Recipe for pickled beetroot | Cooking with Nana Ling

Do you love beets? Skip the grocery store canned beetroot and make this homemade pickled beetroot instead.

Beetroot, also known as beetroot or garden turnip, is a versatile and nutritious root vegetable easily recognized by its bright red-purple color and earthy flavor.

Beetroot is rich in many vitamins and minerals and is a good source of folic acid, manganese and copper.

But for many people, a slice of beetroot on a hamburger is simply a must.

Pickled beetroot is also ideal for salads, sandwiches or as a light side dish on small plates.

And make it yourself homemade beetroot cucumbers is so satisfying with it Easy recipe for pickled beets.

How to choose the best beets

Great beet pickles start with great beets.

To find the best turnips, look for:

• Medium or small beetroot that are round or slightly oval in shape (these are generally sweeter and larger or oblong beets can be tough or stringy).
• Firm beetroot (Older beets can be soft).
• Smooth-skinned beetroot that are free from blemishes.
• Added fresh greens (These should be fresh, crisp and vibrant and not wilted or yellowed).
• Beets should be a deep, intense red-purple color while Golden beets should be bright and vibrant. Avoid beets with faded or dull colors as this can indicate poor quality.

Other ingredients for pickled beets

To pickle beetroot you will also need:

• white wine vinegar
• Water
• Salt
• Sugar
• black peppercorns
• whole cloves
• ground allspice.

For all ingredient amounts, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make beetroot cucumbers

Boil beets

Begin by washing the beets.

If there are any stalks left, cut them off, leaving a few inches hanging from the beetroot.

Place in a saucepan and cover the beets with water.

Cook for about 30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

The cooking time depends on the size. Smaller beets may take around 20 minutes and large beets around 40 minutes or more.

Allow the beets to cool to a warm temperature, then rub the peel off with your hands.

Slice or chunk the beets if you like.

TIP: Wear rubber kitchen gloves if you want to avoid staining your hands. (I don’t care – it only lasts a day!)

Put in beetroot

Place beetroot slices or chunks in a sterilized jar.

Then put the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour through a sieve into the beetroot glass.

Close the jar immediately.

You now have a whole jar with slices or pieces of pickled beetroot. Lucky you!

Store your homemade beets

Unless you know a lot about canning and preserving, keep these beets in the fridge.

It should keep in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.

More recipes

If you love cucumbers, you might also like my recipes for cauliflower cucumbers, zucchini cucumbers, green tomato cucumbers, choko pickles, or bread and butter cucumbers.