Adapted from Ideals Family Cookbook · Harriet Myles
Quick Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- About 2½ cups sliced canned or jarred beets, with their packing liquid (original: one No. 2 can or jar)
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- Dash of pepper
- Caraway seeds, for sprinkling (quantity not specified)
Directions
- Drain the beets, reserving their packing liquid in a saucepan. Put the beet slices in a heat-safe bowl or container.
- Add vinegar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and a dash of pepper to the reserved liquid. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt.
- Carefully pour the hot seasoned liquid over the beets. Sprinkle caraway seeds over the top.
- Cover, refrigerate overnight, and serve chilled. Keep refrigerated.
Cookbook source
“Quick Pickled Beets,” contributed by Harriet Myles to the Ideals Family Cookbook. The original specifies one No. 2 can or jar sliced beets, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp cloves, and a dash of pepper. The beet juice is drained and boiled with seasonings, poured over the beets and sprinkled with caraway seeds before chilling overnight.
Modern ingredient note
A historical No. 2 can held approximately 2½ cups by volume. For modern shopping, use roughly 2½ cups sliced canned or jarred beets and save their liquid for the pickling mixture. The original does not state how much caraway seed to use, so sprinkle to taste. Use plain beets packed in liquid, rather than beets already pickled in a sweet-and-sour brine.
Storage note
This is a quick refrigerator pickle, not a tested shelf-stable canning recipe. Refrigerate promptly after preparing and keep chilled.