Tangy Pickled Beets

Years ago, my mom kept a crock of pickled beets in the fridge at all times and we had them with almost every dinner. Fast forward to health-conscious diners today and we find that these pickled veggies are actually good for you providing vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and B folate (not to mention fiber). 

If you've ever had a salad with pickled beets you know the delight of this bright and tangy dish. And that is precisely what reminded me of mom's crock of pickled beets. On our last trip to New England, I had a pickled beet salad at a local diner. The salad included goat cheese and chopped veggies along with the tangy beets. So, when I got home, I pulled out the crock and made a batch to enjoy with my salads. Here is my mom's simple recipe. 

Ingredients

2 cans of sliced beets

3/4 to 1 cup of sugar

12 whole cloves

3 bay leaves

One cup of water

Enough apple cider vinegar to cover the beets

Instructions

Boil the one cup of water and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the cloves and bay leaves to the warm sugar-water mixture. Drain one can of beets and put it into a crock. Add the second can along with its liquid. Add enough apple cider vinegar to cover the beets. Then add the sugar water mixture and stir. Let the beets stand overnight in the fridge. The longer they stand, the better they taste, but we always eat them up pretty quick! 

They are delicious in a salad of raw spinach or spring lettuce mix.