Ingredients
- 3/4 pounds (4 medium-sized) organic beets, color of choice
- 1 small organic sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 small organic carrot, cut into thin strips using vegetable peeler
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup dry white wine, or clear grape juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt of choice
- 5 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
Method
- Wash beets - cut stems, leaving 1/2-inch attached to beet; place beets in a saucepan, add cool water to cover 1-inch above beets; cover with lid; place over medium heat; bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat to a simmer; remove lid and cook 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and thick-slice sweet onion; peel carrot if desired, then using peeler thick-peel carrot into long strips; set aside.
- Measure bay leaves, mustard seeds, dill seeds, whole allspice, whole peppercorns, juniper berries, and whole cloves into small bowl; set aside.
- Drain beets; set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, in saucepan, combine water, white wine, apple cider vinegar, pure cane sugar, and coarse sea salt; stir to dissolve; add spices and stir to combine; place on lid and bring slowly to a boil; remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, gently peel skin from beets then slice into 1/4-inch rounds; place in 1-quart glass jar; add a layer of onions and then the carrot peels; pour hot brine with spices into jar; place on lid; rotate jar to mix up; place on lid; set jar aside to cool; once cool place in refrigerator for at least 7 hours prior to serving.
Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Yield: 1 Quart.