How do you pickle beetroot at home? It’s super simple and tastes a million times better than store-bought! Here’s how.
What got me into pickling beetroot was, well…
I wanted to make the ultimate vegan burger, beetroot and all.
That’s it.
That’s how my mind works. It’s completely food-motivated.
But, this whole process opened up a whole new world to me… A world where everything is pickled.
After this, pickling just took off in my home; everything under the sun that could be pickled, I was on it. I became that person who has jars of pickled foods all over the place.
I just loved how simple and easy it was, and how much longer the shelf-life of those foods became.
So, here is my tried-and-tested recipe for making pickled beetroot at home!
Before we get started in learning how to make pickled beetroot – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!
How to Make Pickled Beetroot
You can let the pickled beets ferment for at least two weeks sealed in a glass jar before opening and eating, or enjoy after a few days! (Like a fine wine or cheese, they get better with age).
These beets should keep for up to one year, sealed. Wait and see, store-bought genuinely doesn’t even compare! (Same goes for these pickled onions, too!)
Ingredients:
- 500ml glass jar, sterilised
- 1-3 raw, whole beetroot
- 2 1/8 cups white vinegar or malt vinegar
- 3-4 tbsp brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
To make:
- Begin by trimming the beetroot stems and give them a good wash. You can use a toothbrush to make it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies.
- Now place the beets into a large saucepan (that you have a lid for), fill with cold water to about one inch above the tops, cover with lid and place over high heat.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Leave to simmer for one hour, or until the beetroot become soft.
- While the beets are cooking, if you haven’t already, sterilise the jars. To do this, simply wash jars and their lids in hot, soapy water, but do not dry them. Instead, stand them upside-down on a baking tray while they’re still wet and pop the tray of wet jars and lids into a pre-heated oven at 160-180ºC (320-356ºF) for about 15 minutes. Ensure any rubber seals have been removed, and that the jars are, in fact, oven-safe!
- With about 5-10 minutes to go, pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and set over low/medium heat. Slowly, one tablespoon at a time, add three to four tablespoons of sugar and stir through until dissolved.
- Keep this vinegar mixture hot (but not boiling) until you’re ready to bottle the beetroot.
- Drain the beetroot, then, as soon as you can handle them, remove the beetroot from the pan and peel the skins off. They should come off very easily.
- From here, thinly slice the beetroot using a sharp knife, then fill your jar(s) as full as you can with the sliced beetroot.
- Pour the hot vinegar over the beets, filling it as close to the top as possible. Seal the lid and allow it to cool. Everything needs to be hot when you do this because it all expands when hot. Once cooled, everything will shrink, and this is how the glass vacuum-seals.
- Unopened, the beetroot should last in a cool, dry place for up to one year. Once opened, it will keep in the fridge for up to three months.
As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post.
Have you made pickled foods before? What did you make? Share below.
Lots of love,
🖤 Vanessa