I belong to a CSA and get more beets than I know what to do with. I'm nt eating the potatoes so took them to church last Sunday. They provide fresh produce to a homeless facility.
Here's the beet pickle recipe I use. They come out naturally crisp.
Adapted from a recipe by Greg Higgins, a Portland, Oregon chef and restauranteur.
Quick and easy.
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4 quarts of pickling cucumbers rinsed well
16 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
4 heads of fresh pickling dill, halved
about 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 quart cider vinegar
1 quart water
1/4 cup pickling spices
1/2 cup pickling salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup chopped fresh pickling dill
Wash two half-gallon, 4 quart or 8 pint jars. Keep hot untill needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
Pack the cucumbers into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Divide the sliced pieces of garlic and halved heads of fresh pickling dill among the jars. Add a pinch (about 1/8 of a teaspoon) of the dried red pepper flakes to each jar.
Prepare the brine by combining the vinegar, water, pickling spices, salt, sugar, turmeric and 1 cup of chopped fresh dill in a non-aluminum pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain off the seasonings from the brine and ladle the hot brine into a jar at a time, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Let cool to room temp, then store in the refrigerator. The pickles are ready to use after three or four days of aging, but they will continue to improve further for several weeks. They will keep, refrigerated, for about a year.