I have beets coming out of my ears right now, so this is timely information!
If you plan to use a water bath canner to preserve your beets, pickling is an important part of the process. (Otherwise, you’ll need to use a pressure canner, since beets are a low-acid food.) I love this tutorial from Annie at Montana Homesteader–especially since it doesn’t require a bunch of sugar–beets are plenty sweet on their own!
My name is Annie Bernauer, the homesteading mama at Montana Homesteader, and I love pickled beets. I love to eat them as a snack and I love to eat them in salads. I love to eat them instead of potato chips and even love to eat them more than chocolate some days! I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share how to make and can pickled beets with the Prairie Homestead community. Thank you Jill!
Since I professed my love of pickled beets, you might be wondering why I enjoy them so much. They have a delicious spiced flavor and I just love the tangy zip from the vinegar. In addition to the flavor, pickled beets are full of vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, B, C. They also contain potassium, magnesium, folic acid, and iron. Who doesn’t love a snack that is tasty AND healthy!
A lot of beet recipes out there use white vinegar and lots of white sugar. The beauty of this recipe is that it is made with apple cider vinegar and no sugar! Apple cider vinegar has more health benefits since it is not processed like white vinegar is. White vinegar has a harsh taste, which is why the other recipes often call for lots of sugar. Apple cider vinegar has a sweeter flavor so you can add just a little honey to reduce the tang of the vinegar.
Now that you know why I love eating pickled beets, let’s get started with how to make and can pickled beets!
[UPDATE 2022: Since this guest post, I have fallen in love with pickled beets, too, and I made an adaptation of this pickled beets recipe in this video below].
How to Can Pickled Beets
I always use pint size glass canning jars for pickled beets but you can pack them into any size canning jar you prefer. This recipe makes 15 pints of pickled beets.
Ingredients:
- 10 lbs of beets
- 2 small or 1 large cinnamon stick
- 12 whole cloves
- 6 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 to 1 cup honey to taste (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Cut the tops off of the beets, leaving about an inch of stem attached to the beet. Leave the root tail intact. Wash the beets clean of dirt. Place the beets in a large pot with water. Boil until tender but not soft. This should take about 30 minutes to one hour depending on the size of the beets. While you’re waiting for the beets to cook, take advantage of the free time and start preserving the beet greens!
Step 2: Rinse the beets in cold water. Slip the skins off. Some of the beet skins don’t slip off as easily so use a paring knife to gently scrape the beet skin off. Cut off the root tail and the top stem. Chop the beets into bite size chunks.
Step 3: Pour the apple cider vinegar and water into a clean pot. Place the cinnamon stick and cloves in a metal tea strainer or tied bundle of cheesecloth. Place the herbs into the pot. Heat until boiling. Boil for 3-5 minutes. If you choose to add honey, stir in honey to taste. Add the beets and stir for a minute, then remove from heat. Remove the herb bundle from the pot.
Step 4: Using a canning funnel, pack the beets into hot sterilized glass canning jars to within 1/2″ of the top of the jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jars until the beets are just covered.
Step 5: Place a sterilized canning lid and ring on each jar. Process the jars in a hot water bath canner for 30 minutes. Adjust this time according to your altitude. (I always reference this handy free downloadable altitude chart from the Ball website) Once they’re processed and the jars are sitting out to cool down, you can sit back and listen to the glorious “Ping! Ping!” of all your canning jars sealing.
I always love stocking my pantry with canned pickled beets. Not only because they’re so delicious, but canning pickled beets are usually my first garden harvest to preserve each year. As I put the jars in the pantry, I imagined how wonderful it will be to eat these yummy treats six months from now when it is below zero and snowing outside. I’ll savor every bite and be grateful for the the few hours I spent canning in the kitchen on a hot summer day in July!
Don’t forget to watch me as I can pickled golden beets in this video.
More Home-Canned Goodness >>
- How to Use a Water Bath Canner
- How to Use a Pressure Canner
- Try my favorite lids for canning, learn more about FOR JARS lids here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/forjars (use code PURPOSE10 for 10% off)
- Honey Cinnamon Peaches (no sugar required!)
- How to Can Homemade Stock or Broth
- How to Can Dried Beans
How to Can Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 10 lbs of beets
- 2 small or 1 large cinnamon stick
- 12 whole cloves
- 6 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 to 1 cup honey to taste (optional
Instructions
- Cut the tops off of the beets, leaving about an inch of stem attached to the beet. Leave the root tail intact. Wash the beets clean of dirt. Place the beets in a large pot with water. Boil until tender but not soft. This should take about 30 minutes to one hour depending on the size of the beets.
- Rinse the beets in cold water. Slip the skins off. Some of the beet skins don’t slip off as easily so use a paring knife to gently scrape the beet skin off. Cut off the root tail and the top stem. Chop the beets into bite size chunks.
- Pour the apple cider vinegar and water into a clean pot. Place the cinnamon stick and cloves in a metal tea strainer or tied bundle of cheesecloth. Place the herbs into the pot. Heat until boiling. Boil for 3-5 minutes. If you choose to add honey, stir in honey to taste. Add the beets and stir for a minute, then remove from heat. Remove the herb bundle from the pot.
- Using a canning funnel, pack the beets into hot sterilized glass canning jars to within 1/2? of the top of the jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jars until the beets are just covered.
- Place a sterilized canning lid and ring on each jar. Process the jars in a hot water bath canner for 30 minutes. Adjust this time according to your altitude.
Annie Bernauer and her family live on a little homestead in Montana. Follow their adventures in modern day homesteading at Montana Homesteader. Annie and her husband also have an Etsy shop where they sell a variety of eco-friendly handcrafts made on their rural homestead.
thank you for sharing your recipe, this week i canned something for the first time and i have to say it felt really good.
It is a great feeling, huh? 🙂
I can’t see anywhere how long to let the beets pickle? I don’t want to eat them too soon.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
By the way, did you know that you can use the leftover juice to make beet jelly? It tastes like a berry jelly and is a beautiful color. There are recipes for it online. My neighbor gave me the recipe years ago, but I have since lost it.
I haven’t canned for years, but I really miss pickled beets! I guess it’s time that I can some!
I love beets too! I hope I harvest enough to try this recipe.
I’ve definitely have to check this out more as I love pickled beets as much as you, but I’ve never canned, I’m learning to ferment, and I love canned things, but I was never taught how although my mother did, I’m 53 I guess I’ll try with a smaller version of this recipe, since i’m going to be the only one eating them.
I have done pickled beets for decades, they are one of my favorite canned products. This year from a u tube video I learned a few new things. I’ve always thought that boiling those beets really reduced their nutritional value so this year I steamed them until a fork could reach half way through.and was delighted with how quickly the skins peeled off!! I also left a bit of the stems on so the color didn’t leach out. I have used white vinegar in the past but while doing my most recent batch I ran out and used fermented vinegar, I marked the lids so I can see how different they might be. I have used raw sugar or organic sugar but would love to use honey so next time I will try your recipe. My only thought is that recently i read that you shouldn’t heat honey, that heating honey can amplify toxin either in the honey or in your body. The article which I think was from Mother Earth news also listed different types of honey, including a special type, I forget the name, which is made from poisonous plants. I was wondering if you knew this about honey, it was the first time I had read it. Thanks for the recipe, since I’ve been heating honey for years, I’m going to try it, a friend who LOVES my pickled beets sent it to me. Oh and have you ever tasted the left over juice? Oh yummy . I have yet to figure out a sald dressing recipe using the juice but it is on the list. It might work well in just the right smoothy too. And one more thing, I do add 1/2teaspoon salt.
GREAT tips Gail–thanks for sharing!
Hi Jill,
You seem like the right person to answer my question!! (If you have time)
I just canned pickled beets for the first time last night. I didn’t see your recipe until this morning (darn!). The one I used called for 1/2 cup vinegar to 1/4 cup of sugar (it wasn’t an actual canning recipe…it was to make a side dish…darn again). The beets were just barely covered by the vinegar mix, and I’m worried that they will spoil if not completely covered, and also because there was so much sugar in the mix. They all sealed. Any thoughts?
Mieke
You need to follow safe canning recipes for canning foods. Check out Jill’s info here: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/07/the-best-canning-resources.html and https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2020/03/canning-safety.html for more on the importance of canning safety. I suggest doing some very in-depth research about beets and their pH range and necessary components that make them safe for canning (check out that link for safe canning resources to research). I have a hunch that you will find in your research that an exact amount of vinegar to sugar ratio is needed for safe canning of beets. I hope that helps!
Jilly,
Canning Pickles are mainly for the purpose of it’s preservation and “Not ofr it’s Nutritional Value”
Canning at high temp. not only kiils bad becterias
but also kills the good ones too…
pl. eat raw/fermanted food as nature intended…. and not canned ones…
As for the Honey, pl.select un-pasturized, murkey, natural honey with supsended matters…that is what honey-bees are making for their babies…
Hence, No clear honey, No pasturized (heated) and or filtered Honey for personal consumption…
Love, Respect & Honoured nature for various veges,
herbs, fruits, nuts etc as they were intended…
we do not even want ro rate this canned-recipe but
it does not allow us unless we select 3-star….
Hi, Jill! Did I miss what size/how many jars this recipe makes??? I am so thrilled to find this! Pickled beets are wonderful and out of seven children, only one son shares my affection for them, so more for us!!! Thanks!
can I use unrefined apple cider vinegar with The Mother in it in this recipe?
Can I omit the spices (cinnamon and cloves) and add a bit of salt instead? Thank you
Can I omit the spices (cinnamon and cloves) and add some salt instead? Thank you
Sure!
hi Jill! i am new here! do you store the pickled beets in the fridge or it can be stored at room temperature in the pantry? hope to hear from you soon. thanks and cheers!
As long as the seal on the jar is good, you can store them at room temp in the pantry.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about quick read.
Regards
I have been pickling beets for years and there is no need to pressure can them as the acid in the vinegar preserves them.I use cider vinegar, spices and a little sugar. Cook the beets first, slice then pour hot liquid over them and screw on lid. As long as the lid pops down, you can store the jars anywhere. Once opened, keep in fridge.
Hi Tony,
Do you have a favorite recipe you could share? This is my first time canning beets and I was becoming overwhelmed by the references to pressure can them. I didn’t remember my grandmother using her pressure canner for beets. Thank you.
You don’t have to pressure can, but you certainly need to at least do a water bath. You cannot safety store these beets outside refrigeration without doing one or the other.
I was glad to see your recipe – I grew up in a large family – we canned everything! There was never such a thing as a pressure canner then – I was born 1934 – my mother made pickled beets to die for and your recipe sounds much like hers. I believe her mother taught her how and she probably modified the recipe she used after she had a Mason canning book. Her pickled eggs (in the beet juice) were also better than anyone else’s I’ve ever tried. Thanks for sharing.
I too have been pickling for years and do mine without pressure canning as long as everything is sterile, we love them!
I’ve made refrigerator beets before and they turned out great. So I used your recipe and methods but I omitted the cinnamon and cloves with garlic. Now if my lids just pop I’ll be golden. Thanks for sharing.
Excited to eat my first canned beets! I’m in the middle of your recipe and did not have enough juice to cover my beets. Not sure if I did something wrong but heating up another batch of vinegar/spice mixture now. I also forgot to add honey! Will it be ok? Thanks for the recipe!
OOooh I definitely want to try this, thank you!
I generally try to plate up a red & a green and this can get tricky in winter when not many colorful veggies are in season locally. We love pickled beets and they bring the red to drab winter plates. And I’ve developed the habit of slicing up some red onion into the jar of leftover juice to marinate and soak up the bright hue- absolutely delicious on a green salad!
Excited to play w the more nuanced flavors of acv and honey rather than white vinegar and sugar.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I love how uncomplicated this recipe is, and that it uses whatI have in the pantry. No extra trips into town an hour away yeah! Do you have a recommendation for sugar amount instead of honey though? We have a child that is sensitive to it, so we can’t use it.
Thank you so much for your blog, recipes & keeping homesteading alive & available to all of us! If we get out of this current COVID19, political & economic situation with JUST a recession then we’ll all be extremely grateful! If it’s more of a SHTF scenario to come then your readers will be givings thanks every day for your perseverance at keeping us schooled in how to survive! Thank you!
What would you change to make this canning for quart jars? I just made it all up and realized I don’t have enough pint jars! Also, what size do you normally chop your beets into? Thank you!!
I loved pickled beetroot, but want to find other ways to preserve beetroot. Can you explain why you water bath your beets if you are pickling them? Surely they are preserved by pickling alone?
I am new to all this and so am trying to understand the different processes.
Thank you.
I just tried this recipe and I think they will be great but I did add 1 tablespoon of canning salt to the hot liquid. It yielded 7 quarts.