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For our first venture into pickling, we wanted a simple, straightforward recipe that we could potentially use as a base for future variations. Alton Brown's recipe from his Beet It! episode on Good Eats fit the bill (see bottom of page for link).

The only change we made from Brown's recipe was to use cider vinegar instead of tarragon vinegar. Many other recipes suggest cider vinegar, and we liked the idea of pairing the sweet-sour vinegar with the sweet-earthy beets. (Plus, it's what we had in the pantry!)

Since we were only pickling the beets to be refrigerated, not canned and stored in the pantry, the process was incredibly easy. The beets were roasted until cooked through and sliced thin. We layered them in canning jars along with some red onion, and poured the vinegar solution over the top.

We let them pickle in the fridge for three days (we couldn't wait any longer!), and tried the first few straight from the jar.

The beets were sweet and had a good vinegar bite, but the beet flavor we love was still at the forefront. The slices were firm and tender, though next time we think we might try under-cooking the beets just slightly for a crunchier texture.

We plan on using some of our pickled beets for some bruschetta appetizers at a party we're hosting this weekend. We'll also be eating these in salads for the near future. With a splash of seltzer water, we think we might even use the leftover juice in a beet version of the pickletini cocktails!

• Recipe for Pickled Beets from Good Food with Alton Brown via the Food Network.

Related: What Are You Doing With Your Harvest?

(Images: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)