Beet Pickles

This is a Tuesday recipe that most of you will not be making, and it was the first time I tried.  If you read my blog, you know that I recently received a large amount of produce.  Fresh Produce  In the batch was a bunch of beets.  My husband will not eat beets in any form.  He says they smell and taste like dirt.  Being a person who doesn't like to waste anything, especially if it is free; I decided to try to make Beet Pickles.  My mother made them every year, and my dad likes them very much.  Since mom isn't around to ask how to do it and dad doesn't know, I did a search for beet pickle recipes.  There are many recipes using a variety of ingredients.  I came up with a recipe from Mr. Food for Amish Beet Pickles.  There aren't any fancy ingredients in them, so I proceeded to try.

The first thing I did was wash all the dirt off.  I read that you leave the root and top stub on, so I did.  Supposedly the nutrients won't escape when they are cooked.   I decided to cook them in the pressure cooker, which is my favorite small appliance. My Favorite Small Appliance   I pressured for twenty minutes,  I took them out and then let them cool.  After beets cook, the skins slip right off.  There is no need to peel them.  I used gloves because I didn't want purple hands and finger nails.

These are cooled, cooked beets.

The skins slide right off.

The beet all cleaned off.

After the beets were all skinned, I sliced them up and warmed them up in the sugar-vinegar mixture. 
Although these may not be for you, they are pretty.  I have to admit, they taste pretty good too.  Much better than I thought they would.  If you want, you can keep these in the refrigerator and use them up.  Or you can put them in jars and can them as you would any type of pickle. 

Amish Pickled Beets

What You'll Need: 

10 fresh red beets
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 
1 cup water 
  

What To Do:

1. Cut the leafy tops off the beet stems, leaving 2 inches of stem. In a large saucepan, place beets in enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 1 hour, or until fork-tender.
   
2. Drain beets, allow to cool slightly, then slip off the skins and cut into 1/4-inch slices; discard remaining stems. Return sliced beets to the pot and add remaining salt, the sugar, cider vinegar, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through.
   
3. Transfer to a glass dish or jar , cover, and chill overnight before serving.  The longer they sit the better they taste.
   
   
   

   

   Finished jar of Beet Pickles