Pickled beets were a regular topping on my family's breakfast sandwiches growing up. I'm not sure how or where this started, but it was always the norm to have a bacon, egg, and tomato sandwich with some beets. It took me some time (most likely adulthood) to start appreciating beets. Now that we are growing beets, I was excited to pickle our own.
They have numerous benefits, including tons of nutrients like folate, Vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and iron. Beets also help to keep your blood pressure in check, they are anti-inflammatory, and contain nitrates for brain function.
Beets come in various colors; red, purple, yellow or golden, or green. There are various ways to eat beets, but as I said, I prefer them pickled. Pickled beets are as easy as it gets.
Some tips to pickle beets...
- You can use whichever type of beets you like, all taste delicious!
- Allow beets to sit in brine for up to 24 hours outside of fridge, then store in fridge after.
- I would not lower the amount of sugar - it helps balance out the vinegar. It acts more as a marinade, you are not actually drinking it. I used allulose (a 1-1 sugar substitute I purchase from Trader Joe's).
Refrigerator Pickled Beets
4 beets (these will need to be roasted first)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used Allulose from Trader Joe's as a subsitute)
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub beets clean and individually wrap in foil. Place beets on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour (the bigger the beet, the more time it will take to cook).
Once beets are ready (can easily be cut), remove foil and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Then remove skin. Cut roasted beets into slices.
Boil vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium pot. Stir until sugar is dissolved then allow to simmer.
Put brine and beets in jar (1 liter jar works or spilt into smaller jars). Be sure that brine covers beets.
Cover and set aside for up to 24 hours then put in fridge. They can be stored for up to 6 weeks in the fridge.
Enjoy beets in a salad, sandwich, or one their own!
Where to buy...
To buy your own seeds and plant in your garden, we bought our seeds here. They are easily grown and can be planted in early spring to fall, requiring partial sun. They take about 52-60 days to maturity.
We planted more beets and are hoping to enjoy them later this Summer!