I’m sharing my Simple Pickled Beets Recipe to put fresh-picked beets to work by filling your pantry with bright, shelf-stable jars using straightforward canning.

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I love turning late summer haul into jars that surprise people. Put those fresh-picked beets to use by making homemade beet pickles, and you’ll be addicted to the contrast of sweet and tang.

I call this my Easy Pickled Beets method because it’s stubbornly simple, and the sharp steam of distilled white vinegar wakes up every tiny flavor in the beet. Canning Beets became my weekend obsession, with jars piling up on the shelf and neighbors asking me for one more.

I mess up sometimes, forget a lid, or overcook a batch, but the results still buzzy and addicting.

Ingredients

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Beets: Earthy, sweet roots; lots of fiber and folate that add vivid color.
Vinegar: Provides tang, preserves, adds sour brightness while cutting sweetness and stabilizes pH.
Sugar: Gives sweet balance to beets, mostly carbs, use less if you want though.
Pickling salt: Keeps brine clear, essential for safe canning, use non iodized salt.
Cinnamon: Warm aromatic spice, adds subtle sweet woodsy note, provides gentle depth.
Whole spices: Cloves, allspice, peppercorns add aromatic, slightly bitter, spicy layers to brine.
Water: Dilutes vinegar, keeps brine balanced; no flavour but essential for texture.

Ingredient Quantities

2 pounds fresh beets (about 8 medium) scrubbed and tops trimmed

2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pickling salt (non iodized)

3 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

2 teaspoons whole allspice berries

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

How to Make this

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1. Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water, rinse well; keep jars hot in a pot of simmering water and keep lids in hot water just off the boil so the sealing compound stays soft.

2. Trim beet tops and roots, scrub well; put whole beets in a pot, cover with water and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 to 45 minutes depending on size. Let cool enough to handle and slip off the skins with your fingers or a paper towel.

3. Slice or cut peeled beets into rounds or wedges about 1/4 inch thick, you want fairly even pieces so they pickle evenly.

4. In a saucepan combine 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity), 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon pickling salt; add 3 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries and 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer 3 to 5 minutes to let the spices wake up.

5. Pack the hot jars with the hot beet slices, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top; tamp them down gently so there’s no big air gaps but don’t mash them.

6. Ladle the hot spiced vinegar syrup over the beets keeping that 1/2 inch headspace, pour until the beets are covered; use a non metallic utensil to slide around the jar and release trapped air bubbles, adjust headspace if needed.

7. Wipe jar rims clean with a damp cloth, center hot lids on jars and screw bands on until fingertip tight, not overly snug.

8. Place jars in a boiling water canner or large pot with a rack, make sure water covers jars by at least 1 inch, bring to a full rolling boil and process pints for 30 minutes or quarts for 35 minutes. Adjust for altitude: add 5 minutes if 1,001 to 3,000 ft, add 10 minutes if 3,001 to 6,000 ft, add 15 minutes above 6,000 ft.

9. Turn off heat, lift jars out and set them on a towel or rack to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; you should hear the satisfying pops as lids seal. After 24 hours check seals, remove bands, wipe jars and label with date.

10. Store sealed jars in a cool dark place for at least 2 weeks before opening so flavors develop; refrigerate after opening, and if any jar fails to seal refrigerate and use within a few weeks or discard if you see mold or off odors.

Equipment Needed

1. Mason jars with lids and bands, pint or quart size, washed and kept hot
2. Large stockpot with lid for simmering the beets and for keeping jars warm
3. Small saucepan for the spiced vinegar syrup
4. Jar lifter or heavy tongs to lift hot jars safely out of boiling water
5. Wide mouth funnel and a ladle to fill jars cleanly without spills
6. Nonmetal utensil like a wooden chopstick or plastic spatula to release trapped air bubbles
7. Sharp chef knife and a sturdy cutting board to trim and slice the beets
8. Canning rack or trivet plus a clean towel or cooling rack to set jars on while they cool, dont over tighten the bands or they may not seal right

FAQ

Q: How long do these pickled beets keep unopened and after opening? A: Unopened and properly processed they keep up to 1 year in a cool dark place. After opening, keep refrigerated and use within 2 to 3 weeks.

Q: Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar? A: Yes only if it is 5% acidity. Flavor and color may change, but safety is fine as long as the acidity is 5 percent.

Q: Do I need a pressure canner or is a water bath ok? A: A boiling-water bath is fine for these pickled beets because the vinegar makes them acidic. Follow the water-bath processing times and altitude adjustments given.

Q: What if a jar doesn't seal? A: Refrigerate that jar and use within a few days, or reprocess within 24 hours using a fresh lid. Never force a bad seal.

Q: Can I reduce the sugar or use a sugar substitute? A: You can reduce sugar a bit for less sweetness, but sugar helps flavor and texture. For safe tested results, avoid using untested sweetener swaps for canning.

Q: Why remove beet skins before canning? A: Skins can be tough and bitter. Removing them gives better texture and lets the brine penetrate evenly.

Canning Pickled Beets Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Vinegar: Swap the distilled white vinegar for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar — just make sure it’s 5% acidity for safe canning; expect a fruitier, less sharp taste.
Sugar: Use light brown sugar cup for cup to add a molasses note, or replace sugar with honey (about 3/4 cup honey per 1 cup sugar, so ~1 1/8 cups honey for 1 1/2 cups sugar) and reduce the water a little; honey will change sweetness and flavor.
Pickling salt: If you don’t have pickling salt, use fine sea salt or a kosher salt (avoid iodized table salt); kosher salts vary by brand so either weigh it or follow the brand’s conversion instead of a straight volume swap.
Spices: Instead of the separate whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice and peppercorns, use about 2 tablespoons pickling spice in a spice bag, or if you must use ground spices, add them sparingly since they’ll cloud the brine.

Pro Tips

1) Roast the beets instead of boiling if you want a deeper, sweeter flavor and less mess, they peel easier and the syrup seems to cling better.

2) Put the whole spices in a tiny cheesecloth bag or a metal tea infuser so jars look cleaner and you dont have to pick cloves out when you serve them, also makes it easier to taste the syrup and adjust sweetness.

3) Always use store bought distilled white vinegar labeled 5 percent acidity, dont swap for homemade or unknown strength vinegars if you plan to shelf store them, that stuff matters for safety.

4) Don’t over tighten the bands before processing, and after boiling let jars sit undisturbed on a towel until they pop and cool, then check seals and write the date on each jar so you know when to eat them.

Canning Pickled Beets Recipe

Recipe by Tessa Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I'm sharing my Simple Pickled Beets Recipe to put fresh-picked beets to work by filling your pantry with bright, shelf-stable jars using straightforward canning.

Servings

servings

Calories

201

kcal

Equipment: 1. Mason jars with lids and bands, pint or quart size, washed and kept hot
2. Large stockpot with lid for simmering the beets and for keeping jars warm
3. Small saucepan for the spiced vinegar syrup
4. Jar lifter or heavy tongs to lift hot jars safely out of boiling water
5. Wide mouth funnel and a ladle to fill jars cleanly without spills
6. Nonmetal utensil like a wooden chopstick or plastic spatula to release trapped air bubbles
7. Sharp chef knife and a sturdy cutting board to trim and slice the beets
8. Canning rack or trivet plus a clean towel or cooling rack to set jars on while they cool, dont over tighten the bands or they may not seal right

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh beets (about 8 medium) scrubbed and tops trimmed
2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pickling salt (non iodized)
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions

Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water, rinse well; keep jars hot in a pot of simmering water and keep lids in hot water just off the boil so the sealing compound stays soft.
Trim beet tops and roots, scrub well; put whole beets in a pot, cover with water and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 to 45 minutes depending on size. Let cool enough to handle and slip off the skins with your fingers or a paper towel.
Slice or cut peeled beets into rounds or wedges about 1/4 inch thick, you want fairly even pieces so they pickle evenly.
In a saucepan combine 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity), 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon pickling salt; add 3 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries and 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer 3 to 5 minutes to let the spices wake up.
Pack the hot jars with the hot beet slices, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top; tamp them down gently so there's no big air gaps but don't mash them.
Ladle the hot spiced vinegar syrup over the beets keeping that 1/2 inch headspace, pour until the beets are covered; use a non metallic utensil to slide around the jar and release trapped air bubbles, adjust headspace if needed.
Wipe jar rims clean with a damp cloth, center hot lids on jars and screw bands on until fingertip tight, not overly snug.
Place jars in a boiling water canner or large pot with a rack, make sure water covers jars by at least 1 inch, bring to a full rolling boil and process pints for 30 minutes or quarts for 35 minutes. Adjust for altitude: add 5 minutes if 1,001 to 3,000 ft, add 10 minutes if 3,001 to 6,000 ft, add 15 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Turn off heat, lift jars out and set them on a towel or rack to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; you should hear the satisfying pops as lids seal. After 24 hours check seals, remove bands, wipe jars and label with date.
Store sealed jars in a cool dark place for at least 2 weeks before opening so flavors develop; refrigerate after opening, and if any jar fails to seal refrigerate and use within a few weeks or discard if you see mold or off odors.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.