Recipe: Pickled Beets & Homemade Mayo

Beets are a love affair for me. I love them roasted with goat cheese, raw shaved into a slaw, stewed with onion and beef. The grand daddy of them all, though, is pickled. For my lady friends Que Syrah Syrah (The wine girl), Flashdance (The blogger),  and Golightly (The Deal Maven) I whipped up a batch that has a little bitter, a little sweet, and a little heat. The overall effect is almost like a hot-cinnamon flavor (mild) that is a fun play on the classic.

Ingredients:
5 pounds fresh beets, ends trimmed
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 quart white vinegar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cloves
2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
Mason jars

1. Place beets in a large stockpot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes depending on the size of the beets. If beets are large, cut them into quarters. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the beet water, shock in an ice bath and peel.
2. Sterilize jars and lids by immersing in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Fill each jar with beets and add several whole cloves to each jar. For this I prefer the smaller size mason jars, as they will on average hold one full-size beet.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, beet water, both vinegars, cayenne, and salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars, and seal lids.
4. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using tongs. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

The next recipe I want to share with you is for Mayonnaise. Mayo? Really? That's what I want to talk about? Yes. The craptastic bread-spread you buy in plastic jars at the Pig is, in addition to being harsh on the tongue, is also awful for you. Flip over to the ingredients and you see sugar, vinegar, preservatives, and stabilizers. It isn't hard to understand the odd consistency. The homemade stuff, the REAL DEAL, is not only so tasty you can eat it by the spoonful, but....well, you don't need any buts, it's just good.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
3/4 to 1 cup canola or other vegetable oil

1. In a small metal or glass bowl, combine water, lemon juice, salt, and egg yolk.
2.  In a measuring cup with a spout, measure out the oil. 
3. Whisk the yolk until dispersed, then slowly add the oil three to four drops at a time. 
4. Once you have added 1/4 cup, you can begin to add the oil faster until gone.
5. At this point you are done, unless you want to go crazy. Try adding cayenne pepper, or dill, or garlic, or.....well, anything.