you cannot get blackcurrant leaves.

Variations

• Karabakh tourshi leans heavily on green tomatoes and hot peppers.
• A beetroot tourshi turns the whole jar magenta and is served at Christmas.
• Some households add a handful of unripe grapes or sour plums for extra acidity.

History

Armenian households put up autumn cabbage, peppers and green tomatoes in brine, with cornel berries and cauliflower common in Yerevan versions.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tourshi?

Tourshi is a fermented & pickled from Armenia: vegetables brined with garlic and dill, served beside grilled meat and vodka. Armenian households put up autumn cabbage, peppers and green tomatoes in brine, with cornel berries and cauliflower common in Yerevan versions.

How long does Tourshi take to make?

Tourshi takes 30 min of preparation and 5 to 10 days fermenting of cooking. The recipe makes 2 litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Tourshi?

Yes, within limits. For a fast vinegar version, common in Armenian shops, cover the packed vegetables with a boiled and cooled mix of 1 litre water, 500 ml white wine vinegar and 60 g salt; ready in 4 days, sharper and less complex. Grape leaves, oak leaves or horseradish leaf all supply the tannin that keeps cucumbers crisp if you cannot get blackcurrant leaves.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tourshi?

Tourshi is a table pickle, set out in a small dish beside grilled food, cheese, bread and vodka, and eaten in single bites rather than as a salad.