Beet stems are a natural food coloring that can be used for pickling and other kitchen projects. Red beet stems will also add a wonderful orchid hue to your pickle without bringing in a beet flavor. In this recipe, the red color in the beet stems escapes into the brine and gives a pink aura to the cauliflower. This technique also works nicely with red chard stems. These bright brassicas add exotic color to any pickle plate.

2 pounds white cauliflower (from 2 medium heads)

1 cup beet stems (reserved from Whole-Grain Roasted Beet Mustard)

1 large lemon

4 cups white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

¹/₂ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

¹/₂ teaspoon coriander seeds

¹/₂ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

¹/₂ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¹/₄ teaspoon fennel seeds

¹/₄ teaspoon cumin seeds

Makes 6 pints

Assemble the canning stations as described on pages 5–7, steps 2–4. At the food preparation station, wash the cauliflower, beet stems, and lemon under cold running water. Cut out the stems and leaves from the cauliflower and dice the stems and leaves into ¹/₄-inch pieces. Using the tip of a paring knife, break down the florets into 1-inch pieces. Dice the beet stems into ¹/₄-inch pieces. Slice the lemon into ¹/₄-inch-thick rounds.

Place the white balsamic vinegar, 3 cups of water, salt, and spices in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring the brine to a boil over high heat. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and steep for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower pieces and beet stems to the brine. Return to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let it sit for 5 minutes.

At the filling station, keep the jars and brine hot while filling each jar. Pour the brine through a fine-mesh strainer into a heat-resistant pitcher. Then spoon the spices from the strainer into the bottom of the jars before adding the cauliflower and topping with brine. With a slotted spoon and a funnel, scoop the hot cauliflower and beet stems into the jar. When the jars are about halfway full, add a slice of lemon against the side of each jar, ensuring visibility. Continue to fill each jar with cauliflower, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Use the pitcher to fill the jar with brine, leaving ¹/₂ inch of headspace. Remove the air pockets, add more brine if necessary, wipe the rim, and secure the lid. Place the jars in the water bath, covered by 1 inch of water. Once the water is boiling, process for 10 minutes (pages 11–14, steps 7–12).

TIP

If you do not have leftover beet stems, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of fresh shredded beets. However, this will bring more of a beet flavor to your pickles than the beet stems do.