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Gingered Beet Pickles

by:
July 15, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Makes 1 quart
Author Notes

When I was visiting my mother in Florida, she whipped up a batch of these gingered beet pickles every couple of days, and served them with sandwiches at lunch, and on burger night. They come from Matt Lee and Ted Lee's latest book The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern. —Amanda Hesser

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Ingredients
  • One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick disks
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 pounds beets, peeled and very thinly sliced (using a mandoline, if you have one)
Directions
  1. Pour 1 cup water into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the ginger, vinegar, salt, and sugar. When the brine simmers, add the beets, and when it returns to a simmer, continue to cook for 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover loosely, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a quart-size glass container with a lid, and seal tightly. Chill further in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until ready to serve. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
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Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

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33 Reviews

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weshook July 4, 2017
Making this right now with golden beets from the farmers market. It smells so good; I can't wait.
AntoniaJames November 11, 2013
I made a gingered beet pickle that was similar to this, using white wine vinegar (much less harsh than distilled white) and golden beets. They're spectacularly beautiful, and so, so tasty. I roasted the beets first. I'll have to make a batch this way. The ginger sort of recedes but remains delicately perceptible. ;o)
Tomina June 18, 2013
Can you process these to store for mid-winter?
AntoniaJames November 11, 2013
I'm sure you can. I'd process in two pint jars for 15 minutes once the water comes to a boil. ;o)
dymnyno June 18, 2013
I am a big fan of pickled beets of all sorts. The picture shows the beets in a weck container. Was it sealed with a canning method or did you use the jar because it looks good? (the rubber sealer on weck jars is useless unless processed)
dymnyno June 18, 2013
I just read the rest of the comments and answers to questions about this recipe from 3 years ago and I think all my questions were answered.
William W. June 18, 2013
This is a quick pickle method, not a canning process. The weck jars are used because they're pretty! Also, pickled beets are one of my favorite pickles. Especially with hard boiled eggs and corned beef.
mbj913 February 19, 2013
just cooked and can already tell they will be great.
Butternut December 2, 2012
Any tips/tricks for peeling raw beets? Have only ever peeled them after roasting, when the skins slip right off. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Amanda H. December 2, 2012
I like using a serrated peeler for beets because it doesn't cut very deep -- otherwise you can lose a fair amount of beet.
bunditoast August 27, 2012
sardine ochazuke?
gingerroot August 27, 2012
I've been making WinnieAb's recipe, with slight variation depending on what I have on hand: http://www.food52.com/recipes/16382_sardine_ochazuke
It is delicious on its own, but I love the contrasting punch of flavor that these gingered beet pickles add.
gingerroot May 25, 2012
These are delicious. One favorite pairing is to serve these with sardine ochazuke.
AntoniaJames May 25, 2012
Oh that sounds divine! "Beet pickles" and "sardines" in the same sentence, no less, makes my mouth start to water!! ;o)
gingerroot May 25, 2012
Hi AJ! It is so good -- just adding the comment today made me want to have it tonight for dinner. It's also not a far cry from the typical pickled veggies that might accompany a traditional meal of ochazuke.
Tammy @. December 15, 2011
I love everything about beets. Even as a young girl I would ask for the can...it wasn't until my farmer's market days as a new mom, that I discovered the beauty of a fresh one. Thanks for sharing!
Spork July 29, 2011
delicious and easy....just watch out for the ginger slices!
fo July 22, 2011
i want to make some just to line them up on the shelf and look at them, how beautiful!
aargersi July 22, 2011
I made a batch of these last night with golden beets. They are about the prettiest thing I have ever seen! I may have eaten a few while still warm ....
fo July 22, 2011
so hard not to, i agree!
kerry F. July 21, 2011
Do you know if I could use raw apple cidar vinegar instead?
Amanda H. July 21, 2011
Should work just fine.
Nadia H. July 19, 2011
I just made these with the last spring beets I pulled today. Wonderfully crisp and tasty. One little remark: when I handle raw beets a lot, like here slicing them with a mandoline, I always wear disposable gloves. There are so many situations where I cannot avoid getting my hands really dirty in the garden, so in the kitchen I do everything to make sure you cannot tell from my hands the next day what I have been cooking... - The beet greens toughened in the summer heat so I don't have any to try the other recipe right now but I definitely will in the fall.
borntobeworn July 18, 2011
I made this last night and took them to work to share. They were a huge hit! Since it made 2 jars, I gave one to a friend to share with her family (since it says they will only last 2 weeks in the fridge). I generally don't like pickled beets that you find on salad bars because of the texture and taste but these are awesome! My guy doesn't usually like beets so we'll see if he's a convert :) He never used to like beet greens either and he loved those!
zabiene July 18, 2011
do we have to cook the beets or do we use them raw?
zabiene July 18, 2011
ok it's a stupid question :-)
cook for 4 minutes and afterwards the pickle will tender the beets?
Amanda H. July 18, 2011
Not a stupid question! The 4 minutes plus pickling will cook the beets enough. They should be a little crisp. But make sure you slice them thinly. If they're thicker than 1/8-inch, you might want to simmer for 5 or 6 minutes.
innoabrd July 17, 2011
I love beets...don't cook them enough they're one of two foods (the other being avocado) my wife generally can't stand. Pickles, however, I can hoard for myself!
thirschfeld July 15, 2011
I will be making these, I like to pickle beets with lovage too, and then I do the classic as well. Looks like this Winter will have three kinds of beets in store for us.
Droplet October 26, 2011
I love lovage,too. For pickled things my grandmother used to use a plant that is a very close relative to the lovage, but is slightly different. The leaves are slightly larger (shaped exactly the same) and the stems are thicker (still shaped the same and still have that hollow structure). My grandmother did not speak english so I have been trying to figure out what the name of that plant might be. Any clue?
Sashinka November 25, 2012
Could that be Sorrel?
G. C. November 5, 2015
You might look into a plant called "Alexanders". It has a flavor somewhat similar to lovage/celery.
Gizelle
AntoniaJames July 15, 2011
To die for. Simply to die for. I don't usually buy or cook beets in the summer (as I typically eat them all winter), but I'm making an exception for these. I adore pickles of all kinds, and these sound positively divine. ;o)