We’ve had plentiful rain and moderate summer temps the last few weeks and the garden grows by the minute. Sweet snap peas are bountiful, greens overflow my crisper and the tomato plants are 3 feet tall. The winding row of mixed color beets are beginning to crowd one another as I never have the heart to thin them.The Chioggia, golden and Detroit red beets look like little colored easter eggs popping out of the ground. I pulled a bunch from the ground for quick pickled baby beets with their stems on. Isn’t cooking from the garden the best?
Quick pickled baby beets could not be simpler to make. These refrigerator pickles only require a little prep and they are ready to eat after just a few hours in the brine. I like to keep the stems on these pickles, but they may also be taken off. If you wish to keep the color of your beets distinct, divide them up into smaller jars, otherwise the red beets will turn everything pink. Chioggia beets turn a pretty baby pink, golden turn yellow and of course the reds turn beet red. The brine is just barely sweet and salty with a little spice, making these pickles good for savory dishes and salads, without being cloyingly sweet. The pickles will last many many months in the refrigerator.
