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Grandma’s Pickled Beets

Image Credit:
MariaKovaleva/shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
6 pints
Category
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Credit
Becky Quinn, Springfield, Missouri Ozark Empire Fair, Spring
Sources
Blue Ribbon Recipes

Grandmother Lida Quinn’s Pickled Beets is a classic recipe, offering the perfect combination of sweet and sour tastes. Don’t take our word for it: Grandma’s Pickled Beets won first place at five different Ozark Empire Fairs!

Pickled beets are very easy to make and are wonderful for a salad, snack, or side. Any type of beet works, from table beets (red beets) to golden beets.

If you wish, you may make easy and quick refrigerator beets that last about a month in the refrigerator. Or, continue to can them by processing the beets in a boiling water bath for storage for up to one year.

Ingredients
35 to 30 beets (medium-size)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
4 cups white vinegar (5%)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1-1/2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt

Instructions

  1. Trim off beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem. Wash thoroughly. 
  2. In a kettle, cook the beets in boiling water until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). Drain.
  3. Dip into a bowl of cool water. Trim off roots and stems and peel off skins. 
  4. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices or cut into quarters if using smaller beets. Pack tightly (snug but not bruising each other) into canning jars.
  5. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into 1/4-inch slices. 
  6. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, salt, vinegar, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and whole cloves. Boil for 10 minutes.
  7. Fill jars with beets, and pour the vinegar mix at once over the beets, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace (the liquid should go no farther than the shoulder of the jar).
  8. Process in a boiling-water canner for 30 minutes. (If over 1,000 to 3,000 elevation, add 5 more minutes; if 3,000 to 6,000, add 10 more minutes; if above 6,000 feet, add 15 more minutes).

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

We love introducing fun new recipes as well as time-tested recipes, straight from the archives!

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