Old-fashioned pickled beets, made fresh in your own refrigerator, offer a vibrant, tangy twist on this classic side dish. These refrigerator pickled beets are perfect for a snack, side dish, or addition to your favorite salad.
Roasted pickled beets are a great way to boost flavor in salads. Not only do they look beautiful, but these earthy bites have a wonderful balance of sweet and tangy notes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I'm sharing the recipe for old fashioned pickled beets that my great grandmother taught my grandma, and she in turn taught me. It's a simple recipe that's easy to follow, and the results are delicious.
This roasted pickled beet recipe is stored in the refrigerator so you don't have to break out your water bath canning equipment, unless you want to also! You will love that this recipe is:
Ingredients You'll Need
The secret ingredients for making the best refrigerator pickled beets is the Allspice berries and the onion slices!
- Beets - Red, or if you prefer yellow, which also make beautiful pickled beets.
- Onion - Any onion, yellow, white, or red, sliced thin.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar.
- White Distilled vinegar - Get the 5% if you plan to use the Water Bath Canning Method for pantry storage, otherwise the typical 4% vinegar is fine.
- Allspice berries - Whole - The best spice for old fashioned pickled beets!
- Cloves - Whole.
- Cinnamon stick - Broken into smaller pieces. If you use Ceylon cinnamon sticks, they break easy.
- Coriander - Optional, but adds great flavor!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Old Fashioned Sweet Pickled Beets
Looking for a delicious and easy way to pickle beets? Look no further than this old-fashioned recipe! We'll also provide some tips for making the best pickled beets possible. Read on to learn how easy it is to make your own roasted pickled beets at home!
Roast The Beets
- Scrub the beets, trimming the green stem so you only have an inch of stem left on each beet (this prevents the beets from 'bleeding' and making a mess while roasting).
- Wrap beets in aluminum foil, and set in a pan. Roast at 400 for about 35 minutes.
- Remove and let the beets cool before unwrapping them. They're HOT.
Peel and Slice
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the aluminum foil, time the stem top and the root tail bottom.
- Slice the beets using a knife, or a crinkle cutter.
- Slice the onion thin and add to a 2 quart sauce pan with the Allspice berries, Coriander, Cloves, Cinnamon sticks, sugar, and vinegar.
Heat In Pickling Brine
- Bring the brine to a boil, then add the sliced beets to the brine. Simmer for 5 minutes until the beets are hot again.
Fill Mason Canning Jars
- Hot pack the mason jars using tongs to lift out slices of hot beets and onions.
- Fill each canning jar up to within 1" of the top with the hot beets and onions.
- Pour hot brine into each jar until it reaches within ¾" of the rim and covers the beets.
- Wipe the jar rims clean with a paper towel and place the lids on the jar, then seal tight with the screw tops. Allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated for at least 3 days before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Whether you’re serving these old fashioned sweet pickled beets as part of an entrée salad, as part of a pickle plate, or on a charcuterie spread, these sweet, tangy, spiced bites will tantalize your taste buds with their unique combination of flavors.
Related Recipes
- Golden Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
- Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles
- Quick Pickled Jalapenos
- Old Fashioned Stuffed Peppers
- Marinated Feta
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few easy substitutions and variations using this old fashioned pickled beets recipe as a base:
- If you don't have white vinegar, you can substitute apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- If you don't want to use sugar, you can substitute honey, agave, or maple syrup (delicious!).
- You can also use any pickling spice blend instead of the spices listed.
Tips for Success
- Serve pickled beets with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
- Add pickled beets to a salad with greens, feta cheese, and walnuts.
- Stuff a pita pocket with pickled beets, hummus, and cucumber slices.
- Top a grilled cheese sandwich with pickled beets and bacon.
Storage Options
- Pickled beets will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- If you can the beets using the Water Bath Canning Method, you can store them in your pantry for up to 18 months.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this old fashioned pickled beets recipe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don't have to peel the beets before pickling them, especially if they are baby beets. However, scrub the outside of the beets really well.
Wait at least 3 days before eating pickled refrigerator beets, preferably longer.
With pickled beets, vinegar is added and acidifies the beets. Water Bath is for pantry (non refrigerated) storage. You can safely store these old fashioned pickled beets in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
More Delish Ideas
Old Fashioned Refrigerator Pickled Beets
Equipment
- Weck Canning Jars - 19 oz ½ liter
Ingredients
- 1½ lb red beets small baby beets
- 1 medium onion sliced very thin
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups distilled vinegar white, 4% or 5%
- 2 3" cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries whole, about 6 berries
- ½ teaspoon cloves whole, about 6
- ½ teaspoon coriander whole seeds
Instructions
- Scrub the beets, trimming the green stem so you only have an inch of stem left on each beet (this prevents the beets from 'bleeding' and making a mess while roasting). Wrap in aluminum foil, and set in a pan. Roast at 400 for about 35 minutes.1½ lb red beets
- Remove and let the beets cool before unwrapping them. They're HOT. When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove the aluminum foil, time the stem top and the root tail bottom.
- Slice the onion thin and add to a 2 quart sauce pan with the Allspice berries, Coriander, Cloves, Cinnamon sticks, sugar, and vinegar.1 medium onion, ½ cup sugar, 2 cups distilled vinegar, 2 3" cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon allspice berries, ½ teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon coriander
- Bring the brine to a boil, then add the sliced beets to the brine. Simmer for 5 minutes until the beets are hot again.
- Hot pack the mason jars using tongs to lift out slices of hot beets and onions.
- Fill each canning jar up to within 1" of the top with the hot beets and onions. Pour hot brine into each jar until it reaches within ¾" of the rim and covers the beets.
- Wipe the jar rims clean with a paper towel and place the lids on the jar, then seal tight with the screw tops. Allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated for at least 3 days before serving.
Notes
- Serve pickled beets with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill.
- Add pickled beets to a salad with greens, feta cheese, and walnuts.
- Stuff a pita pocket with pickled beets, hummus, and cucumber slices.
- Top a grilled cheese sandwich with pickled beets and bacon.
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