The Best Sweet Pickled Beets

One of my favourite crops to grow in the garden is beets because they grow great in my short climate and I can usually get two crops! Because of my Ukrainian heritage, beets have always been a staple in our house whether they’re roasted in the oven or pickled.

Pickling beets is quick and easy, and a great way to use up any extra beets from your garden that you won’t be able to eat before they’re bad. And they add such a beautiful splash of colour to any dish. I enjoy mine in salads or as a simple side to perogies.

Because of the acidity of the vinegar in this recipe, it is safe to use boiling water to water bath these rather than having to use a pressure canner. Or, you can always skip this step and make refrigerator pickles. If that’s the route you choose, they’ll keep in your fridge for up to one month.

I prefer my beets to be sweet with warm spices like cloves and cinnamon, but let your imagination run wild! Try them spicy or something a little more simple. I tend to use white distilled vinegar with white sugar when making my brine, which is a little more traditional. However, if you’d rather something with a fuller body, opt for an apple cider vinegar or brown sugar to really bring out the flavours of fall.  

The joy of making a brine is it’s really forgiving and you can play around with each batch you make, trying something new. Just stick to a 1:1:1 ratio of vinegar, water, and sweetener of choice. I also toss in some warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns to add even more depth to the flavour.

Your beets will need to be cooked before you start pickling them. You can cook them by boiling them for around 20 minutes or putting them in a roaster with enough water to coat the bottom. You’ll want to roast them for about 45 minutes at 450 F. If you choose to remove the skins, they should slough right off after the beets are finished cooking. However, you can leave the skin on if you wish.  While your beets are cooking, you can take the time to prepare your brine and sterilize the jars you’ll be using if you’re canning.

Place your beets in a roasting pan and fill about 1/3 with water. Then cover with tin foil and roast at 450 F to remove the skins.

When you’ve completed the canning process, let these beets sit for two to six weeks before opening them. The more spices you add, the longer you'll want to let them sit to allow the flavours to develop.