Pickled Beets Recipe
Published August 10, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These easy-to-make Pickled Beets recipe in vinegar brine will become your new favorite snack and side dish. I love eating these straight out of the jar as soon as they’re ready.
Pickling is such a fantastic way to add so much to any vegetable, and not-too-mention is an excellent alternative when you have a lot of leftover fresh produce. If you’re new to pickling or looking for new recipes, check out my Pickled Red Onions or Dill Pickles.
Pickled Beets
Pickled beets are cooked fresh beets covered in a hot, sweet, and salty vinegar brine to help preserve their shelf life. The brine’s flavors infuse into the beets, giving them fantastic flavor. This recipe is for refrigerator pickled beets, meaning as soon as they’re cooled to room temperature, they are placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours before they are ready to eat.
These can be eaten as a snack from the jar, served as a side dish, or even on a charcuterie board, salad, or antipasto platter. Watch my video below to see how to roast the beets precisely and easily peel them.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beets – You can use any color of fresh beets for these. However, I used red.
- Sugar – This will help add flavor and preserve.
- Salt — I always use coarse salt in my recipes, which helps season and preserve the beets.
- Water – You will need cold water to help cut down the vinegar flavor.
- Vinegar – I used white distilled vinegar in my recipe.
- Mustard Seeds – These add fantastic flavor and texture to the recipe.
- Peppercorns – Some whole peppercorns will add a bunch of spice to the beets.
How to Make Pickled Beets
Slice off the stem end of the beets.
Place them in a pan or pot cut side down along with water.
Cover and roast in a preheated oven for 1 hour at 350°.
Remove them from the pot and let them cool for about 30 minutes. Then, using gloves, clean hands, or paper towels, remove the outside peelings of the beets.
Cut the beets into thick slices or wedges and place them into clean, sterilized jars.
Next, make the brine and bring it to a boil over high heat. Ensure the salt and sugar are completely dissolved before removing them from the burner.
Pour the brine over the beets in the jar and submerge them. Cool them to room temperature before wiping the jar rim dry, adding the seal and lid, and giving it a firm twist using your fingertips. Place them in the refrigerator to completely cool before eating.
Optionally, these beets can be used for long-term storage. Add the sealed jars to a large pot of boiling water with a rack in the bottom, ensuring they are submerged by one inch. Process them for 30 minutes at sea level. Remove them from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 3 weeks ahead of time.
How to Store: Place the pickled beets sealed in the jar with the lid in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. These will not freeze.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Once the brine and the beets are in the jar, use a butter knife to help move the ingredients around.
- Wait 24 hours before eating the pickled beets for the best flavor results. The longer you wait, the more intense the flavor they will get.
- Make sure your jars are completely clean and sterilized before using them.
- Depending on the size of the beets, you may need more or less to fill the jars.
More Vegetable Recipes
Video
Pickled Beets Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 bunches, or about 8 fresh medium to large sized beets
- 1 ½ cups water + 1 cup for beet roasting
- 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Slice off the stem end of the beets. Place them in a pan or pot cut side down along with 1 cup of cold water.
- Cover with a lid or foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350°.
- Remove them from the pot and let them cool for about 30 minutes on a plate or platter.
- Using gloves, clean hands, or paper towels, remove the outside peelings of the beets.
- Cut the beets into thick slices or wedges.
- Place the cut beets into clean and sterilized jars.
- Next, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Make sure the salt and sugar are completely dissolved before removing it from the burner.
- Pour the brine over the beets in the jar making sure to submerge them.
- Let cool to room temperature before wiping the rim of the jar dry, adding on the seal and lid, and giving a firm twist using only your fingertips. Place them in the refrigerator to completely cool before eating.
- To optionally can these beets for long-term storage, add the sealed jars to a large pot of boiling water with a rack in the bottom, making sure they are submerged by one inch. Process them for 30 minutes at sea level. Remove them from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Love pickled beets and this recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Can you water bath these and store???
Why not?
Beets has a lot of benefits to our health. I always make a colorful salad of orange & reddish purple beets with arugula, pistachios, goat cheese & balsamic vinegar.
Now, I will make the pickled beets. Thank you Chef Billy for the recipe.
Yes they do!
Question: Can this recipe for pickled beets be canned?
why not?
Hi! Can you water bath them?
why not?
Thanks Chef!
Absolutely!
Perfect in every way! Just like my Mother used to make. Can eat a whole jar at once.
Awesome.
I don’t think I like beets🫣my husband loves them. These look like some even non-canner ME could do and eat! I look forward to all your posts!🌻
so good!!
As a former Detroiter, pickled beets are a staple. (Greek restaurants in Detroit put beets on salads.) After continuing to be disappointed in the pickled beets available in a jar, I found this recipe. This is the way to go, I’m telling you. Delicious!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
You make cooking simple and enjoyable. Best of all your reciepes are easy and fun to prepare and my wife enjoys 1t when I make something new
Thank you!