Pickled Red Beets

This pickled beets recipe is taken from an old family cookbook; where ingredients are mentioned, however, quantities are not. The dishes created from this cookbook were always fantastic, but preparing them successfully today without measurements requires creative guesswork.

After a little experimenting, we determined the measurement proportions necessary to achieve the classic pickled beets flavor we remember so fondly. Here, quantities are determined based on the quantity of red beets we collected from our garden one day this summer.

Simply adjust our recipe to complement your starting quantity of red beets or the final yield you want. I began with approximately 15 quarts of whole red beets; finished with 11 full quarts of pickled beets; and had about two cups of pickling juice remaining. You can use the extra pickling juice as a dressing for fresh cucumbers or tomatoes. Otherwise, decrease the vinegar and water quantities in your recipe.

Pickled Red Beets
• 15 quarts whole red beets
• 2 quarts cider vinegar
• 4 quarts water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Yield: 11 quarts

Wash quart jars in hot soapy water. Because they will boil with their contents for 10 minutes, sterilizing them before filling is not necessary.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer. Remove from heat and place your canning lids in this hot water. Leave them in the water until you are ready to seal your jars.

While the beets are simmering, fill your water bath canner midway with water and bring it to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn off the burner. Hang the canning rack in the water bath canner by securing its handles over the sides of the canner.

Remove greens from the red beets and wash the beets under cold water. Place whole, unpeeled beets in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Cover beets with cold water.

While the beets are still warm but cool enough to handle, slide off the skins. (They will slip off without your having to utilize a peeler as long as you keep the beets immersed in water.) Once you remove the skins, slice the beets into even 1/4″ slices.

Fill each quart jar with beets. Pack them tightly if your intention is to serve them as they are. If you would like to use them in recipes for pickled eggs and need more pickling juice for a recipe, then pack them loosely. Allow 1/2″ of headspace in each jar.

Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper to a clean cookpot and bring this pickling mixture to a boil. After it boils and the sugar is dissolved, turn off the burner.

Pour the pickling juice over the red beets filling each jar to allow 1/4″ of headspace. Place a canning lid and band on every jar and turn the band until tight. Put each jar in your water bath canner, which already contains hot water.

After you fill the rack with your first batch of jars, lower the rack into the water. Ensure that the jars and their lids are covered with water (lids should be 1″ below the surface of the water). Bring the water bath to a boil and cover it with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes.

After boiling for 10 minutes, turn off the heat. With insulated mitts or hot pads, lift the jar rack and suspend it from the sides of your water bath canner. Place a kitchen towel or cutting board on your countertop and using a jar lifter, remove each jar from the rack and place it on the towel.

Make sure that each band is twisted on snuggly and permit the jars to cool while the lids seal themselves. (Lids are sealed when their centers appear with slight indentations in them and when pressed, the lids have no movement. If they pop or move up and down in the middle, they are not sealed.)

After the jars have cooled and the lids are sealed, carefully remove the bands. Store your pickled red beets in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. Serve cold or at room temperature. Refrigerate open jars.

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