MY MOTHER ADORES BEETS. WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT with me, she regularly guzzled Manischewitz borscht straight from the jar. I too am an avowed beet lover. This particular pickle was inspired by a recipe for pickled golden beets that Kevin West posted on his beautiful blog, Saving the Season. I will be forever appreciative for his nudge to spike beet brine with a shot of ginger.
2 pounds/910 g red beets
2 cups/480 ml apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pickling salt
1 cup/200 g sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch/5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Scrub the beets, removing the greens and long roots. Place the beets in a pot and cover with water. Simmer over medium heat until the beets are just tender, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your beets. Drain and rinse with cold water. When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with your fingers. (Wear plastic gloves or resealable plastic bags on your hands if you’re averse to pink-stained skin.) Trim the unwieldy ends, cut the beets into wedges, and set aside.
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the vinegar, 2 cups/480 ml water, salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, and ginger slices in a pot and bring the brine to a boil.
Meanwhile, pack the beet wedges into the sterilized jars. Slowly pour the hot brine over the beets in each jar (making sure to include 2 to 3 ginger slices in each jar), leaving ½ inch/12 mm headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).
Let these pickles cure for at least 1 week before eating.
