Pickled Beets
Pickled beets are a super nutritious, healthy staple you can have on hand to serve with many meals. You won’t believe how easy they are to make, especially if you use pre-cooked beetroot (and there’s no added sugar!)
Pickled beets are an overlooked health food for several reasons, but they are often not very healthy because they are made with loads of added sugar. This recipe changes that because there’s no added sugar, and they are delicious! I never understood adding sugar to a root vegetable which is used to MAKE sugar!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I often receive produce from Melissa’s Produce, but am under no obligation to promote them.
Do Beets Have to be Cooked Before Pickling?
Yes, beets have to be cooked before pickling. You can either buy precooked beetroot, or buy fresh beets and boil, roast or steam them before adding the vinegar.
Are Pickled Beets Good for you?
Pickled beets can be healthy unless you eat store-bought or homemade versions which have had poor quality (and/or too much salt), sugar, or poor quality vinegar added. These additions and omissions negate the overall benefits of this root vegetable.
Will I Like Pickled Beets?
If you’ve never had beetroot, you may wonder if you like them: if you like pickles, you’ll love pickled beets! They have a firm texture, never mushy, which is one of the reasons I enjoy them so much.
Give this recipe a try: beet and goat cheese salad which I adapted from a historic hotel in Tennessee!
Beets are full of vitamins and minerals, but like any other vegetable, depending on how it’s prepared will make a big difference in being highly beneficial, or detrimental to your health. I love them with fish and chips!
Another health benefit of pickled beets is the use of apple cider vinegar (with the mother.) It has many health benefits ranging from weight loss to anti-microbial properties. Toss them in salads, have some with sandwiches, they are easy to add into your routine.
Have you ever tried a super moist chocolate cake only to discover that it was made using beets?!
This pickled beets recipe consists of instructions on how to do so from scratch, and also using precooked beets. The latter method is so quick and easy, a child can do it (a very young child!) My mother is sure to always have some jars of pickled beets in the fridge, but if you like, you can make them shelf stable by processing them. So let’s learn how to pickle red beets!
Pickled Beets
Recipe by Lidia Conte serves 8
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- beets
- salt
- vinegar
Special equipment: jars – I use old jam jars (optional: kitchen gloves as beets stain)
Directions (Including Cooking Fresh Beets)
If using precooked beetroot, skip to the slicing step. I just love Melissa’s baby beets to make quick pickled beets, and their fresh variety when I don’t mind taking the extra step to cook them.
Cook the Beets
Cut the beet tops (these are delicious-cook them following the recipe for rapini) and wash them well. Try not to pierce the skin as they will “bleed” into the water. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 to 50 minutes (depending on the size.) See notes in printable card for tips on when to remove them.
Drain and allow to cool, then peel and cut off the top and “tail.”
Slice or Cut the Beets
Choose whether you want the beets cut into pieces or slices. Or if you’re using baby beets, you can use them whole, but I still recommend cutting them as they will fit into the container/jar easier this way.
Pickle The Beets
Begin adding the pieces of root vegetable to the jar. Try to fit them so there’s less space between them than just tossing them in.
Same applies to the slices. Try to leave as little space as you can.
Add the salt, add less than more, if you’re concerned because you can alway add more later. Fill the jar with room temperature apple cider vinegar. Try to remove any air bubbles in the jar and fill with more vinegar if needed.
Close with a lid and keep refrigerated. These pickled beets will last in the fridge for up to 6 months as long as they are completely covered in vinegar (they are pickled, which preserves them.) However, if you like, you can still process the jars so that you can keep them in a cupboard (like the ones you buy in the grocery store.)
Please do let me know if you try these super easy, quick pickled beet recipe in the comments below. They’re addictively delicious!
Pickled Beets
Special Equipment
- 2 jars you may need more, depending on the size
Ingredients
- 1 lb beets (beetroot) about 5 small sized – see notes
- ½ tsp sea salt or more as needed
- 12 oz vinegar (apple cider vinegar)
Instructions
- If using precooked beets, skip to the SLICING/CUTTING step.
- Cut the beet tops (these are delicious-cook them following the recipe for rapini) and wash them well. Try not to pierce the skin as they will “bleed” into the water.
- Cover with water in a pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer partially covered for 25 to 50 minutes (depending on the size.) See notes in printable card for tips on when to remove them. Top with more boiled water if they stick out of the water while cooking.
- Drain and allow to cool, then peel and cut off the top and “tail.”
- Choose whether you want the beets cut into pieces or slices. Or if you’re using baby beets, you can use them whole, but I still recommend cutting them as they will fit into the container/jar easier this way.
- Begin adding the pieces of root vegetable to the jar. Try to fit them so there’s less space between them than just tossing them in. Same applies to the slices. Try to leave as little space as you can.
- Add the salt, add less than more, if you’re concerned because you can alway add more later. Fill the jar with room temperature apple cider vinegar. Try to remove any air bubbles in the jar and fill with more vinegar if needed.
- Close with a lid and keep refrigerated. These pickled beets will last in the fridge for up to 6 months as long as they are completely covered in vinegar (they are pickled, which preserves them.) SEE NOTES.
Notes
- Beets will vary in cooking time, so the best way to test for when they are ready are these two methods: for small beets, take one out of the pot and squeeze to see if they yield to pressure. For large beets, use a skewer to see if it goes to the center. If you meet resistance before reaching the middle, you need to continue to cook them.
- If you use white vinegar or another type of vinegar, you may have to dilute it with some water as the end result may be too strong.
- If you like, you can still process the jars so that you can keep them in a cupboard (like the ones you buy in the grocery store.
Nutrition
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.