Roasted and pickled heart beets are delicious and fun! They can be added to salads, used as a topping on fresh tacos or crostini appetizer, served as a flavorful side-dish, or arranged as a garnish for your favorite beet cocktail or mocktail.
You can pickle beets raw or cooked for various “crunchy” textures and also create different shapes using a small heart or star cookie cutter. Plus- using fun shapes may be one way to get your kiddos to eat pickled beets. Well- you can try!
My grandma Grace was a phenomenal cook. She would dance around the kitchen humming a tune, while baking her favorite pies, cookies, and bierocks (German yeast-raised rolls that are filled with a savory filling). She loved cooking and baking, and wow, could she eat!
Besides my grandma’s delicious breads and cookies, she also cooked tasty and savory vegetables, served raw, boiled, or pickled. Grandma Grace made THE most delicious pickled beets, filled with flavor and crunch. These pickled heart beets are an homage to my grandma’s pickled foods, a classic recipe incorporating the deliciousness of traditional pickled beets along with playful shapes.
Batches of pickled beets will vary depending on which beet varieties and types (see image above) are used for pickling. Chioggia Beets are pink and white striped while red beets, such as Detroit Red or Ace are crimson and sometimes purple in color. Golden Beets are bright yellow when raw becoming slightly subdued in color after cooking. White beets are also fun to pickle, if you can find them in season. If you don’t have the time to pickle beets, you can make fun shapes with ready-to-eat cooked baby beets, often found in the produce section in local markets. For easy roasting prep, check out our 6 Easy Tips for Preparing and Cooking Beets Without a Mess!
If possible when pickling, use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar for its flavor and health benefits. Apple Cider Vinegar has many uses and can be very beneficial for health, such as balancing blood sugar, boosting immunity, improving nutrient absorption, promoting healthy cholesterol, and aiding digestion.
Looking for fun heart beet recipe ideas? Try these yummy recipes:
ROASTED AND PICKLED HEART BEETS RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1-2 large bunches of beets* (save the greens for a nutritious sauteed side-dish)
for the pickled beet brine
2 cups of water
1/2 apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (flavor to taste)
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
3-4 whole all-spice pods
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tbsp dill (fresh dill is best)
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes (flavor to taste)
*If using golden beets, substitute the oregano and coriander for rosemary and a little lemon zest.
DIRECTIONS: Pickled Heart Beets
Place beets in a large pot with water to cover on the stove.
Bring to a boil and cook beets until tender (about 20 minutes depending on the size of the beets).
Drain the beets, cool and peel.
Cut shapes using tiny cookie cutters (if preferred) or quarter beets to preferred size.
Put your beets in a mason jar.
Bring the brine to a boil on the stove.
Pour the hot brine over the beets until the jar is full.
Close up the jar, letting it cool completely before putting it in the fridge.
Eat within a week or two. These aren’t canned/preserved pickled beets, and they will expire.
DIRECTIONS: Roasted Heart Beets
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Gently rinse beets and trim off stems and leafy tops (save for a delicious sautéed beet greens appetizer or pickled-stems side-dish).
Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil and place in the middle of oven.
Roast beets until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30-35 mins (roasting time may vary based on size of beetroot).
When beets are cool enough to handle, thinly slice beetroot and then cut shapes using tiny cookie cutters (if preferred). Save the remaining beet portions for salads or smoothies.
STILL HUNGRY?
