Brined Beets

Saying that the book ‘Bar Tartine’ by Nicolaus Balla & Cortney Burns is great, is an understatement. The talent and dedication of these people are so obvious and the way they share their techniques and recipes is just amazing. I had a hard time choosing a ferment from the book but decided to go for the brined beets. It is easy to make but the result is so delicious.

Type of fermentation: lacto-fermentation
Level: beginners
Tools: glass jar, weight, blender or mixer

Ingredients:
1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp mustard seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 star anise pod, toasted and ground
1 bay leaf
1,5 kg red beets, peeled, cut in two and sliced
1 bunch of fresh dill
140 gr kosher salt
3,8 l filtered water
6 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 green serrano chile, stemmed

Instructions:
1. Mix the salt in the water until fully dissolved
2. Chop the garlic, shallot and chile roughly and mix in a blender with 200 ml of the salt brine
3. Put the sliced beetroots in a glass jar with the dill and the ground spices
4. Pour the mixture over the beets and top with the remaining salt brine. Top with a weight to make sure the beets are submerged and check daily. Close the jar and let the beets ferment at room temperature, releasing the carbon dioxide every other day, for a couple of weeks.
5. When you are happy with the taste, transfer the beets to clean glass jars and put in the fridge.