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Pickled Beets Recipe (Refrigerator and Canning Version)
These Icelandic pickled beets (canned beets and refrigerator pickled beet version) have a sweet, unadulterated and unapologetic beet flavour, only slightly mitigated by a handful of pickling spices.
Servings 20 servings
Calories 39kcal
Equipment
- Saucepan for making the brine.
- Large pot for cooking the beets.
- canning pot optional - if making traditional canned pickled beets.
- 1 canning kit optional- for beginners, I recommend buying a single canning kit to get you started on your canning journey. It will last you years!
Ingredients
Refrigerator Pickled Beets Version:
- 5 cups cooked beets washed, ends and roots left untouched
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon pickling spice
Safe-For-Canning Pickled Beets Version (recipe adapted very slightly from Bernardin):
- 5 cups prepared beets 1250 ml
- 1 ¼ cups white vinegar** 312 ml
- 1 cup water 125 ml
- 1 cup brown sugar 125 ml
- 1.5 tablespoon pickling spice
Instructions
Cooking the Beets:
- Place sliced beets in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and simmer 40 minutes until beets test tender with fork. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Wearing plastic gloves, peel beets.
Refrigerator Pickled Beets:
- In a small saucepan, bring water, vinegar and pickling spice to a boil. Cover and continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
- In your clean jars or in a large casserole dish, arrange alternating layers of beets and brown sugar. Cover with pickling brine.
- Cover with lid, and let cool. Transfer to fridge, and let flavours meld for at least 24 hours. The beets will be ready to eat then, though their flavour will intensify a bit with every day.
Safe-For-Canning Pickled Beets:
- Place 3 clean 500 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer. Set screw bands aside, and immerse sealing discs in hot, but not boiling water. Keep jars and lids sealing discs hot until ready to use.
- In a small saucepan, bring water, vinegar, brown sugar and pickling spice to a boil. Cover and continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
- Pack beets into hot jars to within ¾ inch (2 cm) of the top. Add hot pickling liquid to cover beets, leaving ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace at the top of the jar. Cover with hot sealing discs, and then screw bands just enough to meet resistance (do not tighten all the way).
- Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining beets and hot brine. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. Boil filled jars for 30 minutes.
- When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed for 24 hours. DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.
Notes
** Does the Type of Vinegar Matter?
When it comes to making pickled beets, the type of vinegar used can definitely make a difference in the final taste.
Distilled white wine vinegar is the most common choice for pickling, but apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar can add a slightly different flavor profile. Some people even experiment with rice wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar for a more unique taste.
Ultimately, the type of vinegar used should be chosen based on personal preference and the flavor profile desired in this easy recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.3mg