White, golden, red, purple, or candy-striped, these Pickled Beets are delicious, nutritious, and make colorful garnishes.
Beets are one of my favorite vegetables because of how sweet and satisfying they are, but I often find myself tempted to get pre-cooked beets instead of the beautiful beet bunches sold in the produce section. Why? Because processing raw beets makes your kitchen look like a crime scene, and your hands will make you look like the guilty party all day.
If I’m going to cook up some raw beets myself (usually during garden season, when I have bags full of beets), I typically like to cook big batches at a time, so that I only have to deal with the red mess every once in a while. And since I’m not in the habit of eating beets at every meal, my big batch of beets usually lands in pickling solution. That way, my cooked beets are preserved for a long period of time, and I can pull them out to top salads or whenever I want a little nibble of something healthy. And sure, you can buy pickled beets in cans at the store, but those are usually soaked in high-fructose corn syrup and other random preservatives, which isn’t ideal.
This pickled beets recipe has come in handy for me over the years. It’s simple, flavorful, and just subtle enough to let the natural sweetness of the beets shine through the vinegary solution. The cloves and peppercorns add a little bit of spice to accentuate the beets’ flavor profile without overwhelming it, making these pickled beets a great addition to lots of dinner plates.
Are Pickled Beets Healthy?
Yes, these homemade pickled beets are considered healthy. Pickling beets (or any vegetable, really) from scratch allows you to control the ingredients and amount of sodium that go into your beets, unlike pickled foods purchased at the grocery store. Additionally, beets contain flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants, and beets are low in calories and fat while being a good source of fiber. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free, too.
What Else Can You Pickle?
If you’re a gardener like me, chances are good that by the end of summer, you’ll end up with an excess of some vegetable or another. That’s the reason I learned how to pickle stuff—well, that, and I just love pickles of any kind. The first garden veggie I ever pickled was the humble turnip, as I discovered too late in the turnip harvest that I don’t care much for turnips. Pickled turnips, however, are much more enjoyable to me, so I thankfully didn’t let that 30-pound turnip harvest go to waste. Turnips pickle just fine with the recipe below.
In fact, you can easily swap the beets for a variety of other root vegetables with this recipe, creating a multitude of pickled goods. Radishes and carrots can also be pickled using this recipe. They are naturally firm, and since the pickling process weakens plant fibers, the more sturdy the vegetable, the better it holds up to pickling.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Pickling, by definition, must be made in advance of when you want to serve them. After you seal the jars of pickled beets, let them cool to room temperature and store them in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. Pickled beets can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
These beautiful beets are perfect on top of salads and add a pop of color to charcuterie boards. I like them as a topping on my simple breakfast rice bowl with avocado and a fried egg.
Use them to garnish this vegan Superfood Quinoa Salad, or toss them on top of a big Bibimbap bowl. You can also transform this homemade Hummus into a pink delight by simply adding one or two beet slices to your food processor while you’re making the hummus. Mix in a few more pickled beets, and you will have a shade of magenta. Serve it with carrots, cucumbers, and pita chips on the side.
I’ve also been spotted at the fridge fishing pickled beets out of the jar with chopsticks, so feel free to “serve” them that way, too. Nobody’s judging you here.
For additional pickled inspiration, try these Pickled Cherry Tomatoes that taste like summer in a jar.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh beets trimmed
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Wash and trim the beets, leaving about an inch of the stem. Boil them in enough water to submerge, until beets are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain and cool until they can be handled, then peel.
- Slice the cooked beets into 1/4 inch-thick slices (or whatever shape you like), and pack them into a clean mason jar.
- In a saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jar, ensuring they are completely submerged. Dry off the rim of the jar with a paper towel, if necessary. Seal the jar with a new lid.
- Allow the jar to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving to enhance the flavors.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Leave a Comment