Pickled Beets I (fresh cooked, with a sugar-free & salt-free option) Recipe
OMGosh - these were a hit the first time I made them for a dinner party. They can stand alone as a side to the meal, or be chilled and served as a garnish with a fresh tossed salad. Those with special diets will appreciate the sugar-free, salt-free option, making them Heart Healthy and Diabetes-Friendly (note that the Nutrition Facts are tabulated for regular version w/sugar.) This version makes enough beets to serve fresh cooked as a side dish for about 6-8 people. See “Useful Links” below for the quantity canned version “Pickled Beets II.” Keep a container of these in the fridge; they will keep like pickles do for quite some time.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beets
- 3/4 cup sugar (or equivalent amount sugar substitute like Splenda)
- 3/4 cup white vinegar (not wine vinegar)
- 1 cup reserved beet juice, strained
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- Optional: salt to taste
Directions
- Wash beets and trim, leaving 2 inches of stem and tap root. Place in deep saucepan (about 3 quart size) and add sufficient water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (depending on beet size, this can take 45 minutes to over an hour.)
- Reserving beet juice, remove beets from pan and allow them to cool until they can be handled. Holding each beet under running cold water, gently rub to remove outer layer of skin; trim ends. Cut into desired serving size (quarter beets if small to medium size; cut large beets into 6ths or 8th’s.)
- Strain 1 cup of the beat juice* and place in pan with sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice (and optional salt) in saucepan just to boiling point; add beets. Reduce heat, cover and boil 5 minutes. Serve immediately or chill.
- Yield: About 6-8 servings as a vegetable side, or 24 portions as a salad garnish
- *Use remaining juice as desired (I combined it with equal portions of cherry-pomegranate punch and cranberry juice cocktail for a delicious beverage)
Useful Links
Adding to Planner
Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 98g | |
| Recipe makes 8 servings | |
| Calories 103 | |
| Calories from Fat 1 | 1% |
| Total Fat 0.12g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0.02g | 0% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 46mg | 2% |
| Potassium 204mg | 6% |
| Total Carbs 24.68g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.8g | 6% |
| Sugars 22.68g | 15% |
| Protein 0.93g | 1% |
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