Pickled Beets Recipe (2024)

Recipes

Pickled Beets Recipe (1)

My mom has always made these pickled beets every summer and I've carried on the tradition with my family.

You can keep them in the refrigerator and add more cooked beets to the liquid when they start to get low. We also add shelled, hard-boiled eggs to the juice in this pickled beets recipe, and after 2 to 3 days, they are a beautiful purple all the way down to the yolk (and taste divine!). Slice these eggs, and they are a stunning garnish to salads.

Submitted by: Katherine from Petersburg, TX
Yield: 3 quarts

Spices

Featured in this Recipe

Preparation Instructions:


  1. Put beets in a large saucepan or stockpot and add enough cold water to cover them with 3 inches over the top. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to maintain a slow boil. Cook until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Pour water off and let beets cool. Slip skins off once the beets are cool enough to handle. Slice and set aside.
  2. Place the sugar, cider vinegar, water, salt, and spices in a smaller saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour this pickling liquid into a large glass jar (1.5 liters or &frac12 gallon), add the sliced beets, cover with a lid and refrigerate. Let the beets sit at least a week before tasting.
  3. Add shelled hard boiled eggs to the mixture as well. Try to use them in 2 to 3 days. If left in the pickling liquid too long, they turn rubbery.
  4. Keep adding more cooked beets (and eggs) as needed. May keep in the refrigerator up to 6 months.

Pickled Beets Recipe (4)

thespicehouse.com

More About This Recipe

These beets make a delicious summer lunch accompanying good cheese and home made bread.For vegan beets, make sure the sugar you use is vegan. Some white sugar is processed with bone char.

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Comments

Based on 29 reviews

Customer Reviews

Cindy D.

I just want to mention two tips if you want to safely can beets. Be sure the vinegar is 5%. The other is minimum processing time is 30 minutes depending on altitude.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Pickled Beets in a boiling-water canner.
Style of Pack Jar Size. Process Time at Altitudes of
Hot. Pts or Qts 0 – 1,000ft1,001 – 3,000ft3,001 – 6,000ftAbove 6,000ft
30 min 35 min 40 min 45 min

Table from National Center for HomeFood Preservation. nchfp.uga.edu

Tam

This is the best pickled beet recipe I’ve tried! I believe it all has to do with your spices. My old recipe used McCormick pickling spice but my beets always had this sharp “bite” to them. I used to think it was the vinegar that caused this but using your spice mix made a world of difference! My pickled beets are completely gone so I’ll be making some brine and putting my regular beets in it and keep them in the fridge. I’ll be making a double batch for sure this year.

Andie Lok

I have this recipe bookmarked and use it every year now as soon as the beets come in! I love it, the week wait is excruciating though! thank you yo the reviewer who gave canning instructions. if i ever get enough beets, I will try it.

EllenMarie

I love these beets. I’ve made them many times. However, I peel and roast the beets. I also add 2 Tbsp of Kosher salt to the liquid. They make great hostess gifts.

Darlene W

I like mine better actually so many love my pickled beets.

Pat H

I will rate this again when I try the beets at Fourth of July. I made one change; I couldn’t stand to throw out the water I cooked the beets in with all that great color and nutrition. It smells wonderful and it should be great with my organically grown beets fresh out of the ground.

Misty from Montana

For those who want to can these. Use the ingredients and amounts as listed and follow this:
In a large pot cook the unpeeled beets until fork-tender (do not overcook) cool and then remove the skins.
Slice into about 1/4-inch thick or cut into cubes.
Pack snuggly into the canning jars (be careful not to bruise).
In a large saucepan combine the sugar, water, vinegar, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon and whole cloves; bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes (no sugar granules should remain).
Quickly pour over the beets in the jars, leaving 3/4-inch headspace (the liquid should go no further than the shoulder of the jar!).
Process in a boiling water bath for 12 minutes.
Cool on a rack.

Frances G

My daughter-in-law said that she would never eat a beet. When I told her that these didn’t taste like ‘dirt’, she tried a bite. And another! My family loved these beets. Every one went home with a jar, so I’m making another batch. They taste just like the pickled beets I grew up with as a child. this recipe will be repeated many times throughout the year,and plan on giving out for Christmas gifts.

Sharon

Can you use white vinegar instead of cider? I made beets many years ago but I know I used white vinegar…thanks
Haven’t made yet so disregard the rating

Jane S

oops, I just added more beets to my jar and a few of them are not fully submerged (but partially) in the brining liquid. could I add a little water or would diluting the brine be a bad idea?

Pickled Beets Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for pickled beets to be ready to eat? ›

No need to wait to enjoy your pickled beets. They're ready to eat as soon as they've cooled down, however, the longer you wait, the better their flavor. Give them at least a week or two.

What happens if you eat a lot of pickled beets? ›

Possible downsides. Depending on how they're made, some varieties of pickled beets may pack salt and added sugars ( 23 , 24 ). Research links excess sugar and salt intake to poor health and an increased risk of illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

How long do homemade pickled beets last in the fridge? ›

To enjoy them at their best and freshest, store your pickled beets in the refrigerator and plan to use them within a maximum of three months, or ideally within several weeks. Always keep an eye out for signs they've passed their prime before that though.

Do beet pickles need hot water bath? ›

Make sure that there is adequate vinegar in your red beet pickle recipe. Scientifically research tested recipes use more than ½ cup vinegar per pint jar. Pickled beets are safe to process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. The USDA recommends processing pickled beets in boiling water for 30 minutes.

Is it OK to eat pickled beets every day? ›

The answer is yes! Pickled beets can offer several potential health benefits. If you want to boost your fiber intake or get more antioxidants in your diet, pickled beets may be a good option. Just remember to watch your sodium intake, as some brands of pickled beets can be high in sodium.

Why do my pickled beets taste like dirt? ›

Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.

Who should not eat pickled beets? ›

Canned and pickled beets likely contain high amounts of sodium, so if it's heart health you're after, these choices should be limited.

What is the downside of eating beets? ›

Beet is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts. Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that beets might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage.

Are pickled beets bad for high blood pressure? ›

Sodium. Pickled beets may contribute to high blood pressure because they have 599 mg of sodium per cup. High sodium levels are bad for your blood pressure and healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Can you freeze beets to pickle later? ›

Frozen beets, on the other hand, would pickle just fine. What is this? Once you've picked a peck of frozen plants, pickle it how you would any other vegetable. Place your frozen vegetables in a heat-safe jar—there's no need to thaw.

Can I reuse pickle juice for beets? ›

How many times can I reuse pickle juice? To be on the safe side, we wouldn't recommend reusing it more than once, although some say you can safely reuse it 2 or 3 times. Again, watch for changes in the clarity of the brine.

Can you freeze beets and pickled them later? ›

Red beets can safely be pressure canned, frozen, or acidified with vinegar and pickled. There are even directions for beet relishes and for drying beets.

Can you use apple cider vinegar when canning beets? ›

Vinegar Matters

While both white and apple cider vinegar can be used, apple cider will yield the best flavor. Look for brands that are 5% acidity, and avoid unfiltered varieties, which may leave sediment in your beets.

Is canned beets as good as fresh beets? ›

With only a few exceptions, canned beetroot has about the same nutritional value as fresh beetroot. Fresh beetroot has double the phosphorus, potassium and folate, but 1 cup of sliced, canned beetroot has 14 percent of the recommended daily intake of folate and 4 percent of phosphorus and potassium.

Do you have to peel beets before pickling? ›

here is a recipe for a great pickled beet. Cook beets in water 35 to 45 minutes until tender. Drain and slip the skins off and slice, rmoving the root ends. Heat all the syrup ingredients together in a large saucepan.

Can you eat pickled beetroot straight away? ›

You may eat them directly out of the jar! Most people eat pickled beets chilled or at room temperature. Here are some ways you can incorporate pickled beets into your diet: Serve pickled beets as a side dish sprinkled with a little feta cheese.

How do you know when beets are ready to eat? ›

If you're still not sure if your beets are mature, push away the soil around the base of some of your beet greens and expose the top 1/3 of your beet roots. If the tops of your beet roots are about the size of a golf ball or larger, they should be ready to harvest.

How long does it take for beets to get soft? ›

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender, 25 to 35 minutes for medium beets or 45 minutes to 1 hour for large beets. 3. Immediately move the cooked beets into ice-cold water and peel off the skins.

How long before you can eat pickled vegetables? ›

Cool and refrigerate.

Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

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