Refrigerator Pickled Beets; Grandma's Pickled Beets Recipe – Health Starts in the Kitchen (2024)

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Making Refrigerator pickled beets are surprisingly easy. With their crunchy texture, pickled beets are a great addition to salads, sandwiches and burgers. Here, we’ll show you how to make easy refrigerator pickled beets, using my Grandm’s Pickled Beets Recipe.

Refrigerator Pickled Beets; Grandma's Pickled Beets Recipe – Health Starts in the Kitchen (1)

Grandma always had countlessjars of homemade canned pickled beets on her pantry shelves that she made over the previous summer. Her Pickled Beets were the perfect wayenjoy her beetharvestyear-round.

But, you don’t have to grow your own beets and fill your canning pantry with jars of pickled beets to enjoy the sweet & sourflavors of my Grandma’s beets with my Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets!

What are Pickled Beets?

Pickled beets, in the simplest terms, are cooked beets that are marinated in a sweet and tangy brine made up of ingredients such as water, salt, vinegar and sugar. More of a bread and butter style pickle flavor instead of a sour pickle with garlic and dill. AKA we can call these Beet Pickles if you want!

Traditionally pickled beets were actually prepared via fermentation. The bacteria and probiotics are what naturally created a sweet/sour flavor profile. While I love a Fermented food and even have a published cookbook on the topic Fermented Foods at Every Meal – I still prefer the simplicity of refrigerator pickled beets.

You can ALSO, as I mentioned above, make a shelf stable version of pickled beets using the same ingredients and a water bath canning preparation in jars that have been seal for a long shelf life, which I’ve recently added to this post in case you were wondering!!

Refrigerator Pickled Beets; Grandma's Pickled Beets Recipe – Health Starts in the Kitchen (2)

And I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the delicious flavor of beets than marinating them in a sweet and tangy hot brine with red onions. Pickling and marinating vegetables in a brine with ingredients that are salty, vinegary and sweet is such a great way to incorporate a unique and delicious taste to even veggies you may typically avoid!

Yes, my Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets arejust that easy, Cook/peel/cut beets and soak them in salt, sugar vinegar and water.

BOOM in just about a week you have Pickled Beets to enjoy and it’s a great way to preserve them for month to come! You can make a small batch or giant batches, depending on how much room you have in your fridge to store the jars.

Grandma’s Pickled Beets Ingredients

To make this old fashioned pickled beets recipe recipe you only need a few, easy to find ingredients:

  • Fresh Beets (large and medium beets should be cut into pieces, where as small beets can be left whole) Red beets or golden beets can be used. In a pinch you can also use canned beets too!
  • Red Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, white vinegar, etc
  • Sugar, honey or sweetener of choice
  • Water, filtered
  • onion (red, yellow, white, etc)
  • Optional spices; pickling spice, whole cloves, bay leaves, peppercorn, cinnamon sticks, red pepper flakes, mustard seed, allspice, etc. Or any funky spices you want to try out!

How to make Quick Refrigerator Pickled Beets

Making refrigerator pickled beets is SO EASY! Here’s how…

To get started, remove your beet greens, with a paring knife leaving about 1 inch of stems remaining. Cook beets as desired. is my suggestion. You can also boil/steam and I include those instructions in the recipe card below along with all the nutrition information for this recipe, No matter if you bake, steam, boil or roast

Once your beets are cooked, peeled and cut, if needed for larger beets but feel free to leave smaller beets whole. I personally prefer to slice beets so that they are salad ready!

Place them into a large jar or other air tight container along with onions and spices, if desired.

Over medium heat, in a small saucepan combine your pickling liquid ingredients and bring to a simmer to melt the sweetener. Allow to cool slightly then pour over top of your jar of cooked beets.

Fill each jar with the brine, and cover with an air tight lid. Allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator.

You can start enjoying your refrigerator pickled beet salad within a few days and they will keep for MONTHS in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

How to Can Pickled Beets

Canning pickled beets might be new to you but the canning process is very straight forward. You don’t need a pressure cooker or pressure canner, we’ll be using a water bath canner on your stove top.

Start a large pot or kettle filled with cool water on high heat, fitted with a rack in the bottom. The large sauce pot will need to hold the jars and be able to fully submerge them in water, past the tops of the jars. This will be used for a water bath to can your pickled beets.

Using sterilized hot jars, place prepared cooked beets into the jars. Add extra spices, onion, etc as desired.

Bring brine to a hard boil (aka the sugar vinegar mixture) and fill each jar, on top of the beets, with the brine, leaving a half-inch of headspace. This is called hot packing, using a hot brine before canning. Remove any air bubbles from your canning jars.

Clean the top of the jars by wiping the rims of the jars with a clean damp towel to remove any debris and drips from the pickling brine. Then place lid and ring on each jar as you fill them, being careful not to over tighten (this can cause lids to buckle).

Place prepared jars in a water bath, making sure water covers jars by at least one inch. Bring boiling water bath to process pints for 30 minutes. Remove jars from kettle using a jar lifter and let cool completely before touching. Soon the lids should seal with a ping – music to a canner’s ears! Store cooled sealed jars in a dark place until ready to enjoy. They will be shelf stable and safe to eat for 1+ years.

What to eat with Pickled Beets

Now that you have a beautiful and delicious jar of Pickled Beets in your refrigerator, let me inspire you with some serving suggestions for this healthy snack:

  • My favorite way to enjoy my Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets is ontop of a steak salad salad smothered with my homemade ranch dressing – there’s something so addictive about the sweet/tangy beets paired with the creamy ranch!
  • They are also a traditional food to be served on Easter Sunday alongside with roast Ham.
  • Add them to your charcuterie board, pickled beets are especially delicious paired with feta cheese and goat cheese
  • Serve them as a side dish to your favorite sandwiches
  • These are also the key to making my beautiful Beet Pickled Eggs (recipe coming soon) which are aperfect addition for yourEaster Dinner!

If you like these Refrigerator Pickled Beets Recipe, try these other refrigerator pickle recipes next:

  • Pickled Roasted Red Peppers
  • Pickled Maitake Mushrooms {aka Sheep’s Head or Hen of the Woods}
  • Homemade Pickled Red Onions

Refrigerator Pickled Beets; Grandma's Pickled Beets Recipe – Health Starts in the Kitchen (3)

Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets

Refrigerator pickled beets are surprisingly easy. With their crunchy texture, pickled beets are a great addition to salads, sandwiches and burgers. Here, we'll show you how to make easy refrigerator pickled beets.

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

pickling: 7 days days

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Cook Beets:

  • Trim the top stem to roughly 1 inch and throughly wash your beets.

  • Place washed beets in a large pot of water and boil for roughly 20 minutes, or until tender. (just like boiling potatoes, the larger beets will take longer to cook)

  • Strain cooked beets in a colander and cool your beets by running cold water over them.

  • When your beets are cool enough to safely handle, with your faucet is running with cold water, use your hands to slip the skin off the beets. Trim the remaining stems and root to be flush with the beet bulb.

  • Cut or slice cooked beets as desired.

To make pickled beets:

  • Combine vinegar, sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and set aside.

  • In glass jar(s) or container(s) with a tight fitting lid, layer cut up beets and sliced onion.

  • Pour vinegar/sugar/water over top. Add additional water if needed to fully submerge the beets in the liquid.

  • Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the refrigerator for 5-7 days before enjoying. Refrigerator pickled beets will keep for about 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @hayley_inthekitchen or tag #hayley_inthekitchen!

Refrigerator Pickled Beets; Grandma's Pickled Beets Recipe – Health Starts in the Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you eat a lot of pickled beets? ›

Possible downsides. Depending on how they're made, some varieties of pickled beets may pack salt and added sugars ( 23 , 24 ). Research links excess sugar and salt intake to poor health and an increased risk of illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

How long will refrigerator pickled beets last? ›

These refrigerator pickled beets should last up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Is it OK to drink the juice from a jar of pickled beets? ›

Yes It is perfectly safe to drink the brine/juice that is in the jar of pickled beets.

Do pickled beets have the same health benefits as raw beets? ›

If you don't like raw beets, don't fret. Cooked, fermented, or pickled beets retain much of their nutritious value, although some of the nitrites and other nutrients may be lost during preparation (13, 18, 19, 20).

Who shouldn t eat pickled beets? ›

Pickled beets are generally safe to eat. But, depending on how they're made, some varieties of pickled beets may pack salt and added sugars. Too much salt can increase your blood pressure. While too much sugar can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

What is the downside of eating beets? ›

Special Precautions and Warnings

Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that beets might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage.

Are Aunt Nellie's pickled beets healthy? ›

Aunt Nellie's Pickled Beets contain no fat, saturated fat or cholesterol; they are kosher and gluten-free.

Do beets in vinegar go bad? ›

To enjoy them at their best and freshest, store your pickled beets in the refrigerator and plan to use them within a maximum of three months, or ideally within several weeks. Always keep an eye out for signs they've passed their prime before that though.

Can you eat pickled beets right out of the jar? ›

No special preparation is required for pickled beets. You may eat them directly out of the jar! Most people eat pickled beets chilled or at room temperature.

Are pickled beets good for blood pressure? ›

Beets contain a high concentration of nitrates, which can help lower your blood pressure levels. This may lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

Do beets raise blood sugar? ›

Beetroot is low in carbohydrates as compared to other root vegetables, making it a considerable option for diabetics. It is a good source of fibre which helps to increase satiety and slow down the absorption of carbohydrates preventing sudden spikes in blood sugar levels.

Is pickle juice good for high blood pressure? ›

While pickle juice offers some health benefits, it may also pose some risks. Most of these risks are tied to the extremely high levels of sodium that pickle juice contains. Those who have or are at risk for hypertension (high blood pressure) should avoid drinking pickle juice.

Can you eat too many pickled beets? ›

Not only do pickled beets add a pop of color and crunch to our diet, they also provide a variety of health benefits across numerous systems in the body. Too many pickled beets, however, can overload our system with sodium if the brine mixture is heavy in salt.

What is the healthiest form of beets? ›

Healthy Ways to Eat Beets

Both eating beets and drinking beet juice will give you anti-inflammatory betalains and other phytonutrients. If you're looking to enhance athletic performance, drink up. Juicing beets delivers a concentrated dose of nitrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Are pickled beets good for your liver? ›

Beets contain the compound betaine which helps the liver to function. When the liver is functioning properly, the body is able to digest, absorb, and process food to detoxify chemicals and metabolize food.

What happens if I eat too many beets? ›

Risks of Beets

While it may seem like a good idea to have beets daily because of their benefits, you may need to exercise caution when eating them. Eating beets or drinking beet juice may lead to kidney stones, a potential food allergy, or stool or urine color changes.

What happens if you eat too much pickled food? ›

Liver and kidney stress

Eating too much sodium can cause your kidneys and liver to work harder. Also, the high blood pressure that often follows diets high in sodium puts even more stress on these organs. As a result, eating too many pickles may be risky for anyone with liver disease or kidney conditions.

Are pickled beets bad for your stomach? ›

Because pickled beets are fermented, they are rich in probiotics. Probiotics are "friendly bacteria" present in your digestive system. Probiotics can help improve some digestive illnesses and conditions.

What are the symptoms of beetroot poisoning? ›

The primary symptom of beeturia is discolored urine or stools. Urine appears red or pink after eating beetroot or foods and juices containing extracts or pigments of beetroot. The extent of discoloration varies from person to person and depends on what you ingested.

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