This is a quick pickle beet and the perfect recipe for the newbie to try their hand at preparing. It’s not your typical pickled beet because it doesn’t require all the spices. This one will get your taste buds excited and may lead you to try the traditional ones. My favorite way to eat these pickled beets is on top of a fully loaded salad: lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, maybe some crunchy cabbage or cucumber and often grilled chicken. The beets are endlessly versatile though, toss them on almost any salad or make them the main attraction alongside some good Feta cheese and maybe a few walnuts or just snack on them straight from the jar!
2 pounds beets trimmed and washed
olive oil for drizzling
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Pickling Liquid
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 to 4 tablespoons honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Place beets in a deep, lidded baking dish (or foil packet placed on a rimmed baking sheet) in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and bake for 60 to 90 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Peel cool beets (a paper towel makes this very easy) and coarsely dice. Transfer diced beets to a clean, 1-quart canning jar.
Combine vinegar, water and honey in a 2-cup glass pitcher. Whisk until honey has dissolved. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Play with the amounts of vinegar, honey and salt and pepper to suit your taste. Taste the pickling liquid before pouring over the beets and adjust as needed.
Pour pickling liquid over beets in jar (you may have a little left over), cover and refrigerate.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before eating – the longer you wait, the stronger the beets will taste.
Tags: apple cider vinegar, beets, black pepper, honey, salt
