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Pickled Beets

Pickled beets

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.

Pickled Beets
 
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This is an America's Test Kitchen recipe from the cookbook, "Foolproof Preserving".
Author:
Recipe type: Side dish, vegetable
Serves: 4 cups
Ingredients
  • 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.
Method
  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wrap cleaned beets individually in foil and place on baking sheet.
  3. Roast until a skewer inserted into beets meets with some resistance.
  4. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
  5. Remove beets from oven and open foil packets; allowing beets to cool for about 10 minutes.
  6. Remove skins with paper towels.
  7. Quarter beets, then cut crosswise into ⅓ inch thick slices
  8. Bring vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, star anise, salt and peppercorns to boil in Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat.
  9. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
  10. Strain brine through a fine-mesh strainer, return to pot, and bring brine to boil.
  11. Add beets, return to a brief boil, them remove from heat.
  12. Meanwhile, set canning rack in large pot, place 2-4 pint jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch.
  13. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
  14. Place dish towel flat on counter.
  15. Carefully lift jars from pot and place upside down on towel to let dry; about 1 minute.
  16. Using a slotted spoon, pack beets into hot jars.
  17. With a funnel, ladle brine over beets to cover and leave ½ inch headspace.
  18. FOR SHORT-TERM STORAGE
  19. Let jars cool to room temperature.
  20. Cover with lids and refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving. Refrigerate up to 3 months. Flavor will mature over time.
  21. FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE
  22. While jars are warm, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten.
  23. Return pot of water with canning rack to boil.
  24. Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer.
  25. Cooking time will depend on your altitude:
  26. Boil 30 minutes for up to 1000 feet, 45 minutes for up to 6000 feet.
  27. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes.
  28. Remove jars and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal and clean rims.
  29. Sealed jars can be stored up to 1 year.

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