When I was pregnant with my son, almost 4 decades ago (YIKES!) I only craved two things: pickled beets and a particular brand of homemade small batch Greek yogurt. And I have never lost my taste for these two foods. There is just something about that fresh tang that wakes up my tastebuds. Actually, I love beets in almost any format and we eat them regularly. (Try my Moroccan Beets or Moroccan Beet and Orange Salad with Pistachios.)
Pickling is an early form of preserving the bounty of better times before the advent of refrigeration and well stocked grocery stores. And fermented foods are also great for gut health, encouraging good gut bacteria. And it actually is really easy to achieve.
While I am a big fan of beets and love everything about them – from their jeweled root to their green tops, you could use this same method to pickle cauliflower, carrots, spears of pickling cucumbers etc. And while I roasted my beets first, raw pickled beets are a crunchy and delicious addition to your pickling repertoire along with raw turnips. You can mix vegetables in the jar as long as you understand that the beets will bleed their beautiful jewel tones onto the other vegetables.
Lisa’s Quick Pickled Beets, unlike my recent posting on Homemade Sauerkraut, does call for a heated vinegar brine. It is very easy to make and comes together in minutes. And while my recipe produces a lightly zingy brine – with just a bit of sweetness, you can feel comfortable playing with the added spices used. Just maintain the vinegar to water to sugar ratio. Distilled vinegar works well if you don’t have or like apple cider vinegar. Don’t waste your money, however, using fancy, more expensive vinegars!
And while I roasted my own beets, you could use the beets that come in vacuum-packed bags at the grocery store. I do use those beets and even canned beets on occasion, but there is a real difference when you roast your own. So if you have the time, which is mostly hands-off in any case, I would encourage you to do it.
This recipe uses conventional red beets, but you could use golden beets if you prefer. Lisa’s Pickled Beets is ready to eat within 1 to 2 days and keeps in the fridge for a few months – as long as the beets remain covered in the brine. This brine can be used to pickle other vegetables as well and I plan on using it to pickle cauliflower and peppers. It’s so much better than the stuff you buy in jars from the grocery store and good pickles can elevate even the most ordinary meal.
For additional beet recipes:
Beet and Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Moroccan Beet Greens – Selka
RECIPE
Yield: This will depend on the size of your beets. The recipe also can be halved. I made about 6 cups or 3 pints
INGREDIENTS
About 6 cups of cooked beets. They can be boiled or roasted. See below for roasting, which is what I do.
FOR THE BRINE
2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups of water (I just use tap water)
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1.5 teaspoons whole yellow or brown mustard seeds
1.5 teaspoons peppercorns (Black or multicolored)
1.5 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
About 10 whole cloves
2 Indian Bay leaves (If you don’t want to buy them, although I love using them when I cook rice) or 2 Bay Laurel leaves
NOTE: If you wish a tangier pickled beet, increase the apple cider vinegar to 3 cups and reduce the water to 1 cup.
DIRECTIONS
If you have roasted your beets, you need to peel them once they have cooled. I suggest wearing a food-safe glove for this unless you don’t mind if your fingers are stained for a day or two. Once the beets have been peeled, cut them into a large dice or slice them. The shape isn’t particularly important, so do what you like.
Place the prepared beets in a clean glass jar.
Bring the brine ingredients to a boil in a small to medium saucepan and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jar and allow everything to cool completely. You should have enough brine to cover all of the beets. Once everything has cooled, cover the jar and place in the fridge. They will be ready to eat within a day, although I prefer to eat them when they are a bit more fermented.
TO ROAST BEETS
Wash and dry your beets (root bulb only). Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the beets individually on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Close the foil around each beets, creating a little package. I place mine on a baking pan. Then pop them in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on how large your beets are. They should be pierced easily with a knife but not mushy.
