These are ready in about an hour, though they improve overnight, and last for several weeks in the fridge. They’re good on salads, on top of burgers, or as a side dish with roast chicken.
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 small hot pepper (optional)
- 3 cups beets, sliced 1/2-1 inch thick
Steam the beets for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender (we never peel beets - if you wanted to, you could steam them whole, let them cool a bit, slip off the skins, and then slice them). Meanwhile, combine onion, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beets. Transfer to a large bowl or quart jar and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour.