And the Beet Goes On: Not the Lunch Lady's Beets

Have you discovered beets? Beets are making a comeback everywhere; but in the South, they never went out of vogue. If you don't think so, ask around and see how many people love pickled beets.

Do you like beets?

Maybe you have only had beets on your lunch tray at school. (This indicates that you went to school in the olden days when they just served your tray with what was on the menu.) Someone dared me to try them one time, and I never had them again after that! I don't recall anyone at school ever eating them; they were just something that everyone scraped off into the trash at the end of lunch.

Meet the Beet again

I read an article by Joan Haines on Associated Content about Pennsylvania Dutch Beet Pickled Eggs. I was intrigued, and I just had to try these eggs. Of course I had to do mine in a quick and easy way. I bought Eggland's Best already cooked and peeled eggs. There are only six eggs in a package, so I had to half her recipe for pickling.

I warmed 1/8 cup of sugar with 3/8 cup of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. I poured this and one can of pickled beets into a container, added the Eggland's Best eggs, and placed them in the fridge. Periodically for two days, I would stir and rearrange the beets and eggs, trying to cover the eggs with beets. Joan Haines suggests that you quarter the eggs for serving which makes a beautiful presentation. The outside is a deep pink, then you have white, and then the bright yellow yolk. I also have deviled the pickled eggs, and they are so delicious.

What came first-the beet or the egg?

I have made three trays of these Pennsylvania Dutch Beet Pickled eggs for funeral food and church functions, and they have been well-received. However, my husband did not like the eggs. Amazingly, he loved the beets; he said that they tasted just like the ones his mother used to make.

Pickled beets have now become a regular part of each meal at our house! We place them alongside of whaever main course we are enjoying, They add a sweet, tart bit of interest to a plain meal, and the additional pickling makes them more delicious than just out of the can. They are wonderful on a bed of Romaine lettuce and topped with cottage cheese. Beets are high in potassium and magnesium, among other nutrients.

How do you prepare beets? I would love to hear; leave me a comment!

Resources:
Joan Haines, "How to make Pennsylvania Dutch Beet Pickled Eggs," Associated Content.