Pickled Beet Shoot-out

My neighbor and I were discussing how we would use the beets from our Week 3 bundle, and both of us decided we would pickle them. We had slightly differing recipes and thought it might be wise to prepare them both and have a side-by-side tasting. The results showed that pickled beet recipes seem to taste pretty much the same, but that the emphasis on certain adjunct flavors varies somewhat. I present below both recipes, followed by a final analysis. By the way, the recipes work well with any of the varieties of beets we received.

Beet Salad

source:  Southern Light Cooking by Charles Pierce

Ingredients:
1 lb of beets (I used my whole share of beets which was 1 large Candy Cane beet and 1 small red beat)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil (can also use safflower oil)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 small Vidalia onion, diced into 1/4" cubes
1/2 cup toasted, salted pecans for garnish

 

Preparation:

1.  Trim beet tops leaving 3" of the green on beet.  Cook beats for 30 - 40 minutes in large pan of boiling water or until tender to the center when pierced with a knife.  Drain into colander and rinse under cool water until cool enough to handle.  Trim tops and roots off of beets and peel off skins.  Cut beets into 1/4" or 1/2" cubes.

2.  In medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar.  Gradually whisk in the oil and orange juice until well blended.  Add the beets and cubed onions and stir gently until well coated with the dressing.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until chilled.

3.  Serve alone or over salad greens.  Garnish with pecans.

-Crystal Comeaux

 

Pickled Beets #2

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets, any variety
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Cut off the greens and reserve. Scrub the beets to remove any dirt, then individually wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped beets in an uncovered baking dish that is small enough to crowd them together. Roast them in the oven at 350° for an hour to an hour and a half. They are done when you can stick a fork all the way into the beet. Remove and let cool. You can also put them in the fridge at this stage and resume the following day. When cool, the beet jackets will slide off easily.

Cut them into 1/4 inch slices and place in a serving bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine the other ingredients and whisk together. Pour the mixture over the sliced beets and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, turning the beets once (in the wee hours of the morning) so they all have equal time to bathe in the marinade. Serve.

-Clyde Tressler

 

Final Analysis

Though both recipes taste similar, Crystal's preparation had a bit more punchy mustard flavor, which I liked. Next time I believe I will jack-up my mustard amount a bit. The pecans were a delightfully crunchy surprise ingredient that I found quite agreeable. Overall, I think I still prefer the sliced beet approach to the diced beet approach, but consider this a method of controlling the impact of the beet flavor. Sliced beets retain more intensity. I still like the cider vinegar/brown sugar combo that I used, but I did appreciate the Vidalia onion.

So try them both and see for yourself!