Beet Raisins? 

Carrie Baird, a contender on Top Chef Colorado, wowed the judges with her beet raisins, the idea for which Gail Simmons said she would be “totally stealing.” I agree – It’s a fantabulous way to preserve beets!

On the trail of something new for the Homegrown Pantry, I made several tries with varying results, including the beet raisin recipe that Carrie Baird described to the Denver Post. It lacked detail, so I set to work creating a beet raisin recipe anyone could make with confidence. Twenty beets later, I have a recipe for beet raisins, and a deliciously decadent shortcut I’m calling beet cherries.

Beet Raisin Recipe, step by step

1. Scrub 4 medium beets clean and place in a pot with lid, with enough water almost to cover. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and cook at a slow boil for 40 minutes. Cool slightly, slice off tops and bottoms, and rub off skins under cool water. Wear gloves to avoid temporary staining of your hands.

2. In a medium saucepan, make a brine of one-half cup vinegar, one-half cup water, one cup sugar, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer.

3. Use a small melon baller to cut rounds from the beets, setting aside the trimmed pieces. Don’t worry if some of the balls have ragged edges. Place the balls in the brine and simmer until they start to soften, about 40 minutes.

4. Drain the candied beet balls, recovering the hot brine in a heatproof container. Chop the trimmed pieces, mix them with the brine, and refrigerate to create a quick pickled beet relish.

5. Place the cooled beet balls on dehydrator trays, and dry at medium heat for 2 hours. They should still be slightly sticky to the touch, but delicious when sampled. At this moisture level, you could call them beet cherries.

6. Dehydrate for another hour or so, or until the beet raisins just begin to have a dry exterior. You can feel a few sticky spots, but hold them in your hand with no staining.