amelia’s pickled beets

I’m not gonna lie, Y’all; I love beets! My husband says they taste like dirt, but I just don’t see it. If you are fortunate enough to have a plethora of beets, keep them stable longer using this fabulously fresh and crisp pickled beet recipe. Many recipes call for roasting the beets first, but by adding hot pickling liquid to the beets, I’ve eliminated that step. The hot liquid softens the beets every so slightly while leaving a nice, satisfying crunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled water

1/2 cup raw, organic cane sugar

1 tsp salt

Scant tsp whole cloves

Scant tsp whole peppercorns

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2-3 large beets cut into bite-sized chunks

Instructions:

  1. Heat water in a small saucepan over medium heat to soft simmer.

  2. Add sugar and salt, stirring frequently to dissolve. Ensure that sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat.

  3. To a quart jar, add peppercorns, cloves, lemon zest and juice.

  4. Add cut beets to the jar.

  5. Cover beets in jar with warm sugar water.

  6. Add vinegar to jar and screw lid on tightly.

  7. Gently invert jar 2-3 times to mix ingredients thoroughly.

  8. Allow beet pickles to cure at room temperature for 2-4 hours, then transfer to refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.