I don’t like beets! Well, let me rephrase. I didn’t like beets.
Given I’ve had gallbladder issues, our holistic practitioners have been trying to get me on the beet train for years. Beets support blood circulation and are great for the liver heart and large intestine. When it comes to the gallbladder, they help build healthy bile flow. Beets are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, as well as carotene and B complex. So, what’s not to love, right?!?
Perhaps, it’s their earthy flavor but for me, beets kinda taste like dirt. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat them in a muffin, cake or brownie (no problem) but raw or roasted, I’m just not feelin’ it.
Until… Dyberry Forks opened for business, a wonderful farm to table restaurant in our neck of the woods. They pickle veggies and give you a small serving with your meal (nice touch, right). Wanting to give them a try, I tasted their pickled beets and feel in love. “I would eat these,” I exclaimed to Jen.
So, off to the kitchen to do what any Radical Homemaker would do. Here’s my spin on pickled beets. I absolutely love them – like eat them straight out of the jar, pink fingers love them.
Try em’, like em’, get on the beet train 😉
Pickled Garlic Mustard Beets
Yields 1quart & 1 pint
Gluten Free • Grain Free • Soy Free
Dairy Free • Vegan • Paleo • Whole30
Use This...
1 1/4 cups filtered water
1 1/4 cups organic apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt
1.5lbs organic beets, peeled
2-4 cloves organic garlic, sliced thin
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon organic mustard seed (per jar)
1/4 teaspoon organic black peppercorns (per jar)
Do This...
In a medium size pot, bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and set to the side.
Using a mandolin slicer, carefully cut beets into thin slices. Stuff into jars.
Add garlic, mustard and peppercorns. Pour vinegar brine over-top filling up each jar. Cover and shake to mix.
Put jars in fridge and let rest for 2 weeks so flavors can penetrate and develop.
After the 2 weeks are up, enjoy as a snack or serve with a meal. Keep leftovers in the fridge.
*Radical Homemaker Quick Tip*
Gold beets would also work – find them at your local farmers’ market.
I am very interested in this recipe. I love pickled beets but am always put off by the sugar. Please help me understand…. These beets don’t appear to be cooked before you put them in the jar. Are they crunchy when they are done or is it kind of like ceviche and chemically cooked?
Hi Shelly,
The beets stay crunchy because you’re not cooking them. The vinegar preserves ’em and lends flavor. You should give them a try – super good!
Danielle