salt roasted + pickled beets

and un-beet-able way to prepare beets

Many of you hate beets, I already know this. BUT, even if you hate beets — please try this before you settle on that perspective forever.

This is a two-part process, and you can absolutely stop at just roasting the beets, which are great on salads or to eat just as a snack. Completing the second part of pickling the beets will add a different flavor profile, still great for salads, but it will also allow the beets to last for weeks in your fridge. So whether you have too many beets hanging around that need to be used, or you just want salad or bowl mix-ins that are on hand, pickling is the move.

The greens are great too — save them to use in your salads too, or cook them up with some garlic butter for your dinner.

salt roasted beets

Ingredients:

• beets

• kosher salt

• that’s it

Method:

1. Cover the bottom of your sheet pan with a bed of salt — the size of the sheet pan should depend on the amount of beets. Ideally, the pan isn’t much bigger than the beets, to limit your salt usage.

2. Place the unpeeled beets on the pan, 1-2 inches apart. Cover in foil.

3. Roast at 350F for about an hour, or until a sharp knife can be inserted into a beet with no resistance.

4. Remove from the over and allow to cool uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the beets are able to be picked up.

5. Once cooled enough, rub the beets with an old rag or paper towels (the beets will dye towels) — the skin should easily peel off the beet.

6. Cut to your desired size/shape.

pickled beets

Ingredients:

• 3-5 salt roasted beets (red or golden), depending on size

• 32 ounce mason jar

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 T kosher salt

• 2 tsp fennel seed

• 2 tsp coriander seed

Method:

1. In a small sauce pan, bring vinegar, water, honey, salt, fennel seed, and coriander seed to a boil. Boil until honey is entirely dissolved.

2. In the meantime, cut your beets into a medium dice and place into the mason jar.

3. Pour pickling liquid over beets in the jar.

4. Refrigerate.

5. Allow beets to sit in pickling liquid for at least 5 hours, or overnight for best results, before serving.