Jan 30, 2013

Fermented Beets With Orange and Ginger

Whey, the nutritious by-product of the cheesemaking and yogurtmaking process, is full of Lactobacilli, so it serves as a fantastic fermentation starter. This recipe is inspired by rosl, a Jewish specialty from the Ukraine that calls for pickling beets in brine. The sweet, spiced beets are seasoned with orange zest and mustard seeds, and make for a delicious accompaniment to roast meats or fish. You can purchase whey online or make your own by draining store-bought live-culture yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve over a bowl: The drained liquid is whey. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Sara Dickerman's article Preserving Plenty.

Credit: Todd Coleman

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

INGREDIENTS

4 medium beets, peeled and sliced into ⅛"-thick rounds
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1 tsp. whole allspice berries
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1" piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Peel of 1 orange, cut off in wide strips
2 tbsp. whey
2 tbsp. honey
3 cups warm filtered water, warmed
Kosher or sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add beets; cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water, and let sit for 2 minutes to chill. Drain and place beets in a sterilized 1-qt. glass jar along with mustard seeds, allspice berries, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and orange peel. In a medium bowl, stir together whey, honey, and filtered water; pour over beets until covered. Pour any remaining brine or water into a resealable plastic sandwich bag, and place bag on top of beets to keep them submerged.

2. Drape a large kitchen towel over the jar, and let sit at room temperature (ideally 70°–75°) until beets have cured to your taste, about 1 week. Once beets are cured, season them with kosher or sea salt to taste, cover jar with lid, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #141

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Ratings & Reviews (5)

by REAK on 2013-01-30

Can anyone tell me an alternative than using whey? I think i will try making it but with whey.

Get in the know - http://livingitupalternatively.blogspot.com

by REAK on 2013-01-30

I meant without using whey

by SHANASOMETHING on 2013-01-30

@REAK... you'd need to find something else that contains the live lactobacillus. A little bit of yogurt starter might do the trick. I can't think of anything off the top of my head that would not come along with a dairy product.

Also, a question for the Editors... whey, honey, and filtered water does not a brine make. Should there be some salt in there somewhere? Otherwise, what keeps the other bacteria from running rampant while the pickles sit on the counter at room temperature?

by TAMATER SAMMICH on 2013-01-31

@SHANA Your beets have been sterilized in the salted water, and your untnsils are clean, you should be fine; I'm thinking of sourdough starters that are routinely left on counters: Although it's not unheard of for a starter to go bad due to unfriendly bacteria, they almost never do.

by MAINE_COOK on 2013-02-02

Very flavorful, but I followed the directions and after fermenting for a week, the sliced beets were very hard -- actually too hard to be enjoyable. I will try again, but this time keep them in the boiling water for more than the 3 minutes suggested in the recipe.

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