Scandinavian Pickled Beets

Monday June 8, 2009

If any vegetable can vie for the title of “America’s most underrated vegetable,” it would be the “humble” beet. You rarely see them in restaurants nowadays, as a side dish or even as a garnish. Yet pickled beets are as ubiquitous across Scandinavia as marinated cucumbers, and for good reason. As “winter” vegetables, beets keep well for long periods of time in cool conditions, providing a valuable source of healthy antioxidants when summer vegetables are unavailable. And when pickled, both their vibrant red color and their natural sweetness is enhanced; superior as pickles when served alone, they also contribute color, flavor, and a refreshing crispness to herring salads, Swedish hamburgers (Biff à la Lindström), and open-faced sandwiches (in Danish, smørrebrød). You just can’t beat beets!