New Recipe: Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie}

Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie}

Buraczki [boo-rah-chkee], the queen of all vegetables… as far as Poles are concerned. She, along with cabbage and potatoes, rules our world. We eat beets in soups, cold salads or hot side dishes. The more, the better.

If you spent any time around Polish people, especially the older generation, you will know that growing a garden was always part of existence. Give us a chance, and a small patch of a yard becomes a bountiful garden with rows of parsley, onions, cucumbers, beets, carrots, leeks, tomatoes and string beans. It was none other in my grandparent’s house, on both sides of the family. On one hand, it was a necessity – dad grew up with four brothers and one sister and a hard working dad. No amount of food was ever enough to feed boys with bottomless stomachs – and convenience on the other – with a bit of work, food was always available.

Crops were harvested at the end of the season and processed for the winter. Carrots, potatoes and onions stored in a cool food cellar, cabbage soured in a barrel and cucumbers pickled, fruits made into juices and jams.

As far as beets go, grandma always made 2 different types of pickling. Whole beets in vinegary brine and shredded beets – finely shredded for fried beets, and course shred for salads and soups. Both methods result in a sweet and only a tiny bit sour beet, ready to be transformed into a dish in no time.

I’m sharing both methods with you today.

Below are some suggestions of how to use them. Click on each item to see the recipes:

Whole beets:

1. Ukrainian style beet soup {barszcz ukraiński}
2. Christmas beetroot broth {barszcz wigilijny}
3. Fried beets {buraczki zasmażane} – they will have to be finely shredded though.
4. “Clear” beet soup {barszcz czerwony}
5. Cold beet soup {chłodnik}

Shredded beets:

1. Beet salad {surówka z buraczków}
2. Creamy beet soup {barszcz czerwony ze śmietaną}
3. Cold beet soup {chłodnik}

You can make life easier and just pickle beets whole. Those can then be used for all of the above, shredded coarsely or finely, or kept whole.

Good luck! Please share your results!

Smacznego!

Anna