Ludwig Van Beets

The Old World Dutch were among the earliest to bring back spices from Asia. You can sense the cook’s pinches and dabs of rare spices evolved into a traditional Dutch blend known as Speculaas, which marries well to the sweetness of beets. I fashioned this warm, sweet blend to make beets glow any time of year. You will need to prepare Speculaas Spice before you can create Ludwig Van Beets .

For the curious, Ludwig Van Beethoven translates as Ludwig of the Beet Garden.

This recipe makes 2 quarts.

– Recipe by Bill Hettig

Speculaas Spice Recipe -After roasting anise & coriander place all in spice grinder or mortar and grind finely.

• 1 teaspoon of anise seed, dry roast in a heavy skillet.
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, dry roast in heavy skillet.
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, whole nutmeg and freshly grated is best.
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder.
• 2 teaspoons of ground cloves.
• 2 teaspoons of peppercorns, fresh ground is best.

Ingredients for Ludwig Van Beets:

• 2 pounds of whole beets (about 12), peeled and coarsely grated.
• 1 tablespoon of Speculaas Spice blend.
• 1 lemon, zest and juice.
• 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, grated.
• 2 tablespoons of Celtic Sea Salt or other premium brand for the brine (Use ground salt, not coarse for this recipe).

After fermentation:

• 2 tablespoons of sugar, unrefined cane sugar is a good choice.
• 2-4 tablespoons of water, enough to thin the brine, which thickens during fermentation.

Directions for Ludwig Van Beets:

1. Peel four long strips of lemon zest and reserve for final loading of the jar.
2. Prep beets and place in a large bowl. Mix in the sea salt and the Speculaas. Use your hands to squeeze and massage the beets until a rich brine develops.
3. Pack a clean 1 quart jar, lightly tamping each time you add beets until about 3 inches from the jar lip.
4. If your beet brine from step 2 is not enough to cover the beets in the jar, then you will have to make additional brine.  To do this, dissolve salt in filtered water at a ratio of 2 tablespoons of salt to 4 cups of water for this two quart batch.
5. Fill your two quart jar with this brine solution until about one inch from the jar lip.
6. Use some sort of weighty object to hold the beets under the brine solution. Be sure to place the jar in your sink as you do this as there is sure to be spillage. We sell our brine overflow cup as a weight here: Brine “Catch” Cup – Wide Mouth
7. Remove the cup and wipe any debris on the lip of the cup and the jar, then put the cup back in. Install a Lid Gasket inside a Wide Mouth Fermenter Lid. Tighten the lid on until its snug.
8. Add tap water to a ClearView Airlock to the max line. Now gently insert the airlock into the hole of the fermenter lid until snug. Make sure not to push too deeply into the lid. As the fermentation happens, the water should move back and forth, and bubbles should move through the airlock, this is correct and indicates a tight seal.
9. Write down the date you began fermentation on the lid using a Lid Marking Pen. After 4 days, check to see if the beets are sour enough for you. If they are not, just add a day and re-check.
10. Add your after fermentation ingredients and serve!

For even better and more delectable recipes, check out our Fermentation Recipe Booklet, where you will find many recipes, tips and tricks to brine pickling, and so much more!