Do you like pickled beets? It seems like everyone either hates them or love them. My daughter and I love them. So when I harvested 4 medium beets from my garden this week, I decided to do some refrigerator pickled beets.
I’ve never made pickled beets, so I’m doing this for my Self Reliant Skill of the Week. Turns out, they are really easy!
Pickled beets are great in a cold salad, on a sandwich, or just straight out of the jar. And if you’ve ever had homemade ones, they’re even better.
As with most pickled things, you can customize these with whatever spices and seasonings you want. I chose very basic spices for my first time.
The difference with pickled beets is that you do have to cook them first. You can boil them or roast them. I roasted mine this time, thinking it would impart some really delicious flavor to them. But I think I roasted them a little too long, they turned out pretty soft.
Here’s how I roasted mine, but you may want to alter it so yours don’t get too overcooked. I washed, peeled, and quartered my beets and put them on a foil lined baking sheet. They went in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. If I did it again this way, I would probably reduce it to 30 minutes.
But I might just boil them next time. As a bonus, if you boil your beets, you’ll have some lovely red nutrient-rich water that you can water your vegetable plants with!
Refrigerator Pickled Beets Recipe
- 4 medium sized beets, boiled or roasted
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 5-6 peppercorns
Bring the water and vinegar to a boil over high heat. Add spices, sugar, and salt, and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Put the beets in a glass jar (I used a medium sized pasta sauce jar), then pour the slightly cooled brine over it, making sure to cover all of the beets. Allow to cool to room temperature, then secure the lid on it and put it in the fridge.
Let the beets sit in the brine for at least 24 hours to infuse the flavor into it. These will store in the fridge for about 6 weeks.
Have you made refrigerator pickled beets?
Have you ever made refrigerator pickled beets? Or any other refrigerator pickled vegetables? Please let us know in the comments, and tell us what your favorite spices to use are!
