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Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

September 25, 2015 By Rachel 31 Comments

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Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets – Are extra beets taking over the back of your refrigerator? Break up that rabble and put them to good use with this delightfully simple pickling recipe!

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

Why do beets always seem to accumulate at the back of my refrigerator? I get them regularly from my CSA and I love them. The rest of my family, however, seems less than enthusiastic about their earthy flavor.

That said, there is one recipe that everyone seems to back – pickled beets. (It must be all that sugar and spice). I’ve made large batches of them in the past. I would pickle and then can them in a hot water bath.

Given this new phenomenon of beets finding their way into the recesses of my fridge, however, I’ve learned that it’s much more practical to pickle them in small batches. I make just enough to eat, and then I can skip the whole canning process altogether.

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

I have no time for pickled beets with no complexity or depth of flavor. You see, I’m all about the spice.

Some picklers just chuck their spices into the juice and leave them there, in the jar with the pickles. I don’t, but prefer to neatly wrap my spices in some cheesecloth, which I then remove just before storing.

I do this because the spices tend to stain the beets when they’re left in the jar. Also, they create strong, uneven pockets of flavor. Yuk!

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

Beets need to be baked or boiled before pickling so that they become lovely and soft. I always bake mine because much of their bright color is lost in the water when they’re boiled.

Furthermore, when they’re baked there’s no need to try peeling off tough skins. They’ll just slide right off.

If you’re unsure of how to prep your beets for pickling, check out my post on How To Make Baked Beets. There are easy, step-by-step instructions with lots of photos.

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

If you, too, find a mob of beets hiding in the back of your refrigerator, be sure to check out my other beetalicious recipes:

  1. Beet Pasta with Pistachios and Shallot Butter-vegetarian
  2. Raw Candy-Striped Beet Ravioli-vegan

More beautiful beet recipes are on the way this Fall including a Beet Hummus! Stay tuned…

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled BeetsSmall Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets

 

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 20 mins
 
Are extra beets taking over the back of your refrigerator? Break up that rabble and put them to good use with this delightfully simple pickling recipe!
Author: Rachel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of red beets (about 1 pound)
  • ½ C thinly sliced white onions
  • 1 piece of cheesecloth
  • 1 piece of butcher's twine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 4 allspice berries
  • ¼ tsp whole grain mustard seeds
  • 1 C white vinegar
  • ½ C water
  • ¾ C organic cane sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Cook beets by cleaning, wrapping in foil, and baking in a 400ยบ oven for 45 min to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the beets. They are done cooking when they begin to feel soft when you squish them (they're hot - use an oven mitt). Allow to cool for about an hour before you begin the pickling process. If you're in a hurry you can also find precooked beets in the refrigerator section of many grocery stores.
  2. Make a spice pouch to flavor your pickling juice by doubling over a piece of cheesecloth, placing your cinnamon stick, whole cloves, allspice berries, and mustard seeds in the middle. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie with butcher's twine.
  3. To make the pickling juice, in a large saucepan combine white vinegar, water, organic cane sugar, salt, and spice pouch. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. While the pickling juice is simmering, peel and rinse the cooked beets and cut into ⅛ inch slices. Also thinly slice your white onions.
  5. After the pickling juice has simmered for 5 minutes add the sliced beets and onions to the saucepan and bring back up to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
  6. Allow the beets to cool, remove the spice pouch, and pour the pickled beets into a glass jar. Store covered at the back of your fridge for up to one month, but I doubt they'll last that long!
Notes
For a more detailed set of directions and photos about how to bake your beets before pickling, visit https://simpleseasonal.com/how-to/make-baked-beets.
3.5.3251

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickled Beets - Nutrition Facts

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Filed Under: Recipes, Sides Tagged With: allspice, Beets, Cinnamon, condiment, pickeled, Root Vegetable, Small Batch, white onion

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    September 25, 2015 at 11:22 am

    I love this color of this – so pretty! I’ve never tried pickling beets before, but I think I’ll have to give it ago because this sounds too nice to pass up

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:38 pm

      The last few years I’ve really embraced pickling. I’ve found that pickling is a great way to use up excess veg from my CSA.

      Reply
  2. Kathi @ Laughing Spatula says

    September 25, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    I never thought of pickling my own beets! I buy them by the can. Amazingly my family loves them! This would be so fun to try!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:36 pm

      Pickled beets are just as much candied as pickled. They really do brighten up a salad. My family loves them too!

      Reply
  3. Leslie says

    September 25, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    I have become a beet convert over the past couple of years. I can definitely tell this recipe would brighten up the colorful beet. I love that you added spices to balance their earthy flavor:)

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:35 pm

      Thanks Leslie, the secret is in the spices!

      Reply
  4. Steph @ Steph in Thyme says

    September 27, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    I have so many beets in my fridge, I roast them all the time but I NEED to pickle them now! Thanks for the recipe. Mmmm.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      I’m so happy you have a new way to enjoy your beets now!

      Reply
  5. Theresa @DearCreatives says

    September 28, 2015 at 1:15 am

    I love beets. This recipe looks yummy. Pinned & shared. Thanks for joining the Inspiration Spotlight party! See you again soon.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      Thanks for sharing. I’m loving all the awesome ideas on the Inspiration Spotlight link party!

      Reply
  6. Katalina @ Peas & Peonies says

    September 29, 2015 at 12:06 am

    I love beets and what I am going to do now is run to my kitchen and make these asap!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:27 pm

      haha! Happy pickling!

      Reply
  7. Hillary @ 918 Plate says

    September 29, 2015 at 8:36 am

    They’re beautiful! I’ve been seeing beets everywhere but have never tried them, myself. Maybe it’s time!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:26 pm

      I love beets! I used to find them perplexing, but they work in a lot of dishes once you give them a go!

      Reply
  8. Platter Talk says

    September 29, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Bless your heart for showing us how to put together one of my personal favorite fall treats!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:24 pm

      You’re right, this really is a fall treat! It’s not all about the pumpkins and apples ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  9. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    September 29, 2015 at 10:35 am

    I think beets are great and in the past they had a bad rap. Glad to see they are back on the nutrition list.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 30, 2015 at 12:24 pm

      I’m a big fan of beets. Because they’re a root vegetable I’ve found they’re pretty versatile once you get used to working with them. Not to mention, they’re super nutritious!

      Reply
  10. CiaoFlorentina says

    October 1, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    Pickled beets have been on my mind. I want to do those pickled eggs with them, so yummy !

    Reply
  11. molly kumar says

    October 2, 2015 at 1:16 am

    Such beautiful colors and such a simple recipe too. Truly Yummm

    Reply
  12. Whitney says

    October 2, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    How bright and colorful! This would make a great taco topping, especially with fish!

    Reply
  13. Heather says

    October 4, 2015 at 10:51 pm

    Love the use of allspice! What a great recipe and I can’t wait to give these a try…

    Reply
  14. Oana @AdoreFoods says

    October 7, 2015 at 9:12 am

    So happy I have a recipe now to make my own batch of pickled beets! Love their earthy taste and vibrant color! Thanks for sharing it

    Reply
  15. Maggie says

    April 28, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Do you have to individually wrap the beets?

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      April 28, 2016 at 3:56 pm

      Hey Maggie- I recommend individually wrapping the beets in foil because in holds in the moisture so that the beets become soft, tender and retain their color. It does seem like such a waste of foil, but it really makes a better beet. Some people boil their beets instead of baking them in foil but then they lose much of their color and nutrition.

      Reply
  16. Cindy says

    July 16, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    (Sorry to be arriving late to the party.)
    Have you tried using star anise pods as the spice for pickled beets? I’m thinking it might be really tasty.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      August 10, 2016 at 5:20 pm

      Hey Cindy! Sorry I’m late to the party when it comes to replying to your comment. I have used star anise in pickled beet before and it’s delicious. I didn’t use it in this recipe because it’s such a small batch and I didn’t want the beets to become overpowered. But I suppose I could have gone nuts with a star anise pod and a sharp knife to cut it down in size a bit. Next time!

      Reply
  17. Rebecca Plummer says

    August 7, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Have made these twice. Used yellow and chiogga beets. Everyone loves them. I no longer can the wAy I used to, so this is perfect.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      September 5, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks for letting me know that you’ve enjoyed this recipe! I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been totally embracing the small batch approach to canning myself!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 27 Refrigerator Quick Pickle Recipes for Your Garden Bounty says:
    September 1, 2017 at 9:13 am

    […] Small Batch Pickled Beets {Simple Seasonal} […]

    Reply
  2. Week #5 | Winslow Farm says:
    June 30, 2019 at 9:53 pm

    […] and store the beets in a plastic bag. They will last for weeks. There are tons of recipes online, here is one to get you […]

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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