Pickled beets make for a colorful addition to any summer table.
My grandmother would serve them over crisp lettuce, sometimes with cottage cheese. When we found them at the Hayward Farmers Market, I immediately added them to the Musky Country Salad recipe for color and sweet tanginess to balance the smoky bratwurst.
Now that the beet crop is in harvest mode from my garden, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to start refrigerator pickling for my guests at Estia’s and at home.
A 32 oz. jar provides enough pickled beets for a busy Saturday night special at the restaurant or for several days of snacking at home with my beet freak daughters.
Because the red beets “bleed” you should never mix the yellow ones with the reds, unless of course you want all red pickled beets. The yellow beets are lovely on their own with their lighter, softer flavor that is complemented by the small amounts of onion, chili and garlic in the recipe. With red beets, I choose to take it a step further by adding fennel, celery and shredded beet greens—love those healthy greens.
I call them refrigerator pickles because they are not actually canned but instead stored in the refrigerator and so should be consumed within a week after preparation.
Click index card for full printable recipe
Click index card for full printable recipe
