These pickled beets reminded my husband of how his grandmother used to make them. When a recipe creates nostalgia, it’s a keeper in my book.
I used 2 bunches of organic beets that were uniform in size and firm. Each bunch yielded 3 beets for a total of 6, which was perfect for this recipe. Oddly enough, the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen approximates the yield to (4) 1 pint jars, equivalent to 8 cups. I weighed my beets in just over 3 pounds and only yielded a little more than (2) 1 pint jars. This recipe starts by having the beets roasted in foil to not only soften them some, but to help in the removal of the skins. I would highly suggest using gloves for this step. Beet juice has a beautiful, vibrant color that may not look so beautiful all over a fresh towel or shirt sleeves. This step took a little bit of time to achieve, so allow yourself to be patient as the end result is worth the effort. Additionally, I did not “can” these beets for long-term storage and simmered the beets in the brine for 30 minutes before removing them from the heat. I did this to allow the beets to soften a little more so that they were fork tender. I was very pleased with my outcome as the texture was just to my liking.
- 3 pounds beets, trimmed
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
- 3 star anise pods
- 1 tsp. canning and pickling salt (Morton's)
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wrap cleaned beets individually in foil and place on baking sheet.
- Roast until a skewer inserted into beets meets with some resistance.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes.
- Remove beets from oven and open foil packets; allowing beets to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Remove skins with paper towels.
- Quarter beets, then cut crosswise into ⅓ inch thick slices
- Bring vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, star anise, salt and peppercorns to boil in Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain brine through a fine-mesh strainer, return to pot, and bring brine to boil.
- Add beets, return to a brief boil, them remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, set canning rack in large pot, place 2-4 pint jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch.
- Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
- Place dish towel flat on counter.
- Carefully lift jars from pot and place upside down on towel to let dry; about 1 minute.
- Using a slotted spoon, pack beets into hot jars.
- With a funnel, ladle brine over beets to cover and leave ½ inch headspace.
- FOR SHORT-TERM STORAGE
- Let jars cool to room temperature.
- Cover with lids and refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving. Refrigerate up to 3 months. Flavor will mature over time.
- FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE
- While jars are warm, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten.
- Return pot of water with canning rack to boil.
- Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer.
- Cooking time will depend on your altitude:
- Boil 30 minutes for up to 1000 feet, 45 minutes for up to 6000 feet.
- Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal and clean rims.
- Sealed jars can be stored up to 1 year.
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