Anything pickled, I’ll take it!
Pickled beetroot however, has a soft spot in my heart. All thanks to my Gran and the shamazing ham, cheese and salad sandwiches she used to make us. Thanks Gran!
In this recipe, just a few scrolls south, you will see that I offer you lots of variations and encourage you to go walkabout into the world of pickling.
You can pretty much wing this one once you have the formula. No matter how much you are making it’s simply equal quantities of both sugar and vinegar.
Here comes some more freedom…when preparing your beetroot you can slice, dice or wedge it. What you want to eat it with? Sandwich, hamburger, salad, pizza or cheese board?
On with the show!
MAKES 1 large jar
1 bunch of beetroot
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup white vinegar (Most vinegars are fine - apple cider, white wine, rice vinegar etc.)
1 tsp wholegrain mustard (I would have used mustard seeds if I had them. Get creative. You could use peppercorns, cumin seeds, mace, all spice etc)
a few sprigs of thyme (yet another opportunity to express yourself)
2 bay leaves
a pinch of salt
Boil beetroot (skin on) in a pot of water until they are tender, drain from the water and allow to cool, enough to handle.
Throw on some gloves at this stage, if you have them. But if you don’t mind your hands being a little pink afterwards, using your fingers and a little bit of pressure peel the skin off the beetroot.
For an alternative method, peel the skin off with a knife. I find that unless you have ‘on point’ knife skills you may have a little more beetroot wastage.
Slice, dice or wedge your beetroot and place it into a large jar or container.
Place the remaining ingredients in a pot and allow it to simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Once it has, pour it into the jar, over the beetroot.
Store these guys in the fridge. You may want to wait a day or two until you enjoy them to allow the pickling mix to permeate your beets. Over time the flavour will get better and better.
What do I do with the remaining pickling juice once I have eating all my beets?
I say you can reuse it a couple times more - topping it up each time, if you need, using the above recipe. Keep an eye on the quality of the pickling juice though. If people have been going in there with their fingers, it may not have as much life in it as you expect! It may begin to ferment.
I know with ingredients like cucumbers they have a high water content and can dilute your pickling juice and so it might be better to start fresh! DON’T THOW IT OUT THOUGH, you can use it when you are enjoying your next pickleback! MMMMMM
A pickleback is a type of shot wherein a shot of whiskey is chased by a shot of pickle brine; the term “pickleback” may also refer only to the shot of pickle brine itself. Thanks Google.