Pickled Beets
Sweet-tart pickled beets, canned safely for the pantry, a root cellar staple across Newfoundland's outports.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 40
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 35 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot
- •Water-bath canner
- •4 pint (500 ml) jars with new lids
- •Jar lifter
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 35 kcal
- fat
- 0 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- protein
- 1 g
- calories
- 35
Instructions
- 1
Boil the beets whole until tender, about 30-40 minutes; drain, cool, then slip off the skins and slice.
- 2
Prepare 4 pint jars, lids and a water-bath canner; keep jars hot until filling.
- 3
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices in a pot and bring to a boil.
- 4
Pack the sliced beets into hot jars, leaving 2 cm headspace.
- 5
Ladle the hot pickling liquid over the beets, keeping the 2 cm headspace, and remove air bubbles.
- 6
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings fingertip-tight, and process in a boiling-water bath for 30 minutes (adjust for altitude).
- 7
Cool jars undisturbed for 24 hours and confirm the lids have sealed before storing.
Chef's tips
Use only bottled vinegar of known 5% acidity for a safe, stable brine, and do not reduce the vinegar-to-water ratio.
Ingredient substitutions
- white vinegar → apple cider vinegar of the same acidity for a milder flavour
Storage
Sealed jars keep up to 1 year in a cool, dark pantry; refrigerate after opening and use within 2-3 weeks.
Reheating
Not applicable; serve chilled or at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using homemade or low-acidity vinegar, which is unsafe for canning
- •Under-processing, risking spoilage
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pickled Beets?
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