Sauerkraut-Ish Pickled Beets Recipe
When you go to a salad bar, do you walk past the beets, or do you pile them on? Beets tend to be a love 'em or hate 'em kind of veggie. Even though they have a few quirks, they can be made many different ways to please the most adamant of haters. This recipe brought to us by wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn may just turn you into a beet fan if give these a try. "I love incorporating beets into my diet because they offer a huge lineup of health benefits ranging from being nutrient-packed, helping to lower blood pressure, and even improving your workouts" (via Healthline). Years ago, beets got a bad rap when they were served straight from a can, and plopped on a plate. Today, there are many other creative ways to work with beets, and this sauerkraut-ish pickled beets recipe is one of them.
Gather the ingredients for sauerkraut-ish pickled beets
For this recipe, we will, of course, need some beets of any color. "I like to use golden beets for this recipe in particular because you are handling them quite a bit, and the golden variety won't stain your hands and utensils like the red will," Hahn shares. "However," she goes on to say, "you can always work with gloves, and that can keep the staining to a minimum." We'll also need some apple cider vinegar, water, rice vinegar, sugar, non-iodized salt, and pickling spice. Hahn uses pink Himalayan salt because it doesn't have iodine, or anti-caking agents included, which can discolor the brine. The pickling spice is a blend of mustard seed, black peppercorns, dill seed, cardamom, cassia, ginger, coriander, allspice, chili flakes, cloves, and bay leaves. If you don't have that blend, you can add a pinch of each spice that you happen to have.
Prep and grate the beets
We'll start by cutting off the stems of each beet, and peeling the skin with either a paring knife or a potato peeler. The easiest way to grate your beets is to use a food processor with a grating blade (This is not the "S" blade, folks). Once you chop the beets into strips, or small enough to fit through the grating tube, grate away until it looks like the texture of shredded carrots. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a good ole box grater.
Make the brine
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pickling spice in a medium pot. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir for a few minutes to make sure the sugar and salt are dissolved. Then, remove from heat, and let it cool.
Fill the jars, and add the brine
While the brine is cooling, add the grated beets to 2 32-ounce jars. "Wide mouth mason or Weck jars work really well for this," Hahn remarks. "I typically switch out the metal lids for the plastic lids to make it easier to get in and out of the jars," she goes on to say. If you don't have mason jars on hand, you can use any glass container that has an air-tight lid. Before putting the lids on the jars, press the grated beets down firmly, so that the liquid rises slightly above the surface. If you find there isn't enough liquid, just add more water.
Refrigerate, and serve
Now, just seal up your jars, and put them in the fridge for 24 hours to let the brine do its magic. Now that you have these handy jars of sauerkraut-ish pickled beets in your fridge, they make a great topper for a burger or sandwich, and are delicious added to a green salad. You can add them to eggs, avocado toast, or tofu to liven up your breakfast, or as a side dish to add a salty component to your meal. The beets will last for up to 2 months in a sealed container in your fridge.
- 4 beets
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt
- 1 tablespoon pickling seasoning
- Cut off the stems, and peel the beets. Chop them in long pieces, small enough to fit through the grating tube on your food processor. Grate the beets with the food processor or box grater, until finely shredded.
- Add the apple cider vinegar, water, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pickling seasoning to a medium pot, and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool.
- Add the grated beets to 2 32-ounce, wide-mouth jars or a glass containers with a lid.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the shredded beets, making sure there is liquid covering the tops of the beets. You can add more water if necessary.
- Let the pickled beets cool, then place the jars in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving.
| Calories per Serving | 13 |
| Total Fat | 0.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.0 g |
| Sodium | 92.3 mg |
| Protein | 0.2 g |
