Makes 2 Quarts
We “resurrect” cooked beets into live, culture- active, sweet and sour gems. They will fizz on your tongue!
Note: Most sugar beets are more palatable when cooked. I find most canned beets are over-cooked. If you prefer to cook your own, simmer about 2 pounds of unpeeled beets in water until they are nearly fork tender. Shock them in ice water, peel, and slice into your favorite shape.
Choose canned beets without flavorings or additives.
| beets, canned | 5-15 oz. cans | (75 oz) rinsed, to yield 2 lbs., diced |
| onion, white | 8-10 oz. | 1/8" thick, half rounds |
| ginger root | 8 | 1/8" coins, slightly pounded |
| allspice powder | 1-1/2 tsp. | |
| roesmary, fresh | 12 inches | divide into 4 branches |
| lemon juice | 2 TBS | fresh is best |
| pickle brine (opt.)* | 2 TBS | from previous batch of Perfect Pickler® pickles |
| AFTER 4 DAY FERMENTATION: | ||||||
|
1 Rinse beets and dice or shred add to large bowl
2 Prep onions, add to bowl with ginger and allspice.
3 Load the jar
4 Use a spatula and insert 4 pieces of rosemary about the jar to be visible
5 Add lemon juice, vinegar, (and pickle brine if using) to the jar
6 Make up a brine (Review pages 7 and 8 of the Perfect Pickler® CookBooklet or website) add to the jar, then seal the jar.
7 After four days, pour off 1-1/2 cups of brine
8 Combine vinegar and sugar and stir well to dissolve, then add to beets. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
*Adding brine from a prior batch boosts the micro-cultures for your current batch. You do not require this step.
- Recipe by B. Hettig, inspired from Rick Fieldsʼ “Phat Beets”