beetroots in a pickle

We have beetroots coming in hard and fast and I just love them pickled.  It not only helps preserve your purple delights for months, it's a delicious way to enjoy them now.

The process is quite simple and the end result so much nicer than their canned cousins.  Simply cover your washed beetroots with cold salted water.   Don't be tempted to cut the ends off as this will make them bleed their magenta juices.  Bring them to the boil and keep checking them for readiness.  They are done when a folk goes in easily to the centre.  I did have to re do some jars that I'd realised were too hard when I cracked a jar open.  That was easily remedied by putting the lid back on and putting the offending jars into a big pot of water and bringing it up to the boil for 5 minutes or so.  This re-seals the jars and cooks the beetroots that little bit more.  I'm thinking I might experiment with cooking them this way, peeling them raw, jarring in the pickled liquor and leaving them in the boiling water for 20 minutes should do the trick and cut back a few steps.  

Anyway, back to the recipe!

Don a pair of rubber gloves or if you don't mind red stained hands don't, and peel the skin off, top and tailing as you go.  The skin should all but slide off without too much force.

Turn your oven on and collect, wash and dry the jars you are using for the beetroots.  When it comes to cutting them, it's totally up to you which way you go.  Sometimes if I have small beetroots I will keep them whole, cut them in slices or into wedges, it really doesn't matter.

To make the pickling liquid, in a saucepan bring 3/4 cup of vinegar (can be plain or white wine), 1/2 cup of water (filtered is best), 3 tablespoons of sugar and 10 or so black peppercorns.  Double this quantity if you are pickling a large amount of beets.

You need to put your jars into the oven at 150c for 5 minutes or so and add the prepared beetroot in and then topped up with the hot pickling juice and lid straight away.  I like to add a few sprigs of mint or thyme as well.

I love this beetroot drained and made into a walnut, feta and beetroot salad or along side some ham off the bone, a soft boiled egg and vine ripened tomatoes as a quick dinner on the run.

Ciao, Jan.