Pickled Chioggia Beets

A quick refrigerator pickle of raw beet slices in a light, bright brine that keeps their stripes.

  • Serves8
  • Prep20 min
  • Cook5 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb Chioggia beets, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp coriander seed
  • 1 leaf bay leaf

Method

  1. Peel the beets and slice them thin, then pack the raw rounds into a clean jar.
  2. Warm the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt just until the sugar and salt dissolve.
  3. Drop the coriander seed and bay leaf into the jar with the beets.
  4. Pour the warm brine over the slices until they are fully covered.
  5. Let the jar cool on the counter, then seal it and refrigerate.
  6. Wait at least a day before eating so the brine can soak in.
A light raw pickle is the trick for holding onto the candy-stripe that boiling would bleed away. Because the slices go into the jar uncooked and the brine is only warmed, the pink-and-white rings stay sharp for days. You get all the sweet, mild Chioggia flavor with the stripes still on show.