Pickled Beets
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This homemade pickled beets recipe is easy to make, they keep for months and taste absolutely fabulous! You can make these to keep in your refrigerator for several weeks or you can water-bath can them for long-term storage, directions provided below!
Homemade Pickled Beets
I’ve always been a fan of pickled beets. I’m not sure how or when this love affair started, but even as a little girl I remember eagerly diving into these, whether at the dinner table or as a quick snack. I also enjoy them in salads and boiled or steamed as a side vegetable for meat and fish. Oh, and grilled with a simple dab of butter, yum! Or how about in a Red Flannel Hash? Beets are also a great addition to baked goods like chocolate cake and brownies.
Use the freshest beets you can find. I’m using beets freshly harvested from my garden. I usually add the beet greens to soups, stews and salads and if I have an overabundance I’ll often blanch and freeze the greens for future use or feed them to our chickens (they love them too!).
But beets lend themselves particularly well to pickling. Stock up on fresh beets while in season, pickle them, and then enjoy them all the year long! Pickled beets are great on their own, as a side, and go great in things like pasta salads, spreads and relishes.
How do you use pickled beets? Share your ideas with us!
Pickled Beets Recipe
Let’s get started!
Thoroughly scrub and wash the beets. Leave the skins on or they will bleed while boiling and lose their color.
Place the beets in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20-35 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until the beets are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain the beets and remove them from the pot to let cool until you can comfortably handle them.
Meanwhile, add the vinegar, sugar and spices to the pot and bring to a boil.
Peel the skins and slice the beets in 1/4 inch thick slices.
Place the sliced beets back in the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Ladle the sliced beets into the jars, spooning enough liquid over them to completely cover while leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top of the jar rim. If you’re not canning the beets for long-term storage, let the beets cool and then transfer the jars to the refrigerator where they will keep for about 2 months.
How to Can Pickled Beets
Ladle the sliced beets into the jars, spooning enough liquid over them to completely cover while leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top of the jar rim.
If canning for long-term storage: Place the canning lids on the jars and process for 30 minutes (35 minutes if in 1000-3000 ft elevation) in a water bath. Carefully remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours and then store them in a cool, dark place where they will keep for up to a year.
I use and recommend Granite Ware’s Enamel-on-Steel Canner.
Whether canning or not, wait at least 3 days before eating the beets, preferably 2 weeks. The vinegar will mellow and the flavor will improve with time.
Ways to Enjoy Pickled Beets
There are lot of ways you can enjoy your homemade pickled beets. Here are just a few ideas:
- Straight out of the can!
- Diced and served as a pickled beet salad.
- Diced or sliced in strips and added to leafy green, grain, and other salads.
- On sandwiches, burgers, kebabs, falafel or in wraps.
- Served with a charcuterie or antipasto platter.
- Added to soups like borscht.
- Added to hummus for beetroot hummus.
- Served with cottage cheese.
- Finely diced and added to homemade yogurt with some lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper for a fresh and tangy beetroot yogurt dip.
- Use in place of cucumber or in addition to the cucumber in this cucumber raita to make beetroot raita.
Enjoy!
For more pickled goodness be sure to also try my:
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Pickled Okra
- Giardiniera
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Refrigerator Pickles
- Pickled Carrots
- Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers
- Pickled Green Beans
- Pickled Turnips
- Pickled Asparagus
- English Pickled Onions
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Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 6 pounds red beets , washed and scrubbed clean
- 4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the beets in a large pot of water and bring to a boil (do not peel the skins or the beets will bleed and lose their color). Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until the beets are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain the beets and remove them from the pot to let cool until you can comfortably handle them (discard the beet water).
- Meanwhile, add the vinegar, sugar and spices to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Peel the skins and slice the beets in 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the sliced beets back in the pot with the vinegar solution and simmer for another 5 minutes.Ladle the sliced beets into the jars, spooning enough liquid over them to completely cover while leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top of the jar rim.
- If you're not canning the beets for long-term storage, let the beets cool and then transfer the jars to the refrigerator where they will keep for about 2 months.If canning for long-term storage: Place the canning lids on the jars and process for 30 minutes (35 minutes if in 1000-3000 ft elevation) in a water bath. Carefully remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours and then store them in a cool, dark place where they will keep for up to a year.Whether canning or not, wait at least 3 days before eating the beets, preferably longer. The flavor improves with time.Makes about 6 pints.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet August 19, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Don’t know about the States, but a burger isn’t a burger without beetroot (and pineapple) in Australia!
Is that right, Jeff? I’m totally going to try that combo on my next burger!
You should try a dish called beef a la lindström.
Capers instead of pineapple.
Hi. I am trying this recipe and the water in the pot? Is it removed or do you then add ingredients after simmering beets? If so how much water do I use then?
Sorry never canned before. First timer!
Hi Tyler, I can see how that’s a bit confusing. After the line that says “drain the beets” I added “discard the beet water.” So dump out all the beet water and then put the vinegar and remaining ingredients back in the pot to make the brine. Happy canning!
No it is my fault. I should read slower. Sorry!
Lastly, how hot should the water bath be?
Thanks and I will let you know how it goes! I do not like beets I am doing this for my partner lol
Tyler
No problem, Tyler! The water bath needs to be boiling. So once you add your jars to the water bath you’ll need to wait until it returns to a boil and then start the timer.
Never pickled/canned before! I made 8 pints today and it went perfect! FUN!!
My partner Mark got a taste of some of the left overs I had, and said it was delicious.
Thank you!
Tyler
P.S I hate beets and even I even kinda liked it. Acquired taste?
That’s awesome, Tyler, and congrats on your first canning/pickling project! You picked a great one to start and I’m happy to hear that both you and Mark enjoyed them – thanks!
Hey Everyone,
I too love pickled Beets as well as simple buttered beets. At the Thanksgiving Table I always make the other beets I grew up with–Candied Beets–Simply use Brown Sugar & Butter as you cook the beets. So easy & so good & it brings back memories of my great family members around the Thanksgiving Table.
Thank you for these recipes–I’m trying the Pickled Peppers tomorrow!
Hi Barbara! I’ve never heard of making candied beets and I’m super intrigued, I’ll have to try them – thanks!
Barbara, would you please send me the recipe for candied beets?
Thank you.
Mary Davis
md4652@gmail.com
I’ve never pickled anything before, but my mother in law LOVES pickled beets so I think I need to try.
I have never made picked anything but I need to try it soon. Such a great idea and much better than store bought!
I have been wanting to start canning and beets are my favorite!
I definitely need to eat more beets… and this is such a great way to do it!
I’ve only started enjoying beets withing the past 5 years. Now I can’t seem to get enough of their delicious earthy flavor.
I’ve always been a fan of pickled beets too! Both my Mom and Grandma made them homemade when I was younger! Your beets look wonderful!
I am growing beets for the first time so I know pickled beets will be on the menu at some point (and now I have an awesome tutorial!)
When we grew beets, I liked the cooked stem portion better than the beets.
The stems are great! We also love the leaves when they’re young and tender.
Thank you Kimberly, I appreciate your reply & advice!!
Hi Kimberly-I want to make them but don’t do canning, Am I correct in understanding that I can make them without the canning processing and keep them in the fridge? Thanks-a novice cook
Hi Constance, absolutely, they’ll keep for at least several weeks, just make sure they remain completely immersed in the liquid otherwise mold will develop on the exposed bits. Happy pickling!
These sound wonderful. I’ve always been a fan of pickled beets. Unfortunately I will probably never make these because I gave up canning at least 30 years ago and our house has no room for storing a canner or the products of canning. Bummer.
Susan, you can always make half the amount and they keep in the fridge for a couple of months.
Wonderful recipe, I love beets so much. I definitely have to make these, I have seen such nice beets in the Russian-Turkish store the other day. I only bought one for salad, now I can go and buy some more.
Wonderful, Adina, I’m glad you’ve found another excuse to buy some more! :)