Recipes From the Root Cellar_ 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables - Andrea Chesman [40]
4 Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Quick Ginger-Pickled Beets
Serves 6–8
If you love the occasional pickled beet but don’t want to fuss with a boiling-water bath for long-term storage, this recipe should work for you.
4–6 medium beets, tops and roots trimmed to 1 inch
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 To cook the beets, preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the beets, but do not peel. Wrap individually in aluminum foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until the beets are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork. Remove from the oven, cover, and let cool. Alternatively, place the beets in a large pot of water, bring to a boil, and boil gently until the beets are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the cooking liquid.
2 Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, onion, and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan. Simmer over low heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Pour the syrup into a large bowl and let cool.
3 Peel the beets if desired and cut into thin wedges or slices. Add the beets to the syrup and stir gently to coat. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
4 Bring to room temperature before serving.
Sauerkraut
Makes about 2 quarts
Sauerkraut is so much easier to make than you may think, particularly if you make it in small batches. I have a batch or two going all through the winter; that way I can enjoy my sauerkraut without the complication of making it in large batches. Do use sterilized quart jars (use the sanitizing cycle in your dishwasher or boil for 10 minutes) and make sure you bruise your cabbage aggressively to create enough brine to keep the cabbage covered. Using a mix of red and green cabbage makes a beautiful pink sauerkraut. You can add a couple of tablespoons of chopped garlic, dill seed, or juniper berries to the cabbage to vary the flavor.
5 pounds trimmed green or red cabbage
3 tablespoons pickling salt
1 Quarter and core the cabbage. Thinly shred using a food processor (use a slicing blade, not a grating one), a kraut-cutting board, or a knife.
2 In a large bowl or crock, mix the cabbage and salt thoroughly. Let stand at least 2 hours, until the cabbage has softened and begun to release liquid. With a potato masher or meat pounder, pound the cabbage until it releases enough liquid to cover itself when pressed.
3 Pack the sauerkraut into two sterilized quart canning jars, tamping down on the cabbage very firmly. Cover with the lid and screwband. Place in a container to catch juices that may overflow once the fermentation gets going. Store where the temperature remains fairly steady, between 60 and 70°F.
4 Check the sauerkraut after 24 hours. The cabbage should be completely covered in brine. If necessary, make up more brine by dissolving 1½ tablespoons pickling salt in 1 quart water. Pour in enough brine to keep the cabbage submerged.
5 Check the sauerkraut every few days and remove any scum that appears on the surface. If air is fully excluded, no scum will form. You should see little bubbles rising to the surface, indicating that fermentation is taking place. Start tasting the sauerkraut in 2 weeks. It will be fully fermented in 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the temperature. The flavor should change from salty to pickled.
6 Store fermented sauerkraut in the refrigerator for several months. For long-term storage at room temperature, process sauerkraut in pint jars for 20 minutes in a boiling-water bath (see the box on page 355). (Unprocessed sauerkraut has a pleasing crunch, which is lost when heat is applied.)
Kitchen Note: Some people think they don’t like sauerkraut. If their dislike is based on sampling canned sauerkraut, it is akin to disliking peas because you’ve tasted them only out of a can. Homemade sauerkraut or refrigerated store-bought sauerkraut is