Pickled Beets - Sugar Free or Not
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Summer harvest time is my favorite season. I start canning and preserving early crops, and, because my husband is diabetic, I always look for canning recipes that are low or no sugar.
One of the early summer crops that we love are beets! They have so many health benefits and are the perfect condiment for summer meals and barbecues. Pickled beets are also welcome in the cooler months, giving a delicious sweet and sour note to autumn and winter meals.
But let's get down to making them!
A bushel of beets will make around 17 - 18 quarts of deliciousness.
Get your jars, lids and rings ready. Wash them well in hot water and set them aside for filling.
Prepare your brine!
It's better to have the brine ready before you prepare your beets. You can make the brine while you are boiling the beets. I made my brine sugar free, using allulose, because of diabetics in the family. Use sugar if your bodies can handle it. You can adjust the sweetness, but the vinegar-water ratio has to stay what it is to keep the acidity right
Brine for Pickled Beets
Makes brine for 11+ quarts
5 1/4 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
5 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
5 1/4 cups good water
2 1/2 Tablespoons Pickling salt
7 Tablespoons Pickling spice
1-2 cups sweetener I used 1 cup allulose. Allulose is not as sweet as stevia. Use sugar or what works for you.
Bring to a boil and then turn the heat off.
Prepare the Beets
In a large pot bring the ingredients to a boil and then turn off the heat.
Add brine to the jars after the beets are cut and in the jars.
I start by washing my beets well. Beets often hold a lot of soil from their harvest. Even if your supplier washed the beets before selling them, wash them anyways to reduce and dirt from contaminating your final product.
After washing, I get out a large pot or kettle. Fill it about 3/4 full of the raw beets. Cover the beets with water and bring them to a boil. After they start boiling, continue to boil them for about 20 minutes. Then turn the heat off.
I transfer my boiled beets to a large bowl (or multiple large bowls) to let them cool for a little while.
Peeling the Beets
Unless you have some really rough spots, you can keep your knives and peelers away! Peeling beets is very easy after you have boiled them. First, get another large bowl for the peeled beets. Then, grab a beet and squeeze it gently. The tops and skin will come right off. This process does not take long. If you run into a less than perfect spot, just cut it away.
Cutting the Beets
IF your beets are really small - 1 - 1 1/2 inches, you can can them whole. (If all your beets are that small, I would not boil them the whole 20 minutes, either!)
Some people like their beets in slices, and some like them in quarters. I like to quarter my beets as they fill out the jar nicely.
Canning the Beets
Now you can start filling your pint and quart jars. Add your beets to your jars. Leave a 1-inch headspace.
Spoon in your brine, spices and all, keeping that 1 inch headspace. Wipe your rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw the rings down only finger tight. Don't leave them loose. Just tighten enough but NOT too tight.
Make sure the rack is in the bottom of the canner. Place your jars in your canner. Cover the jars with water to 1 inch above the jars. If you are canning only pints, that means less water. You don't have to overfill the canner.
If your brine and jars are cold, add cold water. If your brine and jars are warm, add warm water.
The rule for water bathing is cold for cold, warm for warm, and hot for hot. We are trying to avoid breakage due to thermal expansion.
Put the lid on the canner and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, start your timer for 30 minutes. The canning time is 30 minutes for both sizes, so you can mix quart and pint jars in the canner.
After 30 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove your jars with a jar lifter onto a dry towel. I like to cover my jars with another towel when they are all out. After about 24 hours, take the rings off, wash, and date your jars. I found one that did not seal, so that one went in the fridge, and we let it sit there until we ate the beets (yum).
Give your pickled beets some time to absorb the flavors of the brine before you eat them - about 2-4 weeks is good. You will really enjoy this tasty condiment.
And now, a short rant.
I've noticed that Ball lids are not as reliable as several other brands. It is frustrating when you take the time to can produce or soups that are intended for longer term storage, and the jars don't seal after you carefully clean, can and cool your jars. I've been trying the Superb lids, and they have been more reliable than the Ball lids. Click on the picture if you want more information or would like to try them.
Have fun Prepping and Canning!
PS. Our policy is "no jar left behind" this year
PPS. I'm an Amazon Associate, and there will be links in the article. Items that are underlined are links.
PPPS. I hope your summer is going well.
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