Pickled Beets – Pancar Turşusu

Pickled Beets

Another easy, healthy recipe. Like other colorful root vegetables, beets are very good for you. Beets are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron and fiber. They help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain types of cancers, expecially colon cancer. All the health benefits aside, I like pickled beets for the tangy taste they add to the plate. Pickled beets can be served as a side dish or could be added to salads to enhance the flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets (6-7 medium pieces)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Cut off stems and leaves of the beets. Wash and place the roots in a pot. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer until beet are tender, about 30 minutes. You can poke with a small knife to see if the beets are cooked. Remove from heat, drain and let it cool to room temperature.

Peel the outer layer of the beets buy rubbing between your thumb and fingers. Depending on the size, cut each beet into 4-6 slices lengthwise. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine crushed garlic and salt. Pound with a pestle. Add vinegar and water, stir with a spoon until salt is completely dissolved. Add sugar and stir well, dissolving the sugar. (If you use rice vinegar, you may not need sugar for it is already sweet). Transfer the liquid into a jar. Add the slices of beet into the jar, put the lid on. Keep it at room temperature for a couple of days. Your pickled beets are ready. Store them in the refrigerator. If you like, you may want to cut them into bite size pieces before serving.

Fresh beets

Boiled Beets

Beets cut into pieces

Garlic and salt mashed

Pickled beets in jar

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!