Pickled Beets Are Easy to Make at Home With This Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for pickled beets to be ready to eat? ›

How to Store: Place the pickled beets sealed in the jar with the lid in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Use a butter knife to help move the ingredients around once the brine is in the jar and the beets. For best flavor results, wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickled beets.

Deep red or gold beet varieties provide the most robust flavors, more vibrant juices, and more tender pickled beets. As you embark on the pickled beets adventure, try some of these tried and true beet varieties to grow: 'Detroit Dark Red' 'Ruby Queen'

Pickled beets are generally safe to eat. But, depending on how they're made, some varieties of pickled beets may pack salt and added sugars. Too much salt can increase your blood pressure. While too much sugar can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

Usually we boil them and toss them in a sweet sour vinaigrette and keep them in the refrigerator to eat all week. The vinegar in the dressing "pickles" the beets, helping them last longer in the fridge.

Beets and beet juice are high in nitrates, substances that turn into nitric oxide inside your body. Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, which is crucial for blood vessel health. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens your arteries, allowing more blood to flow through and significantly lowering blood pressure.

Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.

Beets are also rich in oxalates — compounds that may reduce nutrient absorption and promote kidney stones. Therefore, people predisposed to kidney stones may want to limit their intake ( 8 ). Though pickled beets may turn your urine pink or red, this side effect is harmless ( 8 ).

Pickled beets may contribute to high blood pressure because they have 599 mg of sodium per cup. High sodium levels are bad for your blood pressure and healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Beets may help lower blood sugar and insulin

The study found that drinking 225 milliliters of beetroot juice, or a little less than a 1/2 cup, resulted in a significant suppression of post-meal glucose levels.

Roasting beets deepens their natural sugars while tempering bitterness. Bake whole, wrapped beets at 400°F for 60-75 minutes until easily pierced by a fork. Allow to cool before peeling and juicing. Incorporating roasted beets creates a smoother, mellower, almost nutty-flavored blended juice.

Are Aunt Nellie's pickled beets healthy? ›

Aunt Nellie's Pickled Beets contain no fat, saturated fat or cholesterol; they are kosher and gluten-free.

Too many pickled beets, however, can overload our system with sodium if the brine mixture is heavy in salt. Overall, pickled beets are versatile with a mild, earthy flavor that can be eaten as a snack, side dish, or added to salads.

Ready to eat in 2 weeks, or longer, if you like.

No special preparation is required for pickled beets. You may eat them directly out of the jar! Most people eat pickled beets chilled or at room temperature.

Beets are ready to harvest when their roots are the size of a golf ball, typically 50 to 70 days after planting. Harvesting times depends on the gardener's preference, but larger bulbs will have a tougher texture.

Baby beets, for instance, are usually harvested when they're about the size of a golf ball and their skin is still so soft that it won't need peeling. Fully matured beets, on the other hand, are usually harvested when they're about the size of a tennis ball and their tougher skin makes them ideal for winter storage.