A step by step guide on how to make old fashioned pickled beets. A pickling and canning recipe from the Ball Canning Guide with some Colorado flare, makes these the best pickled beets. A picklin’ and cannin’ extravaganza.
“You can pickle a beet, but you can’t beat a pickle” My Aunt used to say that all the time.
Organic Beets from the Highlands Ranch Farmer’s Market[/caption]
Pickling beets has officially become a tradition for friend Greg and me. This fall was our second annual project. Last year we pickled 25 pounds of organic Colorado grown beets.
This year we were so confident in our skills we purchased 50 pounds and went to work.
I have to admit, due to precision teamwork, doubling the amount of beets really didn’t take but 30 minutes longer. It’s a five and a half hour project that produced almost 40 jars.
Sterilizing lids and rings
We pickled beets on a Sunday afternoon smack dab in the middle of a Bronco home game, complete with fighter jets roaring over the house for the National Anthem stadium flyover.
We pickled beets in the midst of two adorable curious toddlers, three underfoot Yorkshire Terriers and two heckling spouses.
Cooked beets ready to be peeled and cubed
Greg was even suffering from complications from wisdom teeth extractions. A couple of pain killers for him, a couple of glasses of wine for me and and we were good to go.
Aside from me running outside to see the fighter jets that were circling for the stadium flyover, a few minor distractions couldn’t stop us.
Peeling and cubing the beets
We were very pleased with the outcome of flavors from last year’s recipe, but did tweak a couple of things this year.
One of Greg’s relatives suggested that instead of pouring the colorful liquid from boiled beets down the drain, to use it for the water in our pickling brine. We did and both agreed it made for a more flavorful brine.
And as always, good quality products such as organic sugar and quality pickling spice from our local spice shop made for a delicious end product.
Pickling ingredients before vinegar is added.
It’s interesting, before making my own, I used to buy a brand from a small Colorado company that used locally grown beets and thought they were the best!
Upon conducting a taste test of ours vs. theirs, I was stunned to find that the brand I used to love fell short on the flavor scale compared to our home made.
I’m impressed In other words…Greg and my pickled beets kick butt with an end result of a great sweet and tangy combination. I also like that our beets have a slight crunch as opposed to being mushy.
Jars of pickled beets cooling and waiting to seal.
Let’s take a look. This is a basic old fashioned pickled beets recipe from the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving … with some tweaks from two family recipes.
For your convenience, I’ve included an affiliate link to the book about canning.
Process:
- Disinfect jars and lids. Jars can go in the dishwasher without soap, and run through a regular cycle or a disinfect cycle. Keep the jars in the dishwasher until ready to use so they stay warm. Place lids and rings in a saucepan of boiling water on the stovetop.
- Place beets in a large kettle and boil until tender. No need to clean or peel until after they’re cooked. Depending on size this will take about 40 minutes or longer.
- In the mean time in a large sauce pan, make the pickling solution and set aside.
- After the beets are cooked, place them in a sink full of cold water. Have several large bowls ready for the peeled and cubed beets. Once they’re cool enough to touch, peel the skins off the beets and cube them to desired size.
- Start the canning process by placing beets in the jars and filling the jars with the pickling solution.
- Process jars in a canner pot with rack for easy removal.
- Remove jars to counter and let cool and wait for that “ping” noise to make sure jars seal.
Recipe For How To Make Pickled Beets
I hope you give this Pickled Beets recipe and try and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite pickled vegetable recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
And, don’t forget to visit my Best Spicy Pickles Made From Store Bought Dills. It’s very popular and very easy.
And if you’re a beet fan like we are, you’ll want to take a look at these recipes:
- Pickled Beet Salad with Arugula and Feta
- Beet Soup with Horseradish Dumplings
- Salad with Tangerine and Golden Beets
A step by step tutorial to make your own pickled beets at home.
- 3 quarts beets about 24 small,
- 2 cups organic sugar
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Pickling spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 Cups vinegar
- 1 1/2 Cups water from the boiled beets
- After beets have cooked, peel, cut into chunks, and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients excepts beets in a large sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks.
- Pack beets into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.Ladle hot liquid over beets leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process jars 30 minutes in boiling water canner.
We love to pickle on the Ranch. Take a look at this old-fashioned Pickled Pineapple Recipe, it’s a great topping for any meat entree:
Sweet Pickled Pineapple Chunks
How to Make Pickled Beets …It’s What’s for a Project.
Heather @girlichef says
January 17, 2012 at 8:43 amAwesome! That sounds like a great day…and I would love to try your beets…I do love a good beet. And I prefer a bit of crunch, as well. Yum! And…HA…what a fun saying 😉
Karen Harris says
January 17, 2012 at 8:45 amIf a group making tamales is called a tamalada then this must be called a pickalada. I love preserving. There is something so wholesome and almost theraputic about stuffing stuff in jars and boiling the bejeezus out of them. It is even more fun than eating them, well, almost. Beautiful beets Lea Ann!
pam says
January 17, 2012 at 11:13 amI wish I had someone to do major canning sessions with!
Larry says
January 17, 2012 at 11:41 amEach year, Bev insist I grow beets and each year, we pickle some and each year we toss the 4 year ones that she didn’t eat. I think she likes them, but forgets about them. Pickled is the only way I eat them but once or twice a year will do me – I ate more than my share as a kid and I still enjoy a hard boiled egg soaked in the brine for a couple of days. Yours look very nice and I like the recipe, which I’ll save for Bev’s next insistence.
Lea Ann says
January 18, 2012 at 6:20 amI forget about them too, but Now that I’ve toiled, boiled, pickled and fussed … I’ve trained myself to remember. My mom was a big beet person when I was growing up, had my share of canned. I’ve not tried those eggs. You don’t like roasted beets??? They’re so good in salads.
Jann Mumford says
January 17, 2012 at 1:48 pmI love beets~any kind.You did a fantastic job preparing these and you will enjoy them more on a cold winters day! Canning is hot!!! Love doing this……..
Lea Ann says
January 17, 2012 at 7:41 pmCouldn’t agree more Jann. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Karen says
January 17, 2012 at 3:11 pmWow… 40 jars! Such a pretty color… sounds like a fun day!
Lea Ann says
January 17, 2012 at 7:41 pmThanks Karen.
Vickie says
January 17, 2012 at 6:47 pmI have such fond memories of pickling beets when I was a new bride. They were SO good, I vowed to keep up the tradition, but didn’t. This post makes me want to give it another go, though. I grew them last year but but ended up eating the greens but not the beets. (wth?) I did convert my hubby to beet greens with bacon and hot pepper vinegar. 🙂 I’m inspired. (love the photos as always!)
Vickie says
January 17, 2012 at 6:48 pmLOL – not sure why I have two buts. 😀
Lea Ann says
January 17, 2012 at 7:38 pmI’m laughing my two asses off. 🙂
Lea Ann says
January 17, 2012 at 7:40 pmSure wish we lived close enough to do a project like this. Between the wine and the beets we’d have a jolly good time. No if’s ands or buts.
Jane says
January 17, 2012 at 6:53 pmAwesome! I had so many beets from my garden this last year that I didn’t know what to do with, wish I would have thought of pickling them! Now the question is … did you get the beet color out of your cutting board? 🙂
Lea Ann says
January 17, 2012 at 7:38 pmLOL, I have to admit I was very worried about those beet stains. Actually we were at Greg and Cauleen’s house, but I do believe those stains came out. And I’ve had those very stains on my cutting board at home and they do go away…eventually. I’ve never tried to grow beets. Good for you…and I’ve got to get to know you better. 😉
Boulder Locavore says
January 17, 2012 at 9:11 pmYou are my hero. As you know I’m taking baby steps with beets and I cannot imagine what one would do with 40 jars! I do can and know that is a big effort. Very satisfying to get them done and enjoy them through the none beet season. Beautiful photos Lea Ann; you have tempted me to proceed with my attempt to love beets via this recipe.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
January 18, 2012 at 4:32 amWhat a project Lea Ann. Sooner or later I guess I’m just going to have to break down and try a beet. My husband loves them.
Sam
Joanne says
January 19, 2012 at 5:21 amCould THIS be the recipe that gets me to enjoy beets? I think it’s highly likely. I’m a sucker for anything pickled!
Lea Ann says
January 19, 2012 at 5:39 amBoy, I’d love to take credit for that. I agree Joanne, I’m a “pickled” fan.
Susan says
January 19, 2012 at 8:00 amWords of wisdom from your aunt 😉 I love beets made in any fashion but my silly husband won’t touch them.
Lea Ann says
January 22, 2012 at 6:38 amA lot of people won’t touch them. I had someone say they tasted like dirt. (rolling eyes) 🙂
Care's Kitchen says
January 19, 2012 at 9:18 amI adore beets! Roasted some the other day and wondered why I don’t do it on a regular basis!? What a fun project…would have love to have joined you too…wine and all!!!! Thanks for the recipe and “how to!”
Lea Ann says
January 22, 2012 at 6:37 amI’m a beet lover. Roasted or pickled – yum
Velva says
January 21, 2012 at 4:22 pmIt must be destiny that I saw your post today. I have a small community garden plot. I have grown beets for the first time, and was just saying that I need to figure out how to can them. I know beets are a love em or hate em vegetable, but I love them. No one should have an opinion about beets until they have tried them fresh-
This looks amazing. By the way, you guys rock. 5-1/2 hours of purple hands and counter is a lot!
Cheers.
Velva
Lea Ann says
January 22, 2012 at 6:35 amI agree. That’s what I always ask people when the voice their distaste for beets… have you had them fresh? I’ll be anxious to hear if you pickle those beets.
Chris says
January 22, 2012 at 2:51 pmI think my mouse just got stained purple just from reading this post, lol.
I really don’t like beets but Alexis loves them, pickled ones even more so.
Lea Ann says
January 24, 2012 at 5:31 amI love your comments Chris. And too funny about the stained mouse.
Colleen says
April 22, 2018 at 3:04 pmHave been making cheater pickled beets using sliced roasted beets (and sometimes canned beets) pickled in leftover Famous Dave’s Pickle Chips Signature Spicy pickle juice. Excellent on Greek salad 😉 Will be trying your How-To next time. Thank-you! Colleen
Lea Ann Brown says
August 22, 2018 at 6:20 amI love your idea of sing Famous Dave’s. I should try that with cucumbers. Great flavor. Have fun pickling beets – so rewarding.
Nancy Dobson says
August 21, 2018 at 6:08 pmThese beets are amazing! I’ve been harvesting beets from our garden and thought I’d give this recipe a try. Delicious! I did strain the pickling spices out before I added the liquid ( just personal preference). Great flavor! My son was also trained at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts! I look forward to trying more recipes from your site!
Lea Ann Brown says
August 22, 2018 at 6:19 amHi Nancy
How fun to receive your email. Thanks for the note.
I’m so glad you liked the beets. As I mention in the email, it’s a combo of recipes from two families.
I really should strain those spices out, but I kinda like how they look. It’s about that time, we’ll be pickling beets over the next month or so. We order ours from a vendor at the Highlands Ranch Farmer’s Market. Organic.
I truly loved Cook Street and the Executive Chef, John. One of the best things I’ve ever done. I hope your son enjoyed his experience there.
Let me know if you try other recipes – always love hearing from my readers.
Jeannie says
August 18, 2019 at 8:05 pmMy mom made spiced, pickled beets when I was a kid and always made pickled eggs with them, for holidays and summer picnics. As a kid, I loved the pickled eggs, but wouldn’t touch the beets. When I got to be a teenager and older, I started to eat a few beets with my eggs and got to liking them, but never enough to attempt my own–I could always eat Mom’s! My husband likes the eggs, but won’t touch beets and my kids didn’t like either one, so it wasn’t worth the effort when I was the only one eating them. Lately, I’ve been wanting to make pickled eggs, but other people’s pickled eggs were never as good as my mom’s, because of the ingredients she used in her beet recipe. So, mom being gone now, and never having gotten her recipe, I went looking for something like she used to make. I found a grocery store brand that wasn’t bad, but didn’t have enough spice. My sister has Mom’s old recipe box, so I asked her to see if Mom’s recipe was in there. No luck. I pulled out my old Ball Blue Book, but that recipe seemed to be lacking. I was pretty sure Mom used pickling spice and maybe some extra cinnamon stick and cloves. Hers were very flavorful, and spicy. I’ve been searching online for a recipe that sounded right, but they all lacked something. I finally just typed in the ingredients I wanted and your recipe came up. It sounds just about right. I’ll have to cut it down in size, because I don’t need near so much. I think this will give me the flavor I’m looking for. I’ll let you know if they live up to Mom’s!
Lea Ann Brown says
August 19, 2019 at 6:53 amThanks so much for your note. I totally agree with you about some pickled beet recipes. They’re good but not quite enough kick in the flavor department.
I so look forward to hearing back from you with your review of this recipe. Thanks for stopping in.
Diane Saunders says
August 20, 2019 at 6:27 pmWhat month do you pick your beets for pickling?
Lea Ann Brown says
August 21, 2019 at 6:43 amHi Diane
Thanks for your note.
We order them from an organic farmer to take delivery in late September. Keep in mind, our growing season here in Colorado is later than other parts of the country. I think as soon as they’re available = go for it. 🙂
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Natalie Anderson says
September 27, 2019 at 4:28 pmThe BEST recipe and the easiest! Great taste! I love that it uses the pickling spice instead of seperate spices as that cuts down on cost and cupboard space and I use pickling spice for multiple recipes so it’s not going to sit in my cupboard for long and go stale. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Lea Ann Brown says
September 28, 2019 at 5:46 amHi Natalie! And thank you so very much for your note and thumbs up for the recipe.
My friend Greg and I have made this recipe every year, for the past 10 years. And I must say we pat ourselves on the back each year. We like the recipe. And whenever I give a jar to someone, I get great reviews.
I’m so glad you took the time to let me know. Thank you!
Make it a delicious day.
Pam says
October 3, 2019 at 7:55 pmHave you ever pressure canned this recipe? I was thinking that beets needed to be pressure canned because they’re a vegetable but I can’t find a recipe that is pressure canned.
Lea Ann Brown says
October 4, 2019 at 6:01 amHi Pam
I have not pressure canned these pickled beets, nor do I have any experience with pressure canners.
Sorry I can’t be of more help. And I did take some time to search for a pressure canned version. I’m surprised I couldn’t find any either.
mary anderson says
October 6, 2019 at 10:00 ami have tried this recipe before and it comes out to be the bestest one going to amke this again this weekend thanks for sharing such good recipe 🙂
Lea Ann Brown says
October 7, 2019 at 5:15 amHi Mary and thanks so much for letting me know I’m so glad you like the recipe. Have fun pickling those beets.
Chanti says
October 15, 2019 at 11:17 pmHi! Thanks for the good looking recipe….perhaps I missed the detail….how many 500ml jars does this make?
Stephanie says
November 2, 2019 at 12:31 pmIf you don’t wash the beets before you boil them, how can you use the cooking liquid in the brine?
Lea Ann Brown says
November 2, 2019 at 12:55 pmHi Stephanie. We buy freshly picked beets in bulk. The greens have been removed and there is no visible signs of dirt on the beets. Beets that you buy at the store with greens attached always seems to be clean also, with no visible signs of soil. Boiling the beets, will basically disinfect the vegetable, plus you’re removing the skin anyway. If you do purchase beets that have dirt, which by the way is best if storing, then yes, you need to rinse them. Thanks for the note.