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Why I Love To Make Pickled Beets
If there’s one thing that transports me right back to my Grandma Conrad’s kitchen, it’s beets. She always had a jar of pickled beets in her fridge, usually ones that had been canned the previous summer, ready to serve with a main dish or just enjoy all on their own.
Today, I still love to can beets each summer, but I also love to recreate that same flavor with my own quick pickle version. It’s fast, flavorful, and keeps that sweet beet taste front and center.
Making quick pickles is one of my favorite ways to preserve garden produce without a full canning session (because, you know, those can only do so much canning in a season). These beets come together with just 7 ingredients and a few days in the refrigerator. Even though it may seem odd, the vinegar brine really works to complement the natural sweetness from the beets, and that little bit of onion is just like Grandma made them.
Why these pickled beets are a must-make:
- There’s absolutely no canning needed! Just a quick-to-make brine and then into the fridge to chill.
- Roasted beets mean richer flavor and less mess.
- The optional addition of onion adds something extra to every bite.
- A nostalgic, family-favorite recipe (at least for me here in Iowa).
Pickled Beets Ingredients
You only need 7 ingredients for this recipe:
- Beets – Roasted and peeled, filled with earthy flavor and tender texture.
- Onion – Totally optional addition, but makes these beets even better. Thinly slice them for an aromatic complement to the beets.
- Vinegar and water – Provides the tangy base for the brine poured over the beets.
- Black peppercorns – Add a bit of subtle spice to the beets.
- Sugar – Works to amp up the natural sweetness of the beets and temper the sharpness of the brine.
- Kosher salt – Brings out the flavor and helps to preserve the pickles.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pickled Beets
There are 4 easy steps to make these pickled beets:
Roast the beets – Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap the beets in foil and roast until tender, 40-55 minutes. Then let them cool.
Fill the jars – Thinly slice the onion and layer it into the bottom of the jars. Then peel and cut the cooled beets into wedges or slices and add to each jar.
Prepare the brine – In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Prepare the jars – Pour the hot brine over the beets in each jar, filling to cover. Let cool to room temperature, then add a lid and refrigerate. Chill the jars for at least 48 hours before consuming.
Recipe Tips
- Use colorful beets – Golden and Chioggia beets add variety and visual appeal without bleeding color. If you’re combining red beets with other colors, keep in mind that the red will bleed and tint the lighter beets.
- Roast, don’t boil – Roasting keeps the beets’ flavor and nutrients intact.
- Slice or wedge – Choose the shape that best suits your serving style: wedges for snacking, slices for salads. You could even dice them if that’s what you prefer!
Serving & Storage
To serve – After 48 hours in the fridge, the beets should be ready to eat. Serve these on a charcuterie board, add to grain bowls, or on top of salads. But I especially love them eaten all by themselves.
To store – Keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 2 months.
More Quick Pickle Recipes
- Sweet pickles
- Pickled eggs
- Pickled jalapeños
- Pickled red onions
- Or, you can make canned pickled beets for longer-term storage.
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Pickled Beets
Equipment
- 2 pint jars (I use 742 Weck jars)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beets (any color)
- ½ cup sliced onion
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 cup water
- 1 ¼ cups white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the beets on a large piece (or multiple pieces) of foil. Bring the corners together and tightly twist to create a package. Set on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until the beets are tender, 40-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.3 lbs beets (any color)
- Fill the jars: Add half of the onion to each jar. When cool enough to handle, remove the root, stem, and peel from the beets. Cut into wedges or slices and pack into the jars. Add ½ tsp of black peppercorns to each jar.½ cup sliced onion, 1 tsp black peppercorns
- Make the brine: In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved, about 3-4 minutes, then remove from the heat.1 cup water, 1 ¼ cups white vinegar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- Add to the jars: Immediately pour the hot brine over the prepared jars. Fill the jars so that the brine covers the beets fully. Place lids on the jars and allow the brine to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place the jars in the refrigerator for 48 hours before consuming. The beets will last at least 2 months in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson
Please let me know where I can get some jars like you used for quick pickles. I Love your videos!!!
Thank You 🙏
Cathy
You do a lot of pickling. You should try steam canning. Changed my preserving life. No huge amounts of boiling water. No guess work on timing. Uses very little water, yet processes the same amount of time. Roots and Branches or Harvest make a stainless steel canner that can be steam or boiling bath. Learned about this from Carol Thrifty Chick on YouTube. Excellent thorough explanations. Trust me, steam canning is awesome.