Pickled Beets Recipe

Ever buy too many vegetables at the store?

Pickling is a way to preserve some of these vegetables

So you can enjoy them later

This recipe for pickled beets was adapted from Alton Brown's recipe on the food network website for the same. The recipe is then adjusted for the ingredients we had on hand, and to minimize salt and sugar intake.

Ingredients:

•  2-3 Beets, peeled and sliced evenly into circles
• 1 Large White Onion, Frenched
• 1 Cup assorted Vinegars (instructions follow)
• 3 Cups Water
• Cinnamon, Allspice, Cardamom to taste
• Cayenne Pepper to taste
• Dash of Worcestershire

Helpful Utensils: 

• Mandolin
• Large Knife
• Large Pot
• Large Mason Jar + Lid
• Tin Foil

I used Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, and a dash of Red Wine Vinegar in my recipe. This was largely to separate the flavor of the pickled beets from some cucumbers I had pickling at the same time. I was happy with the result however, and recommend doing the same. The ratio is roughly one part Red Wine Vinegar to 2 parts Balsamic and 1 part Balsamic to 2 parts Apple Cider Vinegar and make up the difference with apple cider vinegar.

Since we are not adding a lot of salt or sugar to mellow out the vinegar flavor, we need to dilute it with a lot of water; anywhere between 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water to 1 part vinegar seems to work pretty well. Use less than that and it's really acidic, more than that and you dilute the flavors too much. If you find the mixture is getting too acidic feel free to either add more water or add a dash of honey or sugar. 

Add the wet ingredients in the large pot on the stove and turn the heat on high. Add the Cinnamon, Allspice, Cardamom, and Cayenne. Note: You will probably want to fish these spices out of the pickling fluid before serving, so I recommend using whole sticks, seeds, and peppers (lightly scored so you get the flavors out).

Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add the Onions and sliced Beets. Let the mixture cool and pour into the large mason jar before placing in the fridge for at least 3-4 days, but no more than 7. This lets the Beets and Onion soak up the flavor from your pickling liquid. Before serving, cook the beets in their own juices - Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Make a Pouch out of tinfoil, or place your beets in a small casserole dish. At this point you might want to fish your pickling spices (Cinnamon/Allspice/Cardamom/Cayenne) out and dispose of them - perfectly acceptable to eat the pepper if you like spicy things. Ensure the Beets are covered in liquid then cook for 40 minutes. The end result should be tender beets with a little bit of texture, and a nice sweet and sour onion. The overall impression is a lot like Sauerkraut, and would be wonderful on a Reuben for those of you out there who aren't vegetarian. For a more vegetarian dish, pair with garlic mashed potatoes, or sweet potato fries (recipe to come later).