Pickled beets: a make-ahead jar for salads and snacking

A beet that has spent time in a good brine is a different vegetable than one straight off the roasting pan. The vinegar firms it and the sweetness rounds out the earthy edge, and what you get is a make-ahead staple that turns a plain salad into something with real presence.

Beets are one of the richest dietary sources of betalains, the antioxidant pigments responsible for their deep color, distinct from the anthocyanins in berries or the carotenoids in carrots. Slicing and brining a batch on a slower afternoon means color and flavor are ready to go all week.

AIP note: the source recipe calls for cane sugar. Honey swaps in cleanly here and keeps the sweetness from refined sugar out of the jar.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beets
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

Boil the whole, unpeeled beets in a covered pot until a knife slides in easily, 45 to 60 minutes depending on size.

Drain and let them cool enough to handle, then trim, peel, and slice thin. Pack the slices into clean jars.

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and honey to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the bay leaves and salt, and pour the warm brine over the beets.

Let it cool, then refrigerate. Pull the bay leaves out after about an hour. Brine at least 8 hours before eating; overnight is better.

Storage

Refrigerator: about 2 weeks in a sealed jar.

How to use it

• Sliced over a green salad with goat cheese alternative or avocado
• As a make-ahead side alongside roasted chicken or fish
• Chopped small into a grain-free grain bowl

*Adapted from acleanplate.com by Christina Feindel*