How to Pickle Beets - Martha Stewart

white vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: distilled vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds a fruity note while maintaining acidity.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey provides natural sweetness, while brown sugar adds depth.

Sterilize jars for about 15 minutes before starting the process.

Boil the beets until knife tender, then let them cool.

Peel the beets while they are still warm.

Slice ginger into thin medallions, about an eighth of an inch thick, and place two in each jar.

Chop half a pound of Spanish onion and mix it with the beets.

Layer the beets and onions in the sterilized jars, pressing down firmly but not crushing them.

Use a funnel to fill the jars with the beets and onions up to the fill line.

Prepare a brine using 2 cups of water and cider vinegar in a 2:1 ratio, ensuring the vinegar is 5% acidity.

Add fresh lemon juice to the brine for extra acidity.

Create a spice sache with a teaspoon of cloves, a tablespoon of allspice, and a cinnamon stick, and simmer in the brine for 10 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup of brown sugar to the brine and stir until dissolved.

Pour the brine over the beets in the jars, filling to the fill line and ensuring there is air space for vacuum formation.

Use a small rubber spatula or the handle of a spoon to release any bubbles trapped in the jars.

Cover the jars tightly and process them in a boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary