Beetroot is a versatile tuber that enriches the kitchen in all seasons because it can be stored well. The earthy-tasting vegetables are also ideal for pickling, so that they are always ready to hand without much preparation.

Pickled beets are tasty and healthy

Beetroot from our own garden

Beetroot is a classic in the vegetable patch, of which not only the tuber can be used: the leaves are very good in salads, for example. You can sow beetroot outdoors from March and harvest after three or four months. You can overseed again and again until July.

If the tubers are in the ground too long and get excessively large, they will lose their aroma, so you should harvest regularly. To do this, simply grab a large clump of the leaves and carefully pull the tubers out of the soil, loosened if necessary. Stored in moist sand, the beetroot can be kept for many weeks. Another storage option is to preserve the tubers by pickling them.

Pickle beets in vinegar

Beetroot pickled in vinegar according to the following recipe tastes spicy and sour. As an addition to the snack board or in a salad, the self-pickled vegetables are a special treat.

  1. Scrape the tubers of clinging soil, being careful not to damage the skin.
  2. Boil water and cook the tubers in one piece for about 40 minutes.
  3. Peel the cooled beetroot. You should wear rubber gloves when doing this, as the vegetables will stain heavily.
  4. Cut them into slices or pieces. You can also leave small tubers in one piece.
  5. Place the beets in sterile jars.
  6. Prepare plenty of vinegar by boiling one part white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar mixed with two parts water. If you like, you can add condiments like mustard seeds or peppercorns.
  7. Fill the jars completely with the boiling hot liquid so that the beetroot is covered by the liquid.
  8. Seal the jars immediately and let them cool.
  9. After about two weeks in a cool, dark place, the beetroot will be sufficiently steeped. It has a shelf life of at least six months.

Pickle beetroot sour milk

Vegetables pickled in lactic acid are fermented or fermented with the help of lactic acid bacteria. This creates a typical sour taste, like sauerkraut, for example. Fermented vegetables are extremely healthy and rich in vitamins.

  1. Clean and peel the beets (don't forget rubber gloves!). Either slice them into fine strips or cut them into cubes.
  2. For shaved beetroot, sprinkle 10 g of salt per kg of vegetables on top and knead vigorously until liquid comes out.
  3. Firmly press the beetroot cubes or salted strips into sterile mason jars. No air pockets should remain.
  4. For the cubes, prepare a five percent salt solution, which you pour over when cooled. If the shaved beets didn't come out with enough liquid, cover them with brine as well.
  5. Seal the mason jars with a fresh rubber band and leave at room temperature for at least a week to allow fermentation to begin.
  6. Then place the jars in a cool, dark place for no less than four weeks. During this period, the lactic acid fermentation is completed. The shelf life of pickled beetroot is one year.

Boil beets

If you want to avoid the sour taste of the beetroot by pickling it in vinegar or lactic acid, you can boil the vegetables in salt water. It retains its unadulterated beetroot flavor and is perfectly prepared for use in the kitchen.

  1. Wash the soil from the tubers and cook them in one piece in salted water for about 40 minutes.
  2. Allow to cool slightly and (while wearing rubber gloves) remove the skin.
  3. Cut the beets into cubes or slices and place in sterile jars.
  4. If you like, you can add aromatics like pieces of apple or onion rings.
  5. Boil plenty of water, add 1 teaspoon of salt per liter and spices such as peppercorns if you like.
  6. Let the liquid cool and then pour it over the beets.
  7. Close the jars and place them either in the oven's dripping pan filled with water or in a saucepan also filled with water. The cooking time is half an hour at 80 °C.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden