Quick Pickled Beetroot

There are many, many ways to preserve your favourite vegetables, but pickling is one of the most simple and this quick pickled beetroot is no exception.

However, it often happens that sometimes you get that craving for a sour piece of beetroot, and you do not have any in. This can be a nightmare!

Do not panic! It is possible to make a quick pickle, one which takes an hour in total and provides you with incredible flavours when you desire it. The recipe below describes how to make this beautiful accompaniment. It is a great way to get more beetroot into your diet, which you really want.

Beetroot is a perfect vegetable for getting more folic acid in your diet. It also contains manganese and potassium. On top of this, it is super easy to grow. And you can grow so many different colours it is perfect for vibrant salads, and cool preserves.

Try serving your quick pickled beetroot with a herb salad: simply dill, mint, parsley and chives, chopped together. Sprinkle with some feta cheese and if you desire, some beautiful toasted pine nuts. Use the pickle juice as you’re dressing with the pieces of onion and beetroot mixed in, and you are on to a winner!

Or, drain the beetroot off, slice smaller and mix in with the fish in a blackened salmon taco. This will give you a great sweet, sour and smoky flavour that is particularly tasty when you can eat outdoors.

Different colours

Beetroot has many varieties, although in shops you tend to only find one or two types (usually red and golden). The variation in colours really lends itself to different uses.

The second thing is, try to use a vinegar that matches the colour of the beetroot. Interestingly the flavour profiles seem to match better, but also it ensures the colour of the beetroot does not get washed out. Take a golden beetroot for example. If making a quick pickled beetroot out of golden beetroots, you do not want to use a red wine vinegar. The red takes over and you lose the lovely colours of gold that come through. Whereas if you do it with a cider vinegar or white wine vinegar the colours will shine.

You also get variated colours of beetroot, like candy varieties. These are pink and white and look beautiful when roasted and eaten. However the vinegar will cause the colours to run and leak into each other, giving a light pink all the way though. It loses some of its colourful impact.

The key thing to remember though when pickling is that colours leak, so be careful when mixing. In fact, avoid mixing full stop.

A quick pickled beetroot is great, but why not try a longer preserve? You could have something in your fridge for 3 months for when you really need that kick.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Quick Pickled Beetroot Recipe

"Beetroot" by RaeAllen is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

This is a simple recipe for cooking a quick pickled beetroot, perfect if you do not have some preserved in a jar somewhere. If you like a bit of heat, add in some chilli flakes to the vinegar, but be sparing, it can be rather powerful.

This will last for a few days in the fridge if you don't use it all, and can be great either as a side salad, or used in sandwiches and wraps with a little feta and some falafel.

You can of course cut the beetroot in any way you wish, but a mend times accordingly for the steaming–you want the pieces tender, not disintegrating.

Finally, this is not just a recipe for red beetroot, use it with golden or candied for sweeter mixes, and different summery colours. It is a great way to use those beetroots that are getting a little large in the ground towards winter, and brings back that feeling of the warmth of summer.

Also, did I mention it is super simple?

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Rest time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Preserve, Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: english

Keyword: Beetroot, Pickle, Pickled veg, Preserve, Quick pickle

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 44kcal

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion halved and sliced
• ½ cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 4 beetroots

Instructions

• Peel your beetroots. This can be a messy task, so wear gloves!
• Cut your peeled beetroot into 1cm slices
• Place your beetroot slices into a steamer of some sort and allow to steam for 15 minutes.
• While the beetroot is steaming, combine the onion, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns and cloves in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Stir beets into the vinegar mix, being careful not to break any of the slices
• Transfer to a large bowl and let it rest, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

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Why not try some of our other beetroot recipes?