Pickled Golden Beets with Cloves

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Well it certainly has been an age since I put up a post for my Kitchen Project series, now hasn’t it!

The idea being that this is a recipe that takes some time and is more of a “let’s spend the day indoors” event than a “Hey, what’s for dinner”? It's a way to connect with food in a more meaningful way by dedicating a block of time to it.

So let's get on with it!

What with today being the beginning of (Northern hemisphere) autumn, I can think of no better time to wax rhapsodic about that which is the beet. Seasonal, bright and tasty.

And to gild the lily as it were, we will be, immersing said beet in to a briny solution and calling it a pickle.

Oh my oh my.

I love pickles.

Who’s with me?

It’s the sweet-and-sour saltiness that gets me.

Plus, I can make them myself which adds to their fabulocity. Mix and match flavors, and a bite full of heaven is mine.

And if you play along, it can be yours too.

In this case, by using golden beets the counter tops (and my fingertips) stay white and I end up with jewel-like glasses of treats. Heady and delightful. Perfect with a charcuterie plate or cocktails or alongside roast meats. Nothing could be more autumnal.



So try this my peaches and taste the joy.

7 pounds of small golden beets, with roots and 2 inches of tops
1 California bay leaf, dried

A few sprigs of fresh thyme
10 cloves
10 peppercorns
2 cups organic, raw sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
8 – 10 pint jars (I like Kerr or Mason brand)

Scrub beets thoroughly. Add to a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until just tender (approx. 15 – 25 minutes depending on size.)

Drain beets and cover with cold water. When cool, trim the tops and remove skins. Slice into ¼ inch thick slices or wedges.

Combine bay leaf, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Reduce the heat and let the liquid simmer for 10 minutes.

While the liquid simmers, pack the beets loosely into pint or quart mason jars.

Pour hot liquid over the beets, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Close the jars and process for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Store the beets in a cool, dry place for three weeks before eating.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

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2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com/This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of my copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Restaurant review I just felt like sharing. Aronia de Takazawa.

Told you I like pickles! Here we have fennel, carrots and onions…