Old-Fashioned Sweet Pickled Beets

Author: Jessica Milnes

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Old-Fashioned Sweet Pickled Beets

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Sweet pickled beets are one of those foods that immediately takes me back to growing up. My family made these when I was a kid, and they were always delicious.

Fresh beets are cooked until tender, sliced, and packed into jars with a simple sweet and tangy vinegar brine. They're sweet, a little tart, and such a good way to preserve fresh beets from the garden to enjoy long after the growing season is over.

Some recipes are worth keeping around simply because of the memories that come with them, and this is definitely one of those for me.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh beets
• 2 cups white vinegar, 5% acidity
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice

Instructions

1. Prepare the beets. Trim the beet tops, leaving about 1 inch of stem and the roots attached. Wash thoroughly.
2. Place the beets in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, approximately 25–40 minutes, depending on their size.
3. Drain and allow the beets to cool enough to handle. Trim off the roots and remaining stems. Slip off the skins.
4. Slice the beets into approximately 1/4-inch rounds. Small beets can be left whole or quartered.
5. Make the brine. Combine the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt in a large saucepan.
6. Tie the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice in a small piece of cheesecloth or place them in a spice bag. Add to the brine.
7. Bring the brine to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the spices to flavor the brine. Remove the spice bag.
8. Add the prepared beets to the hot brine and return everything to a simmer.
9. Pack the hot beets into clean, hot canning jars and cover with the hot pickling liquid, leaving the headspace specified by your tested canning method.
10. Remove air bubbles, adjust the headspace if necessary, wipe the jar rims, and apply lids and bands.
11. Process the jars in a boiling-water canner, following current USDA or National Center for Home Food Preservation recommendations for your specific jar size and altitude.
12. After processing, remove the jars according to current safe-canning recommendations and allow them to cool undisturbed. Check the seals before labeling and storing.

Notes

My family made sweet pickled beets when I was growing up, and I remember how delicious they were. There's something about opening a jar of food you've put up yourself that takes you right back to summer and everything that came out of the garden.

Canning Disclaimer

Home canning methods and processing requirements can vary based on ingredients, jar size, equipment, and elevation. This recipe shares how I prepare my sweet pickled beets, but always follow current USDA or National Center for Home Food Preservation guidelines for safe water-bath canning, including proper acidity, headspace, processing time, and altitude adjustments.