Confession: we've never really liked turnips. So what to do when the turnip problem strikes and a big bunch of them arrives in the CSA box? To balance out the bitter flavor we dislike, we turned to pickling. We gave three different recipes a try and the results changed our attitude toward turnips.

Japanese style: With our Japanese turnips, we used a Kyoto recipe with strips of kombu seaweed layered between super-thin slices of turnip. This was our favorite recipe of the three – sweet, vinegary, a little spicy, and fragrant of the sea. A lovely accompaniment to a dinner of rice, tofu, and vegetables.

• Get the recipe: Senmai-zuke: Pickled Turnip from Kanako's Kitchen

Middle Eastern style: Despite our aversion to turnips, we realized that we do always enjoy the bright pink pickled turnips at Middle Eastern restaurants – why not make them at home? The vibrant color comes from beets, which is another vegetable we have a surfeit of this time of year! The pickles are delicious in or alongside sandwiches.

• Get the recipe: Torshi Left from Middle Eastern Kitchen by Ghillie Basan

Emeril style: Emeril's recipe actually calls for daikon radish but we gave it a try with turnips. We combined sliced turnips with carrots, Korean red pepper (gochugaru), mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and ginger. The result was well spiced but a bit too vinegary for our tastes – we'd add a more sugar next time as well as more gochugaru.

• Get the recipe: Emeril's Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish from Planet Green

Note: All of these recipes are refrigerator pickles and will last for a week or two.

Do you have any good turnip pickle recipes to recommend?

Related: What Are Some Great Ways to Cook Turnips?

(Images: Emily Ho)