Quick Pickled Beets

The Menu:

Grilled Hamburgers

with Fresh Lettuce and Tomato from the Garden

Quick Pickled Beets*

In Parras, pickles are not on the shelf.  Our cucumbers aren't the best for pickling, and beside, truth be told, I'm not much of a canner.  Since I have beets languishing in the garden, I thought they might add color, spice, and a little something different to our dinner plate.  Of course every recipe in my cookbooks  called for allspice.  Did I have allspice?  Of course not.  I went online.  Those people were a lot more creative.  Perhaps they didn't have a ready supply of allspice either.

The best I found was at http://gardenofeatingblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/quick-pickled-beets.html. 

By the time I found this recipe, I was pretty well convinced that there was no right way to do it, so I pieced together my very own version.  Using the method outlined in How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, page 106, I made up my own marinade. 

Quick Pickled Beets - My Version

1.  Boil about 2 pounds of beets until fork tender.  30 minutes for small beets, as much as 60 minutes for large ones.  Cool.  Remove skin.  Slice about 1/4 inch thick. 

2.  Prepare the marinade.
1 small onion, peeled and sliced.
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 Tsp kosher salt
Spices  - I combined equal portions (about 1/4 tsp) each of cinnamon, coarse ground black pepper, cloves, and coriander seed.  I ground them in my small wooden mortar, which I purchased when I read in Mastering the Art of French Cooking that it was a vital piece of kitchen equipment.  This is the first time I have had the need for it. Bring marinade to a boil.

3.  Add the sliced beets.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Cool.  Refrigerate.  Eat within two weeks.