Husband and I discovered our new splurge dinner which has almost replaced pizza, something we fondly call “meat and cheese dinner”. It usually consists of bread, a couple of different cured meats, a few different funky cheeses, fruit, and something pickled. Even though it’s essentially the same ingredients as pizza, you somehow feel much more grown up eating it and even hate yourself a little less if you far exceed what would be an acceptable amount of food to consume.
Do you know what this dinner does not have on pizza, though? It’s expensive. It was consistently shocking to me that the pickled vegetables were so expensive! It’s typically just spices, some kind of vinegar, and vegetables. Vinegar and veggies are plenty cheap on their own, so why does the combination amount to this cost?
Solution: pickle my own veggies! These beets were shockingly easy. I did a mix of yellow and red beets and started by peeling, slicing, and roasting them for about 30 minutes. Then I simmered apple cider vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, cloves, caraway seeds, and pepper for the pickling liquid. Add the beets and pickling liquid to a couple of mason jars and refrigerate over night! That’s it. 
Sweet and Sour Pickled Beets
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 2 large mason jars 1x
Description
Easily make your own spiced and pickled beets for a perfect meat and cheese board or salad accompaniment.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds medium sized beets (you can use golden, red, or a mix)
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Peel and slice beets into large matchsticks (about ½ inch wide). Add beets to a large, rimmed baking sheet and pour one cup of water and a generous pinch of salt over the top. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the beets are cooking, combine all remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes.
- Once beets are cool enough to handle, add them to two large mason jars. Pour pickling liquid over the beets. Let cool until room temperature, then put on lids and refrigerate.
- Refrigerate beets overnight before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Frequently Asked Questions
Why roast the beets before putting them in the pickling liquid?
Roasting concentrates the beets’ natural sweetness and gives them a tender but not mushy texture. I slice them into half-inch wide matchsticks, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet with 1 cup of water and a generous pinch of salt, and roast at 375 F for 30 minutes. Skipping this step and pickling raw beets straight gives you a much harsher, earthier result.
What does the cinnamon stick, cloves, and caraway add to the pickling liquid?
Those are the flavors that make these beets taste like something from a proper charcuterie board rather than a jar from the grocery aisle. The 2-inch cinnamon stick and 3/4 teaspoon of cloves give warmth; the 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns add bite; the 1/4 teaspoon of caraway seeds add an anise-adjacent earthiness. All simmered with 3 bay leaves in 1.5 cups each of apple cider vinegar, water, and sugar for 12 to 15 minutes.
Can I use red beets, golden beets, or a mix?
Any of the three work — I often do a mix of red and golden for visual contrast on the board. The main thing to know is that red beets will bleed their color into the pickling liquid, which turns everything a deep magenta. If you mix colors and want the golden ones to stay bright, pickle them in separate jars.
How long do they need in the refrigerator before serving?
Overnight is the minimum. Let the jars cool to room temperature first, then lid them and refrigerate. The beets need that time to absorb the spiced vinegar all the way through. If you eat them after only a few hours they taste mostly of sharp vinegar with not much depth.
Even easier… cut the beets as desired, then simmer, with a lid on, until tender in your 50/50 blend of vinegar/water with desired amount of sugar and spices. Transfer beets to jars, cover with hot cooking liquid, cap and let cool then move jars to refrigerator.
Great version!