Easy Pickled Beets to Refrigerate or Can

5 from 2 votes

Easy Pickled Beets to Refrigerate or Can

A quick and easy guide for simple pickled beets to can or store in the fridge. Made with a small amount of sugar or honey, you will have a delicious pickle to use on salads, as side dishes, or just to snack on straight from the jar.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1

If Canning10

Total Time1 55

Course: Preserving

Cuisine: American

Servings: pints

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

4 pint jars -mason jars for canning, any glass jars for refrigerator
4 lids -new for canning, reused for refrigerator
3 quart saucepan
1 jar funnel
Ladle, rag/towel, and plastic spatula
Boiling water canner & jar lifter optional

Ingredients

3-4 pounds beets trimmed
1 ½ cups vinegar, white, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
3 cups water
⅓ to ½ cup honey or cane sugar
2 ½ teaspooons sea salt or pickling salt
1 ½ teaspoons pickling spice, customizable homemade or store bought

Instructions

To Cook & Prepare Beets:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add washed, trimmed beets to a large roasting pan, cutting any large beets in half to make them all roughly equal sizes.
Pour 1/4 cup of water into pan, cover with foil and roast in oven for 45 to 1 hour, depending on the sizes of your beets. Remove from oven at 45 minutes and check doneness with a paring knife to the center of a few of the largest beets. You can remove any that are done and continue cooking for the remaining 15 minutes any that need it. (Alternately, you can use the boiling method in the notes section below.)
Remove all beets from oven and let cool enough that you can handle them.
Trim the root and stem ends and then remove the skin of the beets. (TIP: they very rarely all "slip off" for me, so use a paring knife to get all the skin off.)
Slice the beets as you would like (you can also leave baby beets whole). I like to cut them in quarters and slice to fit the most in the jars.

For Refrigerator Pickled Beets:

Wash four pint size jars and lids - any jars will work for fridge pickles so you can reuse glass condiment jars or use mason jars. (TIP: if you don't have enough beets, you can halve the recipe and make just a couple jars or one jar and leave the extra brine in the fridge to add any more beets you may have to it later.)
Add the vinegar, water, honey, sea salt, and pickling spice to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.
While the brine is cooking, add the sliced beets to your prepared jars, leaving about 1/2 inch open between the beets and top of jar (the headspace).
When the brine is ready, use a canning funnel on the jars and ladle the vinegar mix into the jars, one at a time, to cover the beets (exact headspace isn't required for fridge pickles). Use a plastic thin spatula to remove air bubbles, adding more brine as needed, and then wipe the rims of the jars with a damp rag or paper towel to remove any sticky residue.
Attach lids and label with the month, day and year before moving into the refrigerator for storage (9-12 months).

For Canned Pickled Beets:

Wash four pint size canning/mason jars (TIP: You can easily double the recipe if you have enough beets). Keep the jars warm until you fill them with beets and brine.
Fill a water-bath canner with water and set to start heating; wash new canning lids and new or used rings (only the lids need to be new)
Add the vinegar, water, honey, sea salt, and pickling spice to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes.
Fill one warm jar at a time with warm beets, place canning funnel on jar and ladle in the brine. Use a thin, plastic spatula to remove air bubbles and distribute brine evenly. Leave a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a damp cloth, attach lid and place the jar in the canning rack before moving to the next jar. Finish all the jars in this way.
Lower the rack and bring the covered canner to a boil. After coming to a boil, set timer for 30 minutes* and adjust the burner to keep the water at a low boil.
When timer goes off, turn burner off, remove lid and let jars sit in water for another 5 minutes before transferring to a towel lined surface.
Let sit undisturbed for 12 or more hours, then remove the rings and check lids for seal, placing any that didn't seal in the fridge. Label the jars with the date and store in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months.

Notes

Alternate Cooking Method for Beets:

Boil trimmed beets until the skins slip off easily, about 15 to 30 minutes depending on size. Cool just enough to handle without burning yourself, then remove skins, and trim off remaining stems and roots. Slice and continue with recipe.

*Processing time update: I previously had listed a lower processing time which I've used for years and it was pointed out that it has been updated to a 30 minute boiling time now (Ball Blue Book as well as the National Center for Home Food Preservation).

Pickled Beets with Onions or Shallots:

Thinly slice one half of a medium onion or 4-5 shallots and add 1/4 of the slices to each jar as you add the sliced beets. Continue with recipe.

Altitude Adjustment: Higher altitudes will have to adjust and add processing time according to this chart.

If you have any jars that don't seal (which is rare!), store them in the fridge and use first.

Nutrition