Tursha

Caucasian cuisine is famous for its pickles. In addition to the vegetables familiar to Slavic peoples, they pickle and ferment literally all plant-based products. Tursha made from green (asparagus) beans is one of those dishes.

Young beans, while still tender and soft, are fermented with garlic, aromatic herbs, and hot pepper, but without adding vinegar. At room temperature for several days, fermentation occurs and the result is crispy, with a pleasant spiciness, fantastically delicious tursha.

Yield: 1 liter jar.

Preparation time: 30 minutes + 3-4 days for the fermentation process.

Caloric content: 31 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Armenian.

Ingredients

• asparagus beans – 0.5 kg;
• bay leaf – 1-2 pcs;
• fresh dill – 0.5 bunch;
• garlic – 0.5 heads;
• hot pepper – 0.5-1 pcs.

For the brine:

• black peppercorns – 0.5 tsp;
• paprika – 1 tsp;
• purified water – 0.5 l;
• rock salt – 20 g;
• white sugar – 5 g.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients to make Tursha. The asparagus beans must be young. If a rough vein is pulled while cutting off the tip – the pod is already old, it should be set aside for other recipes.

2. The beans should be thoroughly washed under running water.

3. Then trim the ends on both sides, paying attention to the longitudinal vein – in young specimens it is firmly attached to the pods and does not stretch behind the tip. Old samples are not suitable for salting.

4. In a large pot, bring water to a boil, do not add salt. Drop the beans into it and boil for 2 minutes, no more. Lightly boiled beans will no longer be raw, and after salting will remain crispy (this crunch gives it a special charm).

5. To ensure that the pod has reached the right condition in the boiling water, you can gently fish it out of the pot and bend it in half. If a soft arc forms without bends and tears – the beans have boiled enough and need to be removed.

6. In the same boiling water, put the hot pepper for 20 seconds.

7. Swiftly transfer the asparagus beans along with the pepper into icy water. This will not only stop the thermal process but also preserve the color of the products.

8. After cooling, place everything in a colander – let the water drain.

9. On the bottom of a suitable container, lay half of the specified amount of dill.

10. Distribute part of the sliced garlic.

11. Evenly scatter rings of hot pepper and pieces of bay leaf, leaving some for the second layer.

12. On this aromatic cushion, lay the asparagus beans.

13. Top with the remaining spices.

14. And cover everything with dill.

15. For this amount of beans, 0.5 liters of brine will be needed. In a small pot, combine all the ingredients for it – water, peppercorns, paprika, salt, sugar and boil for 1 minute.

16. When the broth cools to room temperature, pour it over the prepared beans.

17. Place a weight on top so that the brine covers the entire preparation. Leave this setup in the room for 3-4 days (this depends on the weather conditions – if it's very hot, then after 2.5 days, Tursha will be ready).

18. After 3 days, the fermentation process is complete. The pods have changed color and salted, having absorbed the aroma of spices and herbs. Tursha is ready.

Tursha made from green beans remains crispy, like lightly salted cucumbers, acquires a moderate spiciness from the hot pepper and sharpness from the garlic. This snack, served with kebabs, regular meat, or fish, will disappear in an instant. The salted pods can be packed into a liter jar, covered with brine, and placed in the refrigerator, where it will last up to six months.

Try it, bon appétit!

Cooking video