Want to make beets like grandma used to make and have no idea how? Then this Easy Pickled Beets Recipe is for you. Make this recipe and enjoy them any time you like, all year long.
Pickled beets are one of my favorites besides roast beets. I love beets as a side dish with a quick lunch of cheese and crackers and maybe a pickle or two also.
We love canning very, very much here at Noshing With The Nolands and have many successful recipes that I will share with you along with today’s Easy Pickled Beets Recipe.
Table of Contents
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Is canning beets easy? It really is easy. Canning is easy once you know what to do. It is something that we have been doing for years and years now.
Let me walk you through the whole process and give you as many tips as I can. It honestly used to intimidate me but not anymore.
Before we dive completely into the Pickled Beets let me share with you a few other recipes that are sure-fire winners for canning. Our site has become kind of noted for our canning recipes and quick pickling. I know a lot of people are enjoying them.
Other Canning Recipes
Simple Easy Homemade Canned Tomatoes
Homemade Canned Tomato Salsa
Tomato Jam Recipe
Garden Fresh Zucchini Salsa
Blueberry Rhubarb Jam
Red and Green Pepper Jelly
Jalapeno Jam
Homemade Sweet Hot Mustard
What Ingredients do you need for Pickled Beets?
These ingredients make for a perfectly seasoned sweet beet, we love them and hope you will too.
Ingredients
Small red beets – If the beets are too large then they won’t fit into the jars in nice slices.
Cider vinegar – This is the vinegar I like to use as it has more flavor.
Water – Used as part of the brine process.
White sugar – Just simple granulated white sugar is what I use.
Kosher or Pickling salt – Never use table salt for canning as it is iodized and can have ingredients that will affect your shelf life.
Mustard seeds – So much flavor in these little seeds and is the star in pickling spice to add a little nutty flavor too.
Star anise – This is a great warming spice for beets as star anise has a licorice, fennel, clove, and anise vibe.
Black peppercorns – Adds a little spice with heat but not so much that you aren’t going to enjoy them.
Whole cloves – This is where the party is for me, I love this warm aromatic spice in beets.
Coriander seeds – This spice adds a bit of freshness with its floral and citrus aromas and flavor.
What Equipment do you need for Canning?
6-500 ml. jars sterilized, including lids and rims – This is the size I like but you may want a larger jar too.
Canner – you need one large enough to submerse jars completely and it also needs to have the rack in the bottom so the jars aren’t directly on the bottom of the pot.
Jar Lifter – Essential for taking hot jars out of the canner.
Funnel – To pour liquid into jars.
Magnetic lid lifter (optional) – Handy to pick up hot lids.
Bubble popper (optional) – a sharp pointy knife can be used also.
Ladle – Needed to get the liquid into each jar.
Pot – Needed to make the brine for the beets.
How to Pickle Beets
Pickling beets require some basic ingredients, vinegar, salt, spices, and sugar. Most recipes ask for sugar. I don’t like them too sweet but just enough to balance the vinegar.
As for spices, it is more of a mixture than with other “pickled” recipes. For this one, we used mustard seeds, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds. This is a good combination for sweet beets.
I have been looking for a recipe for a while and really liked my girlfriend Jill’s pickled beets. She had used the Canadian Living recipe so I followed along with only minor changes; it really didn’t need too many revisions.
Cooking The Beets
To start off with, you need to cook the beets. You want them tender but not falling apart. They should easily slice when cooked.
Don’t buy beets that are huge as you won’t get a nice round medallion when slicing or be able to put them in the jar without cutting them up!! Well, that is how I like them, you can cut them into chunks too.
You want to cover the beets with water while cooking and let them boil for about 35-40 minutes. Then let them cool, trim off the root and top ends, and peel them. Don’t try to do this beforehand, it is much easier after they have been boiled.Then slice your cooled beets and have them ready for pickling.
How to Can Pickled Beets
Meanwhile in a saucepan combine a pickling liquid up of cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. This is boiled for about 5 minutes. In each jar goes the spices; mustard seeds, 1-star anise, 1 whole clove, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds.
Your sliced beets are then tightly packed into sterile jars (I run ours through the dishwasher and then into boiling water for 5 min. along with the lids and rings). Hot brine is then added to about 1/2″ from the top.
Make sure all bubbles have been removed and wipe the rims clean. Now place the lids on and screw the rims to just fingertip tightness.
Sign-up for the Altitude Adjustment Chart
Now time for the water bath! Use the helpful guide above to adjust to the altitude. We have to do that here in Calgary.
Therefore the recommended time for us is 35 instead of 30 minutes for the altitude adjustment.You need water to cover so submerge the jars 1″ below the water level.
And that is it; you now have wonderful beets to start eating after about 1-2 weeks. Give them some time to pickle before you start diving in too. The wait is worth it!
Recipe Pro Tips!
Shelf Life
To can is a method of preservation. It is when food is processed and sealed in an airtight container. There are different methods to accomplish this. For me, it is almost always using a water bath.
Canning provides a shelf life of one to five years. I have definitely cracked open jars after 3 years of storage and had nothing wrong with them. My rule of thumb is two years though, but they usually don’t last that long!
Are Pickled Beets Good For You?
Beets are low in calories and a great source of many nutrients. They contain fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. They are associated with lowering blood pressure and increasing athletic performance.
Because beets require salt and sugar for pickling you will want to monitor your intake but a couple of slices here and there are so satisfying and way better than cracking open that bag of candy or chips.
DO YOU WANT MORE PICKLED RECIPES?
We love to can and preserve and one of our favorite ways to do that is pickling. Here are some more recipes for you to enjoy!
Easy Pickled Carrots
Spicy Pickled Asparagus
Pickled Green Beans
Quick Pickled Onions
Easy Pickled Beets Recipe
Yield: 6 - 500 ml jars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Additional Time: 14 days
Total Time: 14 days 1 hour 30 minutes
Easy Pickled Beets can be enjoyed in so many ways. I love them as part of a charcuterie board or with my lunch with cheese and crackers. The spices and pickling are earthy, sweet, and savory, making these beets divine.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. small red beets or a mixture of red and orange or yellow
- 4 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 4 tsp. Kosher or Pickling salt
- 6 tsp. mustard seeds
- 6 star anise
- 3 tsp. black peppercorns
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 tsp. coriander seeds
- 6-500 ml. jars sterilized, including lids and rims
Instructions
- Cook beets in a large pot of boiling water. Cook until tender for about 30-35 minutes. Let cool, trim the ends and peel. Slice and set aside.
- In a large pot add vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
- Sterilize jars in boiling water for 5 min. including the lids and rims.
- Into each of your hot 6 - 500 ml. jars add 1 tsp. mustard seed, 1 star anise, 1 clove, 1/2 tsp. each peppercorns and coriander seeds.
- Tightly pack in beets to within 3/4" of the rim. Add the hot brine to cover the beets and up to 1/2" of the rim. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth or paper towel. Cover with the lids and screw on the rims to fingertip tight.
- Now process in a water bath on a rack for 30 minutes or according to the chart for altitude adjustments. Submerging the jar to 1" above the lids.
- Remove jars and let cool on a counter lined with a tea towel. Refrigerate and eat any jars that don't seal. You will hear them popping while cooling and sealing. If they don't seal you will be able to move the lid up and down when touching it.
Notes
You may have more brine than needed but it better to have a bit too much than too little. It will depend on how tightly you pack the beets. We didn't pack them overly tight and it made 6 jars.
See the post fo more important information and tips.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 55Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 67mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
