Description
Alton Brown’s pickled beets recipe brings tangy sweetness to classic preserving techniques. Quick refrigerator pickles deliver zesty flavor you can enjoy with salads, sandwiches, or as a simple side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) beets, cleaned with 1-inch stem remaining
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large shallots, peeled
- 2 cups (480 ml) tarragon chive vinegar
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 tsps olive oil
- 1 ½ tsps kosher salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Roast Preparation: Ignite the oven to 400°F and gather whole beets, shallots, rosemary, and olive oil in a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly coating ingredients with oil.
- Foil Packaging: Encase the vegetable medley in heavy-duty aluminum foil, creating a tightly sealed steam-friendly pouch that guarantees even roasting.
- Beet Transformation: Roast the vegetable packet for one hour until beets surrender to a paring knife’s gentle pressure, indicating perfect tenderness.
- Skin Removal: Once slightly cooled, peel beets using fingers or knife, revealing their vibrant interior.
- Pickling Preparation: Slice peeled beets and onions into delicate, consistent rounds, layering them strategically within two sterilized glass jars.
- Liquid Infusion: Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan, bringing the mixture to a vigorous boil before cascading the hot pickling liquid over the vegetable layers.
- Preservation: Seal jars tightly, allow cooling at room temperature for two hours, then refrigerate for a minimum of three days to develop a rich, complex flavor profile.
Notes
- Roast with Care: Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to create a steam-sealed packet, preventing moisture loss and ensuring perfectly tender beets.
- Slice Precisely: Cut beets into thin, uniform rounds for consistent pickling and an appealing presentation that absorbs flavors evenly.
- Patience Pays Off: Allow pickled beets to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, giving time for flavors to develop and intensify.
- Temperature Matters: Boil pickling liquid thoroughly before pouring over beets to guarantee proper preservation and flavor infusion.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg