Last updated on April 13th, 2024

Vibrant Quick Pickled Beets

Pickled beets are a great addition to any meal, offering a unique and delicious flavour. They can be eaten on their own or added to salads for an extra boost of taste. When it comes to snacking, I have to admit that eating them straight from the jar is incredibly satisfying.

When I was a child growing up in London, one of my older sisters introduced me to beetroot for the very first time. As a matter of fact, she served it straight from a can she bought from Tescos, a well-known British Supermarket.  I was struck by how such a simple vegetable could taste delicious even when canned.

I still remember the sweet, earthy flavour of my first beetroot experience. My fascination for them has stayed with me for years. Thanks, sister!

What do Quick Pickled Beets taste like?

Earthy

Beets are grown in soil, much like carrots and turnips, so they retain an earthy flavour. They can be eaten raw but may be bitter at times, which magically gets overshadowed by their sweet, floral taste after they have been boiled.

Sweet

After pickling, beet morsels are sweet and sour at the same time and absolutely delicious! I also love that nowadays, the Instant Pot makes it easy for beet lovers like me to quickly create a batch of pickled beets and store them in jars without much effort.

Tart

Unquestionably, pickling beets enhance their sweetness while adding vinegar and pickling spices to the brine creates an irresistible tartness and flavour.

Crunchy

To prepare beets for pickling, they should be cooked until they are fork tender but retain a slight bite that results in a satisfying crunchy texture.

Why You Will Love Quick Pickled Beets

• Quick-pickled Beets are a secret ingredient to creating a delicious salad, adding a pop of vibrant colour simultaneously.
• Beets are an incredible superfood that transforms boring dishes into bold, flavourful, nutritious meals while providing essential vitamins and minerals for cell support and growth.
• Cooking beets in the Instant Pot is an easy, fast way to prepare them for quick pickling.
• There’s no need to throw away the brine from pickled beetroot – read on to discover its uses.
• Pickled Beets make a delicious snack available whenever you feel like munching on something without the hassle of preparing anything.

3 Easy Steps to Quick Pickled Beets

Generally, when quick pickling with vegetables like cucumbers, dills, and onions that don’t require cooking, only two steps are needed.

However, when using beets, which need to be cooked before pickling, there are three steps involved.

• The first step is to prepare the beets to achieve the desired crunch.
• The second step involves making the brine solution, which is the essence of pickling.
• The final step is to assemble the beets and spices (if using) in the brine solution.

Quick-pickled vegetables are typically stored in glass jars or containers in the fridge and eaten within two months.

How is quick pickling different from canning?

Canning preserves food by sealing it in a container and submerging it in boiling water or a pressure cooker to eliminate bacteria.

Preserving your garden’s harvest through canning is a convenient way to ensure you have fresh produce for extended periods. You can store the canned goods for months until you’re ready to consume them.

Carbs and Servings in Quick Pickled Beets

Did you know that 3 slices of quick pickled beets in this recipe contain less than 1g of net carbs? That means you can enjoy this delicious snack without any guilt!

This recipe makes two 16-ounce jars of quick pickled beets using 6 medium-sized beets. Keep in mind that the number of carbs will vary based on the number of pieces consumed in a single serving unless you can resist sticking to a recommended serving of 3 slices.

I cut each beetroot in half, slice each half into 5 pieces and fill up each jar with 30 slices of beets.

Can you eat Quick Pickled Beets on a low-carb diet?

Yes, but only eaten in moderation!

If you are on a low-carb diet, you can still enjoy beetroot. However, it is important to note that individuals following a keto diet should be mindful of their beetroot intake and limit it accordingly.

Regardless, beetroot is packed with fibre, making it a great addition when consumed in small amounts while monitoring your carb intake. Plus, beetroot can be delicious when prepared at home with natural sweeteners instead of white sugar.

Ingredients Needed to Make Quick-Pickled Beets

Beets – medium-sized, washed and trimmed.

Pickling whole spices or a ready-made mix – I use an Indian pickling spice that contains coriander, cumin, ajowan (looks like fennel seeds), dried bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns.

White Vinegar – or apple cider vinegar, wine vinegar or malt vinegar.

Sweetener – I use a brand named Volupta that contains a mix of erythritol with Monk fruit extract.

Water – to make the brine and dilute the vinegar.

Equipment Notes

Instant Pot – to boil the beets whole. No Instant Pot? you will need a large saucepan to boil beets

Sauce Pan – to make the brine.

Measuring cups – to accurately measure ingredients for the brine solution

Measuring Jug – I transfer the brine solution to a measuring jug, ensuring every drop is poured into the jars without spills.

Mason Jars – or any medium-sized jars with tight-fitting lids.

Steps to Quick Pickled Beets, Instant Pot Method

Step 1: Prepare the Beets

Wash the beets and trim off the root and stem ends. Either boil the beets or pressure cook them in an Instant Pot (see notes in recipe card on boiling method).

Fill the inner pot of the instant pot with one cup of water and place a trivet at the bottom.

Lay the beets on the trivet, close the lid, and set the pot to pressure cook on HIGH for 14 minutes.

Press Cancel and Natural Release for 5 minutes before releasing the pressure.

Open the lid, and check the beets are fork-tender (the juice will run out once you poke a fork into them).

Peel the skin off the beets with your fingers. Your hands will stain from the beet juice, but it will wash off easily.

Next, peel the beets, take the vibrant beets and slice them in half, then cut them into semi-circles or cubes and ready for quick pickling.

Step 2: Make the Brine

Make the brine solution by adding water, vinegar, and sweetener in a saucepan and boil on medium heat until the sweetener dissolves completely.

Let the brine cool for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a measuring jug.

Step 3: Pickle the Beets

Add pickling spice to the bottoms of the mason jar.

Lay the beets over the pickling spice and fill up the jars, leaving some room at the top.

Pour equal amounts of brine into the jars over the beets, covering them entirely. Add extra water if the solution runs out.

Allow the pickled beets to cool, then tightly cover the jars and place them in the refrigerator.

After preparing a few jars of quick-pickled beetroot slices and storing them in your fridge, you can easily add them to your meals in various ways.

What type of beetroot works for Quick-Pickled Beets?

Many beetroot varieties, including choggia, red, white, and yellow beets, are available. Use any variety of beetroot for this recipe. I prefer to use red beets, which are widely available and come in bulk bags of around 6 beets, perfect for making a few jars of pickled beets.

Why is Beetroot Healthy?

Cell Growth and Repair

Beetroot contains essential vitamins and minerals, including high folate, which helps support cell growth and repair. Additionally, it includes a good amount of manganese, which is beneficial for bone formation.

Anti-Inflammatory

Eating beetroot can give your body essential nutrients like potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, vitamin C, and zinc. Beetroot’s distinct red and yellow colour comes from betalains, which also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Rich in Antioxidants

Additionally, beetroot is rich in antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which can lead to cell and tissue damage and contribute to chronic health conditions.

To explain, free radicals are byproducts of chemical reactions in the body that can increase due to unhealthy eating habits, poor diet, smoking, and stress. However, antioxidants like beets can help keep free radicals in check and neutralize excess ones to maintain a healthy balance. Beetroot juice contains a high concentration of these beneficial antioxidants.

Ways to eat Pickled Beet Slices

I’ve already gone through my second jar of pickled beetroot and added it to every meal I make. I warn you, eating pickled beets straight from the jar with the fridge door open is insanely habitual, trust me!

Alternative to dill pickles

Enjoy the beetroot slices with anything you would typically eat with dill pickles.

Addition to salads

Add slices of pickled beetroot to Mediterranean salads with goat or feta cheese and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. They’re also a great side dish for curries, cauliflower rice meals, lettuce burgers, and wraps.

Charcuterie board

Serve beets on a charcuterie board, condiment tray, or pickle platter.

BBQ condiment

Use pickled beets as a condiment for sausages, grilled chicken or a side with Asian Turkey Burger Lettuce Wraps at a BBQ.

Make a Beet Salad

Pickled beet salads are a delicious option when you are out of lettuce greens. Mix beet slices with some red onions and feta cheese.

Beetroot dressing

Puree the pickled beets and mix them with olive oil and garlic to make a tangy beet salad dressing.

Don’t Forget about the Juice from Quick Pickled Beets

• There are quite a few things you can do with the pickle juice. Since it’s low carb, it can help sweeten salad dressing without adding more sweetener, and of course, there’s no need to add white sugar.
• Make a quick beetroot ketchup by mixing two parts tomato puree with one part pickled beetroot juice. Then add salt and pepper to taste and bobs your uncle – you have made low-carb ketchup, which is tasty too.
• Submerge boiled eggs into the beetroot pickle juice and watch how they turn purple. 
• Replace vinegar in a salad dressing with beetroot pickle juice, and you’ll have an earthy-tasting dressing for your salad.
• Consider using pickled beetroot juice as a natural food colouring ingredient for baked goods like cakes and cauliflower rice, or even to add colour to meringues.

How to Store Quick-Pickled Beetroot Slices

Store jars of Quick Pickled Beets in the refrigerator, just as you would with an opened jar of pre-made pickled beets.

Ideally, the longer these beets soak up the flavorful spices and brine, the more enhanced their taste becomes. Simultaneously, by keeping them refrigerated, you can ensure that their delicious taste remains intact for an extended period of time.

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