Perfect Pickled Beets
- PREP 30min
- COOK 45min
- TOTAL 1hrs 15min
Pickling beets is simple, and our recipe results in amazingly delicious, tangy, and slightly sweet beets. These work wonders in sandwiches, salads, or as a stand-alone side dish. Use any variety or color of beet for this recipe.
You Will Need
4 medium beets
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, for roasting
A quarter of an onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ cups cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 whole clove
1 allspice berry, see notes
Directions
Roast Beets
Heat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Prepare the beets by removing the tops and roots, and then place them on a large sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Drizzle olive oil over the beets, ensuring they are well coated, and fold up the foil or paper to create a sealed packet.
Place the packet onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 to 55 minutes.
Allow the beets to cool in the packet at room temperature or, better yet, refrigerate until cold.
Peel the beets and slice them into 1/4-inch thick pieces. If needed, use a vegetable peeler to help with the peeling.
Pickled Beets
Pack the sliced beets tightly into a clean jar and add the sliced onions.
Heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, clove, and allspice berry in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, and the sugar dissolves.
Pour the hot liquid over the onions and beets, leaving a 1/8-inch gap between the pickle brine and the top of the jar.
Place the lid on the jar and tighten it until finger-tight. Let cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, fully tighten the lid and store the jar in the refrigerator. Initially, place the jar upside down in a bowl, and flip it right-side up after a day or two.
Enjoy pickled beets as early as the next day. They will last in the fridge for up to a month as long as the brine covers the beets and onions.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Allspice berries taste like a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. We found whole allspice berries less common in the grocery spice aisle, but Chef Richard recommends buying a “pickling spice blend” instead. McCormick “Mixed Pickling Spice” contains allspice berries, which we purchased for this recipe.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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