Pickled Beetroot

Shop-bought pickled beetroot is most people's sole memory of the vegetable. For many it was an unpleasant experience and has really put them off beetroot.

Personally, I like shop-bought pickled beetroot. But this recipe for home pickling is much tastier and it's fun to experiment with the ingredients.

Ingredients

Up to 2kg fresh beetroot
1 1/2 litres vinegar - either malt vinegar or wine vinegar, depending on your preference
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
About 10 whole cloves
1 bay leaf (dried)
100g Sugar (optional)

Method

1. Chop the stalks off the beetroot, leaving an inch at the end. Scrub the beetroot gently to remove any mud, but taking care not to damage the skin. Wrap them in foil and bake at 180 degrees C for up to 2 hours, until they are tender.
   
   
2. While the beetroot is baking, make the vinegar mixture:
   
   • Put the vinegar, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large pan
   • Bring to the boil for about 1 minute.
   • Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
   • Leave the flavours to infuse for about 2 hours.
   • Drain before using.
   
   Note: if you prefer sweet pickled beetroot, add 250g sugar to the vinegar before heating. Stir well to make sure the sugar has dissolved.
   
   
3. If the skins were thick, you can peel the beetroot - it's up to you. Wear gloves, if peeling, or it'll take ages for your finger nails to return to their usual colour!
   
   
4. Slice the beetroot into 1/2 cm slices.
   
   
5. Put the slices into sterilised jars.
   
   • Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse well
   • Put upside down in an oven at 100 degrees C for 20 minutes
   • Allow to cool slightly and then fill whilst still warm
   • Use a vinegar-resistant lid (i.e. plastic-coated, so no metal comes into contact with the vinegar, or this would corrode and ruin the pickle)
   
   
6. Bring the vinegar mixture to the boil and then fill the jars.
   
   
7. Seal the jars with an airtight, vinegar resistant lid.
   
   
8. Leave for a few weeks before eating. Gently shake the jars every week or so, to allow the flavours to infuse.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

About 1 hour

Notes & Variations on Pickled Beetroot

Don't prick the beetroot or completely remove the stalks, or the beetroot juices will leak during cooking.

Experiment with the spices you use in your pickling vinegar.

If you're really organised, you'll get a better flavour by preparing your vinegar several months ahead! Put the spices in the cold vinegar bottle and leave for 2 months. Don't heat.

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Ratings & Reviews

Rating	Comments
10/10	Made this a few weeks ago and have opened the first jar this weekend. It's lovely! If you prefer a sweeter pickle, you could add a few tablespoons of sugar before bottling.
10/10	I pickled my beetroot about 2 months ago using this recipe and it got the thumbs up from my lot. Thank you for the recipe :o)
6/10	can you boil the beetroot instead of baking.. my oven isnt working.. Reply from Clare: Boiling works well, too. Scrub them well and trim the green stalks, but leave otherwise intact or you'll end up with purple mush. Boil until soft. For small beetroot this can be as fast as 10 minutes. For larger ones, I tend to do 15-20 minutes in the pressure cooker. Hope that helps! Love, Clare x

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