Pickled Beets Are Easy to Make at Home With This Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are pickled beets made of? ›

Pickled beets are beets that have gone through a pickling or fermentation process. Pickled foods are preserved in an acidic solution, then sealed in a sterile jar or can so they won't spoil. Beets are often pickled in a solution of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Some pickled beets are also pickled with cloves.

There are many benefits of pickled beets as they are one of the best foods for nitric oxide boosting, even when pickled. Beets are low in fat and calories and are a great plant-based source to fuel the body including vital systems like the brain, heart, kidneys, and the nervous system.

No need to wait to enjoy your pickled beets. They're ready to eat as soon as they've cooled down, however, the longer you wait, the better their flavor. Give them at least a week or two.

Some people boil beets before pickling them, but I like roasting because it concentrates the beet's natural sweetness and minimizes the earthiness that some people find objectionable. I like my beets on the vinegary/tangy side, so I don't add sugar, but you can always add some to this recipe if you want.

Deep red or gold beet varieties provide the most robust flavors, more vibrant juices, and more tender pickled beets. As you embark on the pickled beets adventure, try some of these tried and true beet varieties to grow: 'Detroit Dark Red' 'Ruby Queen'

Pickled beets are naturally rich in nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide. This molecule helps blood vessels dilate, which protects against high blood pressure ( 8 ). Research suggests that beet products can lower blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg.

Canned and pickled beets likely contain high amounts of sodium, so if it's heart health you're after, these choices should be limited.

A 2014 study investigated the effects of beetroot juice on blood glucose levels after eating. The study found that drinking 225 milliliters of beetroot juice, or a little less than a 1/2 cup, resulted in a significant suppression of post-meal glucose levels.

The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.

Can homemade pickled beets go bad? ›

This acidity slows down the process of decay and prolongs the lifespan, but it doesn't make fresh foods last forever. To enjoy them at their best and freshest, store your pickled beets in the refrigerator and plan to use them within a maximum of three months, or ideally within several weeks.

Often this white film is mistaken for mold, and the entire ferment is discarded. However, the white film is usually a type of yeast known as kahm yeast.

Steaming will retain more nutrients than boiling. Slow-roasting beets in a foil packet or covered baking dish takes away much of the earthy taste and intensifies the flavor, but you will still have a bit of bleeding and nutrient loss. Grilling beets over wood or charcoal will add a layer of smokiness.

First, wash and scrub the beets thoroughly to remove any dirt. Cut off the greens if attached. Make sure to leave about one inch of the stem to prevent them from releasing too much red color into the water. Do not peel the beets before boiling, unless you want to boil them cubed.

No need to peel before or after baking. The skin, which is perfectly edible, just seems to disappear during the baking process. The trick to pan-roasted beets is to drop the temperature a bit. I always roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and pretty much all the other veggies at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plain beets must be pressure-canned to be safe. Another way of canning beets is to change the pH. When you add vinegar to beets to pickle them, you are changing the pH of the product. Pickled beets made using the recipe here (at the end of this column) will have a pH of 4.3 to 4.6.

Beets are a sweet vegetable that taste especially delicious when they are roasted in a hot oven. Roasting beets concentrates the natural sugars they contain, resulting in a delicious sweet tasting vegetable. Beets are also available canned and often pickled as an alternative to cooking fresh beets.

The beets are kept raw for maximum crunch

Because these pickles are not cooked in any way, the beets retain their crunchy texture – making them not only super-flavorful, but also incredibly refreshing to the palate.

Aunt Nellie's Pickled Beets contain no fat, saturated fat or cholesterol; they are kosher and gluten-free.