Pickled Beets

User Reviews

4.5

162 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    40 mins

  • Cook Time

    5 mins

  • Total Time

    45 mins

  • Servings

    8

  • Calories

    32 kcal

  • Course

    Side Dish

  • Cuisine

    American

Pickled Beets

Pickled Beets feature cooked beet slices steeped in a spiced vinegar brine with cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and onions. This process yields tender, tangy beet rounds with warm spice notes and a balanced sweet-sour flavor. The recipe guides either steaming or roasting fresh beets before pickling, giving flexibility for different kitchen setups. It’s a versatile condiment suitable as a side or salad addition.

Description

This Pickled Beets recipe starts by cooking fresh beets via steaming in a pressure cooker or roasting in the oven, both methods tenderize while preserving beet flavor. After cooling, skins are removed, and the beets are sliced.

The pickling brine combines white vinegar, water, sugar, and pickling spices including cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, sliced sweet onion, and salt. The beet slices soak in this brine, infusing tanginess and warm spice aromas that complement their natural earthiness. The gentle acidity brightens the beets and the sugar balances the sourness.

These pickled beets can be used as a flavorful side dish or added to salads and sandwiches for a pop of color and tang. While the recipe cautions that it’s not suitable for long-term canning, refrigeration will keep the pickled beets fresh for a reasonable period.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 c sweet onion sliced
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups beet cooked and sliced (2-3 fresh beets

Instructions

This recipe is not appropriate for canning or long term storage. Recipe was revised 8/20/21 to add more detail to the instructions.

  1. Use either the Instant Pot or the oven to cook fresh beets.

Steaming the Beets in the Instant Pot

  1. Put a cup of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add a rack to the Instant Pot and put the raw, unpeeled beets on top. 
  2. Close the lid and set the pressure cooker on Manual, high pressure for 12 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure.
  3. Once it finishes release the pressure and take the beets out to cool.

Roasting the Beets in the Oven

  1. Wrap the unpeeled beets in aluminum foil. Roast them in a 300 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, although large beets might take longer.
  2. The beets are done when they are easily pierced by a knife. When they are done take them out to cool.

Pickling Process

  1. Once the beets are cool enough to handle remove the skin by rubbing the beets. Rinse them off and slice them into rounds or chunks.
  2. Fill a 16 ounce jar with the beets.
  3. Combine the vinegar and water in a small saucepan.
  4. Add the sliced onion, peppercorns, cloves, sugar, a cinnamon stick and salt.
  5. Put the sauce pan on medium heat and let it cook for about 5 minutes. This should dissolve the sugar and salt and let the spices start to infuse into the liquid.
  6. Pour the hot brine over the beets. There might be too much brine, which is fine, but make sure the spices and onion end up in the jar. Or there might not be enough brine, in which case use hot water to top off the jar.
  7. Let the jar cool on the counter for an hour or so, and then refrigerate.
  8. The beet pickles are ready to eat after 4 hours but will take 3 days to develop their best flavor. They keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Notes

  • Different beet varieties like red, yellow, or striped beets can be used for color variety.
  • Beet juice stains easily; use caution with cutting boards, utensils, and hands during preparation.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 32kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.01g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.03g (0%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g (0%) Sodium 101mg (4%) Potassium 120mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 13IU (0%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 13mg (1%) Iron 0.3mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 32 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 32kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.03g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Sodium 101mg 4%
Potassium 120mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 13IU 0%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0.3mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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4.5

162 reviews
Excellent

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