How to Pickle Beets

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Pickled beets are an easy-to-make summer favorite, combining sweet and tangy flavors. Traditional pickled beets are cooked, peeled and pickled in the refrigerator for about a week before they're ready. In a pinch, you can make marinated "pickled" beets that are ready the same day. If you love pickled beets and want them to keep for up to a year, follow instructions for canning the beets.

Ingredients

Traditional Pickled Beets

3 pounds fresh whole beets
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3 garlic cloves, sliced in half

Same-Day Marinated Beets

1 bunch of beets (4-5)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Traditional Pickled Beets

1
Wash and trim the beets. Fresh beets often have bits of dirt on them, so use a vegetable brush if necessary to scrub it away. On a cutting board, remove the greens and stems using a sharp knife.
- When you're choosing beets, make sure they're firm and unbruised. Beets that are soft to the touch or discolored are not fresh enough to pickle. Make sure to use high-quality fresh beets.
- If your beets came with the greens attached, you can save them and cook them up for a tasty green treat. Beet greens are delicious chopped and sauteed in butter or olive oil.
2
Boil the beets. It's necessary to cook them before you pickle them, and the most common way to do so is boiling. Place the beets in a medium-sized pot with water. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes.^{[1]
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- There is another way to cook the beets: you can roast them. This will result in a slightly different final texture and flavor. Wrap them in aluminum foil and roast at 350 °F (177 °C) for about an hour, until the beets are cooked through.^{[2]
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3
Drain the beets and remove the skin. The beets should be tender to the touch, and the skin should come off easily using your hands. You may want to let them cool for a few minutes before handling.
4
Cut the beets on a cutting board. It's common to slice beets for pickling, but you could also cut them into quarters or bite-sized pieces. Whole beets will take longer to completely pickle than sliced beets. When you're finished, place beets into one or more large jars.
- Glass mason jars are the best storage containers for pickled beets, since the glass won't react with the pickling brine.
- Do not use a metal or plastic container, since these materials could react with the pickling brine and taint the beets.
5
Make the pickling brine. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, and garlic to a small pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the mixture to cook for five minutes, then remove it from heat and allow it to cool completely.
6
Pour the cooled brine over the beets in the jar. You should have enough to completely cover the beets. Cover the jar and place it in the refrigerator.
7
Let the beets pickle in the refrigerator for at least one week. Stir the mixture occasionally so the brine touches all edges of the beets. Pickled beets can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Same-Day Marinated Beets

1
Wash and trim the beets. Scrub away the dirt using a vegetable brush. On a cutting board, remove the greens and stems from the beets. Reserve the greens to cook separately if you'd like.
2
Boil the beets. Place them in a medium-sized pot, cover with water and boil the beets for 30 minutes. Remove them from heat and allow them to cool. The beets should be tender when finished, and skin should come off easily.
3
Peel and slice the beets. Remove the beets from the water and use your hands to peel away the skin, which should come off with no trouble. On a cutting board, slice the beets into quarters or discs.
4
Make the pickling marinade. Combine the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard in a small bowl. Whisk together the ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste.
5
Combine the beets and the pickling marinade. Toss them together in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Allow the beets to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
6
Chill the beets. If you'd prefer not to serve them at room temperature, store the beets, covered, in the refrigerator for about an hour, and serve chilled.^{[3]
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7
Finished.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Canning Pickled Beets

1
Sanitize your canning jars. You can boil them for 10 minutes or simply run them through the dishwasher's hottest cycle. Be sure to sanitize the lids and rings as well. When you're finished, set the canning supplies on a clean dishcloth until you're ready to fill up the jars.
2
Heat your canner. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to heat up your canner in preparation for canning beets. You can use either a plain open water bath canner or a pressure canner.^{[4]
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3
Boil and peel the beets. After scrubbing and trimming off the green part, put the beets in a large pot and cover them with water. Boil the beets for 30 minutes, until the skins start to come off on their own. Let the beets cool before peeling them.
4
Slice the beets into 1/4-inch pieces. Slicing them into small pieces will allow you to pack more beets into your canning jars, and the seasonings will penetrate the pieces more easily.^{[5]
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5
Make the pickling brine. Using the method for making traditional pickled beets, mix up the vinegar, water, sugar, and garlic to a large pot. Bring the ingredients to a full, rolling boil.
6
Add the beets to the brine. Carefully put them in the boiling brine and cook them for 5 minutes. Make sure the mixture is boiling before you pour it into the jars.
7
Portion the beets and brine among the jars. Fill each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top. It's important to leave a little headspace so that the jars don't pop open in storage from the pressure. Put the lids on the jar and screw the rings on until they're snug, but not too tight.
8
Put the jars in the canner to process the beets. Operate the canner according to the manufacturer's instructions. The standard processing time for beets is 30 minutes, but this can differ depending on what type of canner you're using as well as your altitude.
9
Allow the jars to cool after processing. Lift them out of the canner using a jar lifter and let them rest on the counter until they come to room temperature.
10
Check the lids before storing. If the jars were properly canned, the lids should be sucked down. Remove the rings from the jars without removing the lids to be sure they are properly suctioned in place. If the jars were properly canned, place them in a cool, dark pantry for storage. They have a shelf life of about one year if kept in cool, dark conditions.
- If the lids pop off when you remove the rings, the canning was not properly done. You can still eat the beets if you place the jar in the refrigerator right away, but you won't be able to store the jars for a year with the other properly canned beets.

Community Q&A

Question

When I can pickled beets, how long before I can open and eat them?

CHRIS C

Community Answer

Wait 2 weeks before opening and using the jars of beets. They are good mixed with orange sections and served on fresh greens.
Question

My pickled beets came out fizzy and mealy, what do I do?

Wearegoodpeople72

Community Answer

If your beets are mealy, I suggest you shock cook them first, then pickle them. That will help the texture. If that doesn't work I would try carrots.
Question

Can I re-do pickled beets if they taste too much like apple cider vinegar?

Community Answer

You can't really "re-do" them, but you can do a new batch and adjust the method.