Preserving the harvest continues. I had forgotten about one lonely row of beets. Despite the jungle of weeds, they persisted. They were chiogga beets, which have the most lovely pink and white spirals. Although the stripes don’t withstand pickling, they have the advantage of turning the pickling liquid a daring magenta (in lieu of the more standard deep scarlet).

This recipe has a traditional flavor – sweet and tart, with the scent of cloves and ginger.

Quick Pickled Beets
makes 1 quart

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
4 large beets, scrubbed, peeled, and sliced into quarters
1/4 small onion, stuck with 10 whole cloves
a few slices of ginger

1) Combine vinegar, water, honey, salt, and beets in a  medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until beets are fork-tender.

2) Place clove studded onion and ginger on the bottom of a well-scrubbed glass quart jar. Add beets and pickling liquid. Store in the fridge. Wait a few days, and then enjoy for several months (if they last that long.)