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Pickled beets question

15 years ago

I want to make pickled beets for Easter and use fresh beets. My Mom always used canned sliced beets, heated the liquid and added vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and a little sliced onion and then put the sliced beets back in the juice. Anyway if I use fresh should I roast and peel and then add water to take the place of the beet juice? The other option would be to peel the beets and boil them but a friend said that would be too messy. What do you think?

Thanks

Joann

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Comments (7)

User
15 years ago
I don't think roasting them will work well for pickling them. First of all you really need the beet juice for flavour and secondly the texture of roasted beets is different, boiled gives a better texture for pickles IMO.

Its not all that messy. Wash the beets and boil with the skins on. Reserve the beet juice. Submerge the beets in cold water and when you can handle them ( but still hot)cut off the root end and just slip the skins off under cold running water. Wear rubber gloves to prevent getting pretty pink hands!
ghoghunter
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Chase!!! I'll give it a try!
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bragu, I think beets are one of those things that you like or you don't. I love beets but don't like pickles so much. Other family members like pickles and not beets, LOL. Some like both and every year I can pickled beets, either red or golden, depending on what's available when I have time to do them. I use Grandma's old recipe for some family members and the one with pickling spice for others. I did win a Grand Champion ribbon at the fair a couple of years before COVID with the pickled golden beets, but they are much milder than the red ones and the pickling process seems to take away most of the earthy flavor. Annie
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The double processing (double canning) will make them quite mushy. That is one reason why it isn't recommended - the poor quality that results. In other words, it isn't a safety issue (assuming you use approved instructions), it is a quality and efficient use of time and energy issue instead. The approved instructions for making pickled beets is Pickled Beets please note that it calls for a vinegar to water ratio of 2:1 rather than the 1:1 you propose. The rest of the ingredients (onions, cinnamon, cloves) are optional. Dave
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First, the pre-cooking is needed in order to peel them effectively and to eliminate any of the peel contaminants from being transferred to the beet itself as would happen with manual peeling. Second, if peeled first then all the color washes out of them. That is why leaving a 1" portion of the stem attached is recommended - to prevent wash out. Third, it makes them softer, more tender, more palatable rather than rock hard. But the primary reason is to insure they are heated all the way through before pickling them. It not only kills internal bacteria but begins the weakening of the cell walls so that the pickling brine can penetrate. The pre-cooking time needed varies by the size and variety. In some cases it may only take 10-15 mins. until they are fork tender. For extremely large ones that are woody it may take an hour or more. So sorting by size really helps and frequent check for fork tender will determine the cooking time needed. Dave
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My beets are ready to pickle-
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Comments (4)
cindy, by the time you pickle them, I can't believe that the flavor difference in cooking method will make much of a difference. Texture will, though. I submerge mine in boiling water just until the skins "slip", then peel and pickle them. Cooking for too long results in soft beets for pickles, so I watch them carefully. Annie
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User
15 years ago
Forgot to say don't over boil them , you want them nice and firm for pickled beets. Good luck!
kframe19
15 years ago
The only problem is...

You waited too long to make them.

To properly infuse, pickled beets should be made at least a week before Easter.

It's not uncommon for my Mother to make them upwards a month before Easter. But, that often didn't work because we'd eat the darned things!

The eggs should also go in at least a week before.

I LOVE pickled egg salad sandwiches...
ghoghunter
Original Author
15 years ago
The pickled beets turned out delicious! The eggs were purple all the way through and everything tasted great. There is no need to wait so long to eat them. Overnight was fine!
Joann
kframe19
15 years ago
Interesting.

I've never had eggs color the whole way through in 24 hours. At best they've always been maybe half and inch, at best, and usually less.
annie1992
15 years ago
kfrme, like you, I've always had to pickle eggs for several days to get them colored all the way through, but I've just always used the juice from my homecanned pickled beets, I've never made pickled beets for a meal like that.

I agree with chase, though, peeling beets is easy and fast, I'm glad it worked out so well.

Annie

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