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The perfect tangy, earthy, sweet summer snack takes just a few minutes prep work and some fridge time – use up your garden veggies in this quick pickled apple cider beets recipe and amp up the flavor!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
Quick and Easy Pickled Apple Cider Beets
Pickling beets results in a nutritional dense vegetable that is sweet and tangy. They are perfect for salads, entree garnishes, and healthy snacks. And, once youโve devoured your sweet and tangy beets, you can use the brine to then make pink pickled eggs!
With a combination of vinegar, and just the right amount of salt and sugar to offset the acidity, these beets come out with an amazing flavor. The end result is simply delicious!
If you love beets, be sure to check out our Raspberry Beet Smoothie, and our Easy Roasted Beets and Sweets recipe!
How To Make Pickled Apple Cider Beets
You only need 7 basic ingredients to make deliciously sweet and tangy beets. Hereโs what you need to get started:
- Beets– This recipe works with canned, boiled, steamed, or roasted beets (see FAQS for directions)! Roasting the beets before pickling really concentrates their flavor while boiling/steaming tends to be a bit easier and quicker. Feel free to do what works for you.
- Water– The water helps the sugar dissolve into the brine.
- Apple cider vinegar– I think apple cider vinegar creates the perfect flavor combination, but you can use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar as well.
- Sugar– White granulated sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the beets. You can use raw or brown sugar as well.
- Salt– I recommend using kosher or sea salt instead of table salt. Salt is important when pickling beets.
- Mustard seeds and peppercorns– These spices add a bite to the beets. You can swap them out for any flavorings you prefer like dill or cinnamon.
If you are using fresh beets, you will need to first boil, steam, or roast them. If you are using canned beets, you can follow the steps below to pickle them!
- First, chop or slice your beets to your desired size. Place them in an airtight container and set them to the side.
- To make the brine, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the brine to a boil and cook until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
- After the sugar and salt have dissolved, pour the brine over the beets. Make sure they are covered completely.
- Seal the container and place the beet in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15-minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Pickled Beets and FAQs:
- Use additional water if the brine doesnโt cover the beets.
- I recommend waiting until the beets are fully chilled to serve, but they will have a lightly pickled flavor after 15 minutes.
FAQs
Unless you are using fresh beets, you wonโt need to cook them. But, you will need to cook the brine. The brine should be cooked over medium heat even after it reaches a boil.ย
To roast your fresh beets, wash them, and then remove any greens. Next, drizzle them lightly with olive oil and wrap them in foil. Put your beets on a baking sheet and bake them at 400? for 45-minutes. Let them cool, and then peel the skin and cut them. Then, follow the recipe above.ย
If you prefer to boil your fresh beets, youโll need to bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then, trim and wash the beets and add them to the boiling water. Cook them for 30-minutes or until a paring knife slides in and out easily. Next, remove your beets from the water and place them in a bowl of ice water. Peel the skin, cut, and follow the steps above to pickle them.ย
Once you have pickled your beets, you can store them in the same container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This is a great way to keep beets fresh for a longer period of time.ย
It will only take you about 5-minutes to prep the ingredients, and 10-minutes for the rest of the process. Although the beets are ready in just 15-minutes, you will want to allow them to chill so the flavors permeate the beets. The longer they chill, the more flavorful they will be. Plan to eat the beets no sooner than 30-minutes.
What To Serve With Pickled Apple Cider Beets
Pickled beets are delicious when added to a salad, but can also be a good addition to your charcuterie board, deviled eggs, or even eaten as a snack. Try them in my Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad, Garden Vegetable Greek Salad, or my Easy BLT Salad.
To find more salads and healthy dinner ideas, click here.
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Quick Pickled Apple Cider Beets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked or canned beets, see notes
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- ยผ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, about 3
Instructions
- Slice or chop the prepared beets to your desired size. Add them to an airtight container and set them aside while you make the brine.
- Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in a small saucepan set over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Pour the brine over the beets, making sure to cover them completely.
- Seal the container and place it in the fridge to chill. I recommend waiting until the beets are fully chilled to serve, but they will have a lightly pickled flavor after 15 minutes.
- Store the beets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Video
Notes
- This recipe works with canned, boiled, steamed, or roasted beets! Roasting the beets before pickling really concentrates their flavor while boiling/steaming tends to be a bit easier and quicker– feel free to do what works for you!ย
- To roast the beets, wash them and remove any greens. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil and wrap them in foil. Place the beets on a baking sheet and bake in a 400F oven for 45 minutes or until a paring knife slides in and out of the beets easily. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes, then carefully peel the skin away from the flesh and cut as desired.ย
- To boil the beets, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim and wash the beets. Add the beets to the boiling water and cook for 30 minutes, or until a paring knife slides in and out of the beets easily. Remove the beets from the boiling water and place them into a bowl of ice water. Peel away the skins and cut as desired.ย
- Water helps the sugar and salt dissolve in the brine. If you donโt have enough brine to completely cover your beets in the jars, feel free to use additional water.ย
- Iโm using apple cider vinegar because it pairs perfectly with beets, although you can use almost any clear vinegar to pickle– white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, etc.ย
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
