I have a beet problem, which is to say that I love pickled beets, which means I’m worried that I’m missing out on the perfect pickled beet recipe. That means I experiment a lot with them. My rule has been that when I make them, I make my current favorite recipe alongside a new recipe, so I can taste them against each other. Sometimes the new recipe goes on repeat and sometimes it just goes into my notes, to be revived if I think a friend or guest will enjoy it.
Today’s recipe is a riff on the Simply in Season recipe, which you know is part of the Lancaster County Mennonite tradition because of the unholy amount of sugar in it. It’s reduced here.
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon boiled beets, sliced or quartered*, liquid reserved
- 1 1/2 c. liquid from boiling the beets
- 1 1/2 c. white vinegar
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 stick cinammon
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp salt
Boil vinegar, water, and spices, then cool slightly; strain. Pour over beets in a heat-proof jar. Refrigerate.
*You can steam them by covering them in tin foil and placing in a roasting pan at 400 degrees. Roast by putting them in a roasting pan with olive oil at 400 degrees. Or place beets in enough water to cover and boil 1-2 hours until soft. In any case, wash thoroughly but do not peel before you begin and leave 1-2 inches of tops intact. After the beets are cooked, the skins slip right off.
Family Foxhole 