Pickled beets and quilts

I had just finished photographing the newly completed sun-bathed back of my quilt when Tooley mentioned his recent batch of pickled beets.

I was moonlighting as a quilter at Tooley's family home in the posh 10 Mile Point area of Victoria. It's one of the times I get to vicariously enjoy the perks of being a propertied dog owner who lives out by the seaside. But back to the beets.

Beets. How I adore their shades of red and pink, their delectable candied texture when roasted, and their iron-y twang on my tongue after eating the second beet. I promise, absolutely promise to share my roasted beet salad with chevre and candied pecans with you. And a killer Tamil recipe for shredded beet called poriyal.

Tooley's pickled beets are a marvel of unconventionally canned perfection. Sweet and sour with a perfectly toothsome bite, they were too pretty to pass up for a photo op.

After nibbling on pickled beets, I finished photographing the top bit of my quilt. The quilt is a two year labour of love; it's made up of bits of fabric I picked up on my travels. I refuse to accept that quilting is an acceptable activity for middle aged ladies and grandmas. Quilting is a meditative exercise in discerning the algorithm of colours between pieces of cotton; mustering the precision and focus required for sewing the perfect 1/4 inch seam and cutting fabric.

Easy Peasy Pickled Beets

2 bunches small beets – scrub and trim ends
4 small onions – slice and separate rings
1/2 cup liquid set aside from boiled beets
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Add just enough water to cover the beets and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a moderate setting boil for about 40 minutes. Add the onion slices and boil for another 5 minutes.

Drain out the beets and onions, and save a 1/2 cup of the liquid that you boiled them in.

Set the beets and onions aside, add the liquid, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and honey to a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.

Peel your beets and slice according to preference. Place the beets in a sanitized jar and pour the liquid over top. Leave them in the fridge for at least two days. The beets will keep for several months.

Special credit to Megan for sharing this recipe.