These pickled refrigerator beets are the ultimate condiment to add to your favorite meals! Slightly sweet, sour, and earthy, it's a taste that is easy to fall in love with. This easy refrigerator pickle recipe requires no canning, no special equipment, and just 4 simple ingredients!
One of my favorite things to preserve every year is beets! While my low sugar recipe for Strawberry Jam is certainly the most popular, I just love putting up jars upon jars of pickled beets.
Pickled beets are sour, slightly sweet, and incredibly earthy. They are easily one of my favorite pickled foods, and I've been making them for years. But canning, although a passion of mine, isn't always the most convenient way to preserve food. In fact, there can be a bit of a learning curve at first. Not to mention the initial investment of the proper equipment.
So what's the solution for those who want to create a delicious, crisp, flavorful pickled food without all the drama? Refrigerator pickles of course! While the most common type of refrigerator pickles are classic cucumber pickles (like my Amish Refrigerator Pickles), you can pickle just about any fruit or vegetable.
These pickled refrigerator beets are the perfect way to put up a small amount of beets, or use up the tail end of some beets you prepped for canning or for roasting.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Making refrigerator pickles is WAY easier than canning. While I love canning - you can't deny the convenience this method brings.
- A great way to use up extra beets from a garden harvest or Farmer's Market haul.
- A delicious addition to your favorite meals - many traditional meals feature pickled veggies on the side. Pickled beets pair perfect with roast chicken dinners, pot roast, and more!
- It requires just 4 ingredients and NO special equipment - all you need is a quart sized jar with a lid.
Ingredients
- Beets: Select firm, good quality beets that have no signs of spoilage or wrinkling. Home grown or Farmer's Market fresh are your best bet!
- Cider vinegar: Also called apple cider vinegar, this is very different than raw apple cider vinegar with the mother. It is sold with white vinegar, but has a slightly brownish reddish hue. Raw ACV is too strong in flavor AND would be pricey.
- Sugar: This helps cut the strong acidity of the vinegar and the earthy flavor of the beets.
- Water: Just a bit helps dilute the acidic brine just enough to make a delicious, crisp, sweet and sour pickled beet.
- Pickling spice: You should be able to find this in the canning section of your local store, OR you can make your own.
Preparing the Beets
I go into detail in my post "How to Prepare Beets for Canning", but I'll give you the basic rundown on how to cook, peel, and chop your beets for making these easy refrigerator pickled beets:
- Thoroughly scrub your beets, leaving the taproot and the stem attached.
- Sort the beets by largest to smallest. Add the largest beets to a large stockpot or Dutch Oven with a lid, then layer in the medium sized ones and finally the smallest beets.
- Add enough water to cover the beets by roughly 1".
- Place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Boil for 20-40 minutes (you may have to remove the lid), or until they are easily pierced with a fork. The smaller beets may be finished cooking before the largest beets.
- Drain the pot and run cold water over them.
- With the cold water still running, use your fingers to slip the skins off, then rinse under cool water again.
- Chop each beet into bite sized pieces or slices and add to a bowl.
- Repeat until all of the beets have been prepared.
How to Make Refrigerator Pickled Beets
Once your beets have been chopped and prepped, you're ready to get started on making the pickling solution. The hardest part of this recipe is over with, and you're going to be surprised how easy these refrigerator pickles come together!
Find a clean quart jar that has a lid (I like to use the swing top style for this, but mason jars are great too) and add 1 tablespoon of pickling spice (either store bought or you can make your own).
Pack the cooked beets into the jar until they reach the shoulder or about a generous 1" from the top of the jar. You may need to wiggle things around to fit them in, but you don't want to squish them.
Preparing the Brine
The brine used for these easy pickled refrigerator beets recipe is SO easy to make. No boiling or long simmering times required, and you won't need to wait for the brine to cool either.
To make the brine, just add your cider vinegar, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar.
Simmer the brine for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and pour some of the brine into the jar of prepared beets.
Once the beets have been mostly covered by brine, use a butter knife to remove any large air bubbles from the jar. Add more brine to cover the beets, leaving an approximately ½" headspace at the top of the jar.
Add the lid and allow it to rest at room temperature for 3-12 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator. Allowing them to rest at room temperature is an optional step, but will help them absorb more of the flavor from the pickling liquid. Totally up to you!
Pickling Time
For the best results, allow your beets to chill in the fridge for at least 3 days (including the room temperature period) before serving. This allows the flavors to develop and the beets to become saturated and crisp.
If you can't wait the 3 days, try waiting at least 24 hours before serving them. Then, return to the fridge if there are leftovers.
Always serve your beets with clean utensils and keep refrigerated, and they should be able to store like this for 1-2 months easily. Of course, discard if there are any signs of spoilage. Enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions
With white vinegar: If you would prefer to, you can use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar. Just be sure to use a 5% acidity, since those that are higher than this may be too strong for pickling.
No sugar: The sugar is recommended in this recipe because it balances the acidic vinegar and the earthy beets. Know that you will consume very little of the sugar, since it will be contained mostly in the pickling liquid. You could try alternative cup-for-cup sweeteners if you prefer.
Pickled beets and onions: Peel and slice 1 small to medium sized onion, and reduce the total amount of beets by ½ cup. Layer in the onions and beets before pouring in the pickling liquid.
With cinnamon: Add a ½ of a cinnamon stick to the jar OR ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the brine.
With cloves: Add 2-3 whole cloves to the jar along with the pickling spice.
Golden beets: Use golden beets in place of traditional red beets for this recipe. They can often be found at Farmer's Markets during the growing season.
Refrigerator Pickling Tips
- For the best flavor leave the jar in the fridge for at least 3 days.
- The beets absorb flavors a bit better at room temperature, so if you can leave them on the counter for 3-12 hours on the first day, I strongly encourage it!
- Although these refrigerator pickled beets contain sugar, they aren't overly sweet! That's because a balance of sugar and vinegar is what gives the pickles less bite.
- Although you don't need to use sterile equipment (like you need to for canning), using clean equipment will ensure your beets don't spoil easily.
- Select beets that are free from bruising or wrinkling. As with any form of preservation, you want to select the best quality for pickling.
Storing Refrigerator Pickled Beets
Keep your pickled beets in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. If there are any signs of spoilage, be sure to discard immediately and make another batch.
Using a clean jar and equipment when preparing, as well as using high quality beets will prevent early spoilage. Always serve your beets with a clean, unused utensil and return to the fridge immediately after serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once the beets have been pickled, they can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. For the best results, always use clean utensils when serving the beets and return to the fridge right after serving. If the beets are submerged in the acidic brine, they should have no problem lasting 1-2 months.
The best way to preserve beets without canning them is to making refrigerator pickles. These sweet and sour pickles are a delicious way to serve beets - but no canning is required. You could also cook, peel, cool and freeze your beets for extended storage.
Like all foods, pickled beets will eventually go bad. If the beets have been opened or were pickled via a refrigerator method they will last 1-2 months. If your beets have been canned, they should store for at least 1 year if sealed, but as many as 4-5 years as long as the seal is intact.
More Ways to Preserve Food Without Canning
More Ways to Preserve Beets:
Refrigerator Pickled Beets
This easy recipe for Refrigerator Pickled Beets is an easy way to preserve and enjoy beets - no canning required!
Ingredients
- 3 ½ - 4 cups quartered cooked and peeled beets (6-8 medium beets)
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare your beets by thoroughly scrubbing them. Cut the taproot so it does not exceed 2” and remove any greens from the top.
- Add the scrubbed beats to a saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring the beets to a boil over high heat and place a lid on the saucepan.
- Cook for 20-40 minutes, or until the beets are tender when speared with a fork or knife and the peels are beginning to slip off.
- Drain the beets and run cold water over them.
- With the cold water still running, use your hands to slip the skins off, using your thumb to rub any stubborn parts off.
- Quarter the beets, or chop if your beets are very large. Set aside.
- Add the cider vinegar, water, and granulated sugar to a small saucepan. Whisk well to combine.
- Bring the brine ingredients to a low boil, whisking to combine the sugar. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Add the pickling spice to the bottom of a quart-size jar, then add in the prepared beets until they reach the shoulder of the jar.
- Pour the brine into the jar, using a butter knife to remove any large bubbles.
- Continue adding the brine until the beets are completely covered, leaving a ½” headspace at the top of the jar.
- Add the lid and allow it to rest at room temperature for 3-12 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator. (This is an optional step which will help the beets absorb more of the flavor of the pickling liquid).
- Allow your beets to chill for at least 3 days before serving, as you want the flavors to develop and beets to absorb some of the brine.
- Always serve with clean utensils and keep refrigerated. Your beets should store like this for 1-2 months.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 1-2 months.
Pickled beets and onions: Peel and slice 1 small to medium sized onion, and reduce the total amount of beets by ½ cup. Layer in the onions and beets before pouring in the pickling liquid.
With cinnamon: Add a ½ of a cinnamon stick to the jar OR ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the brine.
With cloves: Add 2-3 whole cloves to the jar along with the pickling spice.
Golden beets: Use golden beets in place of traditional red beets for this recipe. They can often be found at Farmer's Markets during the growing season.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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Robin Gonzales says
Can you use honey instead of white sugar? I’m looking for a more natural way to sweeten!
Dolly | Little Home in the Making says
I haven't personally tried it that way, but you could give it a try! I've made some honey-sweetened preserves but the flavor can be strong, so that's something to keep in mind.
Keith Deline says
This recipe doesn't give the amount of sugar or vinegar etc. amount in each jar. What would be the amounts to give in pints?
Dolly | Little Home in the Making says
Hi Keith! So the recipe makes 1 quart jar, or two pint jars. If you're making two (or more) smaller jars, just divide both the beets and brine evenly until the beets are completely covered in the brine.