Canning Beets 

Why Mom and Dad were spending so much time canning beets through the summer I never could understand. I just hated the taste of red beets and I could not believe that anyone could possibly like the flavor. My first taste of this vegetable was just plain boiled beets; I believe we had a little butter on them.

Canning BeetsCanning Beets that are Pickled

After this, I would not eat them again until many years later. When I finally tried them again it was a pickled beets recipe; I love the flavor of these.


I have a couple of tips for you when canning beets. First, if you are canning pickled beets with a lot of vinegar in the recipe, you can do it in a hot water bath. If canning beets plain in water (no vinegar) you must use a pressure cooker due to low acidity. Second, when you are preparing the beets for cooking before packing to can, leave at least 1 inch of the stem on each of the beets and roots; this prevents the red color from bleeding out.


Select good quality when canning beets. Avoid any with decay or bruised spots on them. You can pack and can small size whole beets or after cooking you might want to cut larger ones in chunks. Wash the beets leaving the skins on and 1 inch of stems (as I said before). Drop in boiling water and precook 15 minutes or until just tender with fork; slip off the skins.


NOTE: Do not throw away the tops when canning beets. They are delicious cooked as greens. You can even blanch and freeze them.

PICKLED BEETS RECIPE a favorite when canning beets

Pickled Beets RecipePickled Beets Recipe
  • 3 Quarts whole small beets
  • 1 Tablespoon whole allspice
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons salt
  • 3 ½ Cups vinegar
  • 1 ½ Cups water

Wash beets; trim leaving stems and roots.

Cover with boiling water and cook whole until tender.

Drain, peel and slice.

Loosely tie cinnamon sticks and allspice in a clean white cheesecloth.

Combine sugar, salt, vinegar, water and spice bag; bring syrup to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes and remove spice bag.

Pack hot beets into clean hot jars; cover with hot syrup to within ½ inch of top of jar.

Remove air bubbles by running knife around inside of jar, wipe jar rims clean and adjust jar lids.

Process in a boiling hot water bath for 30 minutes; begin timing when jars are placed in the boiling water.

Remove jars and place upright several inches apart to cool on wire rack.

Canned Pickled Beets RecipeCanned Pickled Beets Recipe

CANNED BOILED BEETS

When preserving beets with low acidity (no vinegar) you must process in a pressure cooker.

  • Wash deep red beets; leave on 2 inches of stem and roots.

  • Drop in boiling water and boil until skins slip off; remove skins.

  • Leave beets whole or slice and pack in hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace.

  • Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart and cover with boiling water leaving 1 inch headspace.

  • Adjust lids and process quarts 35 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure.

Canning beets during the growing season can be enjoyed all year with great recipes. Try the delicious recipe below.

ORANGE GLAZED BEETS

  • ¼ Cup butter
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Teaspoons grated orange rind
  • ½ Cup orange juice
  • 1 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 3 Cups canned beets cubed (canned in water)

Melt butter; add sugar, orange rind, orange juice, vinegar and salt.

Mix cornstarch and water and blend into orange mixture.

Cook until clear and thickened; stir in cubed beets and simmer 10 minutes.

HARVARD BEETS RECIPE

Canning beets will be useful to make Harvard beets recipe.

  • 2 Cups canned beets in chunks (canned in water)
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • ½ Tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ Cup vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • ¼ Cup water

Mix sugar and cornstarch; add vinegar, oil and water.

Boil mixture 5 minutes and add beets; let stand over low heat 30 minutes stirring frequently.

RED BEET EGGS RECIPE

This is my favorite dish to make with the beets.

  • 1 Quart jar can beets with liquid (canned in water)
  • 1 Cup cider vinegar
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
  • ¾ Teaspoon salt
  • ¼ Cup water
  • 8 Hard cooked eggs shelled

Empty beets and liquid into saucepan; add vinegar, sugar and salt.

Place eggs in a bowl.

Heat beets and liquid until sugar dissolves and pour over the eggs.

Cover and refrigerate; stir occasionally to marinate all the eggs in the juice.

BEETS IN PINEAPPLE SAUCE RECIPE

When canning beets there are many great recipes to use them in with a variety of different flavors; this one is delicious.

  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Can diced pineapple with syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Pint jar canned beets drained

Combine in a saucepan over medium heat brown sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir in pineapple and syrup.

Cook stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly; add butter, lemon juice and drained beets.

Heat a few minutes to thoroughly heat.

CANNED PICKLED BEETS whole or sliced

  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 2 Cups water
  • 2 Cups vinegar
  • 1 Lemon thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon cloves
  • 1 Teaspoon allspice

Using small whole beets, cut tops off leaving about 1 inch of stem; cover with water and boil until tender.

Drain beets and peel off skins; leave whole or slice and place in a clean pot.

Combine sugar, water, vinegar, lemon, cinnamon, cloves and allspice; bring mixture to a boil.

Add beats to the boiling mixture; simmer for 15 minutes.

Pack beets and liquid in hot sterilized jars; place hot lids on jars and tighten to seal.