Pickled Beets Recipe
Classic refrigerator pickled beets with cider vinegar, warm spices and optional pickled eggs. Ready after a week. Store in fridge up to 6 months.
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
- Cook beets until fork-tender, peel, slice and cover with a hot vinegar-sugar-spice brine.
- This is a refrigerator pickle. Chill at least one week before eating and keep refrigerated.
- Add hard-boiled eggs to the brine for 2 to 3 days for purple eggs. Refill with cooked beets as needed.
Spices
Featured in this Recipe
Preparation Instructions:
- 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.
- 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 ½ gallon), add the sliced beets, cover with a lid and refrigerate. Let the beets sit at least a week before tasting.
- 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.
- Keep adding more cooked beets (and eggs) as needed. May keep in the refrigerator up to 6 months.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do these pickled beets keep in the refrigerator?
Stored in the fridge in a sealed jar, the beets keep up to 6 months. Flavor is best in the first 1 to 3 months. Always use clean utensils to avoid contamination.
Can I can this recipe for shelf storage?
No. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles only. To make shelf-stable jars you must use a tested canning recipe and follow USDA or trusted extension service guidelines for acidity and processing times.
What vinegar should I use?
Use real apple cider vinegar with 5 percent acidity. That level ensures proper flavor and safety in this style of pickling. Do not substitute with flavored vinegar unless it has the same acidity.
Can I add more cooked beets to the brine later?
Yes. You can add more sliced, cooked beets to the jar. For best results reheat the brine to a boil before adding large amounts, then cool and refrigerate. Topping up with small amounts is fine, but avoid diluting the vinegar too much.
How soon can I eat the pickled beets?
Let the beets sit in the brine at least one week before tasting. They develop better flavor with a week or longer.
How do pickled eggs work and how long can I keep them?
Add peeled hard-boiled eggs to the brine for a vivid purple color and tangy flavor. Use those eggs within 2 to 3 days for best texture. Left too long they become rubbery and less pleasant.
Do I need to peel beets before cooking?
No. Cook the beets whole until tender, let them cool slightly, then slip the skins off with your hands or a paper towel. Peeling raw beets is harder and messier.
Can I change the spices or reduce the sugar?
Yes. You can swap or omit spices to taste and lower the sugar for less sweet beets. Keep the vinegar acidity and salt roughly the same to maintain flavor and safety.
How long do these pickled beets keep in the refrigerator?
Stored in the fridge in a sealed jar, the beets keep up to 6 months. Flavor is best in the first 1 to 3 months. Always use clean utensils to avoid contamination.
Can I can this recipe for shelf storage?
No. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles only. To make shelf-stable jars you must use a tested canning recipe and follow USDA or trusted extension service guidelines for acidity and processing times.
What vinegar should I use?
Use real apple cider vinegar with 5 percent acidity. That level ensures proper flavor and safety in this style of pickling. Do not substitute with flavored vinegar unless it has the same acidity.
Can I add more cooked beets to the brine later?
Yes. You can add more sliced, cooked beets to the jar. For best results reheat the brine to a boil before adding large amounts, then cool and refrigerate. Topping up with small amounts is fine, but avoid diluting the vinegar too much.
How soon can I eat the pickled beets?
Let the beets sit in the brine at least one week before tasting. They develop better flavor with a week or longer.
How do pickled eggs work and how long can I keep them?
Add peeled hard-boiled eggs to the brine for a vivid purple color and tangy flavor. Use those eggs within 2 to 3 days for best texture. Left too long they become rubbery and less pleasant.
Do I need to peel beets before cooking?
No. Cook the beets whole until tender, let them cool slightly, then slip the skins off with your hands or a paper towel. Peeling raw beets is harder and messier.
Can I change the spices or reduce the sugar?
Yes. You can swap or omit spices to taste and lower the sugar for less sweet beets. Keep the vinegar acidity and salt roughly the same to maintain flavor and safety.
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 – 1,000ft 1,001 – 3,000ft 3,001 – 6,000ft Above 6,000ft
30 min 35 min 40 min 45 min
Table from National Center for HomeFood Preservation. nchfp.uga.edu
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.
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.
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.
I like mine better actually so many love my pickled beets.
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.
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.
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.
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
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?