quick & easy pickled beets

tis the season of beets!

today i thought i’d share my favorite quick-pickled beets recipe – perfect as a topping on salads or eaten straight from the jar.

ingredients:

2 cups vinegar (plain vinegar or cider vinegar is just fine)

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 teaspoons black peppercorn

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf per jar 

roughly 3 pounds of red beets, peeled & cut into large chunks

directions:

in a medium-sized saucepan, heat up your vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, cloves, peppercorn, thyme & oregano to a boil & allow to simmer until your beets are fully cooked.

in a large pot, submerge your beets into salty water. bring to a boil & cook until tender, roughly 10 minutes or so. test for doneness with a fork.

once your beets are tender, drain them & stuff them into your jars along with a bay leaf. pour brine over beets using a stainless steel funnel until beets ar fully covered with liquid. screw on lid & place in the fridge. allow beets to marinade with brine for a day or so … if you can wait that long.

please note: this recipe is not shelf-safe so keep in the fridge for freshness. enjoy!

love,

natalie

p.s. my quick-pickled sugar snap peas are a favorite around here – click here to find the recipe.