How to pickle beets: 7 Recipes

On the initial raw material depend on the taste and persistence of the preparation. Therefore, the selection of root crops for pickling should be taken carefully and responsibly.

How to choose pickling beets

Roots of medium size with juicy flesh, delicate thin skin and rich flavor are best. If you plan to pickle beets grown on their own, preference should be given to Boheme, Boyarynya, Detroit or Mulatta varieties.

Very large vegetables for pickling are not suitable, because they can give a bitterness. They should ideally be no larger than 10 cm in diameter.

Remove the foliage with a knife and examine the cut. If it shows white or yellowish streaks, it's better not to pickle. It is suitable for salads and first courses, but not for canning. Vegetables with dark spots on flesh, holes and cavities inside are also not suitable for preserves.

Sluggish, soft, rotten root vegetables for pickling are not used. Also, do not take beets with signs of mold, deep cracks and dents. It is better to select vegetables of approximately the same size and variety for pickling. Before processing, they are thoroughly washed to make sure that there is no damage on the surface.

The benefits and harms of pickled beets

Beets are a real vitamin storehouse. All its useful properties this vegetable retains in pickled form. Especially good are such preparations as a supplement to the table in winter, when the short daylight hours and lack of sun cause vitamin deficiency and low mood.

Pickled beets have the following useful properties:

• promotes an increase in the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
• stimulates digestion and improves intestinal peristalsis;
• beneficial effect on skin color and condition;
• is a source of vitamin C, boron, iron and manganese;
• increases appetite;
• activates regenerative and regenerative processes in the body.

Since the marinade contains vinegar and other acids, such a preparation should be eaten with caution by people with a sensitive stomach and increased acidity. Those suffering from peptic ulcer disease should better give up pickled beets. With caution should be eaten with this product nursing mothers.

The marked laxative effect of any dishes made of beets requires careful monitoring of people suffering from digestive disorders and constipation.

Like any other pickled product, it is necessary to observe moderation when eating beets with added vinegar. Violation of this rule can cause irritation of the walls of the stomach and intestines, excessive load on the liver and kidneys.

How to pickle tasty beets: recipes

Quick

Quick recipe for pickled beets allows you to prepare a delicious and healthy snack in just a few hours. You will need:

• Fresh beets of medium size - 2 pcs,
• salt - 1/2 tsp,
• vegetable oil - 50 ml,
• garlic - 2 cloves,
• 5% table vinegar - 0.5 l,
• Ground coriander and black pepper - to taste.

Wash the beets thoroughly and boil them for 1-1.5 hours until they are ready. When cooked and cooled, peel the vegetables and cut them into cubes (1-1.5 cm in size). Prepared in this way beets are put in a glass container with a lid.

For dressing heat vegetable oil, squeeze garlic, add salt and spices. Thoroughly mix. Fill the dressing in a container with beets and add vinegar, so that the level of liquid did not reach the edge of the jar by 1,5-2 cm. Stock covered with a lid and leave in a cool shady place for 4-6 hours.

In this form the vegetable can be used as a cold snack, as well as for the preparation of salads and second courses. Borscht with pickled beets gets a special tangy taste and retains a rich red color even after several boilings.

For the winter

Preserves for the winter are characterized by a long shelf life and the presence in their composition of a large number of spices. Spicy pickled beets will retain all the vitamins and useful properties for several months. For its preparation you will need the following ingredients:

• Beets - 6-8 pcs,
• garlic - 2 cloves,
• red hot pepper - 1 spice pod (1 tsp. of ground powder can be substituted),
• cumin - a tip of a knife,
• coriander - 1 tsp,
• parsley, celery and dill - 1 bunch,
• bay leaf - 2-3 pcs,
• granulated sugar - 5 tsp,
• salt - 5 tsp,
• vinegar essence - 40 ml,
• water - 1 l.

First, prepare a marinade. To do this, salt and sugar are added to water, brought to a boil and kept on low heat for another 10-15 minutes. After that, add finely chopped fresh herbs, sliced garlic and spices to the liquid. Bring the marinade to a boil again, cover with a lid, remove from the fire and let stand for 2-3 hours.

Beets are thoroughly washed and dropped into a pan of boiling water. Boil for 30-40 minutes and put under cold running water to cool. Root vegetables are then cleaned of peel and cut into long strips.

Glass jars of 0.5-3 liters capacity are sterilized. They lay out the prepared beets and tamp them tightly.

Ready marinade filtered through gauze folded into 3-4 layers, once again brought to a boil and add vinegar. Hot liquid is poured into jars with beets.

At the bottom of a large wide container (basin, pot) poured gauze, put jars with preserves on it and pour cold water to the "shoulders" level of the containers. After boiling water sterilize beets for 25-30 minutes.

You can skip this step. Then you need to add twice as much vinegar to the marinade. This will avoid the sterilization process.

Then each jar is tightly covered with a lid, turned upside down and thoroughly covered with a warm cloth (plaid, blanket). After complete cooling of the preparations put away in a cool, dark place.

For the salad

Beets, pickled with other vegetables, is an excellent basis for tasty and healthy salads. Such a preparation can also become a separate dish. For its preparation you will need:

• Fresh beets - 10 pcs,
• fresh tomatoes - 10-12 pcs,
• sweet pepper - 2 pcs,
• fresh carrots - 4 pcs,
• onions - 2-3 pcs,
• green beans - 300 grams,
• vegetable oil - 250 ml,
• table 5% vinegar - 80 ml,
• sugar - 5 tbsp,
• salt - 2 tablespoons.

Wash all the vegetables thoroughly. Boil the beans until half-ready. Beets and carrots are cut in slices. Tomatoes are passed through a meat grinder or chopped in a blender. Pepper and onion are cut into rings of medium thickness.

In a saucepan put the beets, add vinegar and tomato, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. After that, add carrots and onions and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables and spices, cook until tender for 15-20 minutes. At the end add oil, stir the salad thoroughly, spread into jars and seal.

Jars with blanks should slowly cool, after which they are stored in a cool dark place.

For borscht

Preserves of beets simplify the process of making borscht. They are used for both hot and cold versions of this first dish. To prepare a beet dressing for borscht, you will need:

• beets - 4 pcs,
• granulated sugar - 50 gr,
• salt - 50 gr,
• table vinegar - 5% - 10 ml,
• Water - 1 l.

It is convenient to use small glass jars with lids as containers. A container should be chosen so that 1 jar is enough for cooking.

Fresh beets are carefully washed, peeled and grated on a coarse grater. Depending on the preference of the hostess, the vegetable can be sliced into julienne or thin slices. Prepared beets are placed in containers, slightly tamping.

Add salt and sugar, bring to a boil and pour the vinegar. Ready marinade pour beets so that the liquid covers the vegetables. The jars are sealed and allowed to cool slowly, then stored in a cool, dark place.

The advantage of this method is that it is fast. Time is saved by not boiling the beets. Despite this, the product is fully ready for consumption in 4-5 days and can be used not only as an ingredient for cooking borscht, but also as a light vitamin snack.

In a jar

Pickled beets in a jar are convenient because they are easy to prepare, do not require sterilization and retain their flavor and vitamins for several months. Due to the fact that it is placed in a container in small portions, it is convenient to use them as needed.

To prepare the snack you will need:

• beets - 6-8 pieces of medium size,
• water - 1 cup,
• granulated sugar - 1 tbsp,
• salt - 1/2 tsp,
• 5 % table vinegar - 50 ml,
• cloves - 3 pcs,
• black pepper - 3-5 pcs,
• Orange Pepper - 3-5 pcs,
• bay leaf - 1 pc.

For this recipe glass jars with the capacity of 0.5-0.7 liters with lids are optimal. They are presterilized by holding them for 3-5 minutes in a hot oven or in a colander over steam.

Beets are thoroughly washed, cut at both ends, peeled and boiled until tender in water with a little salt.

While the beets are boiling, prepare the marinade. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add all the spices and seasonings according to the recipe and boil for 5-7 minutes.

Boiled beets cool down, cut into slices or small cubes and place in pre-sterilized jars. In each container add 1 tbsp of vinegar and pour boiling marinade.

Corked jars, turn the lids down and cover until completely cooled. Keep such preserves in a dark cool place, ideally in the refrigerator.

Cooked in this way beets can be used as a vitamin garnish, additives to the first and second courses.

Korean-style

This ultra-fast cooking method requires only about 15 minutes to get a crispy snack for the table. This speed is achieved by not boiling the beets beforehand, but pickling them raw. In addition to fast cooking, this recipe differs in that the beets are marinated without vinegar, in lemon juice.

To cook Korean-style beets you will need:

• fresh beets - 2-3 pieces of medium size,
• fresh lemon - 1 pc,
• garlic - 2-3 cloves,
• olive oil - 5-7 tbsp,
• fresh coriander - 1 bunch,
• Ground ginger root - 1 tsp,
• salt and ground black pepper - to taste.

As a container for marinating can be used a glass container with a lid or a plastic container.

Beets are carefully washed, peeled and cut into thin (2-4 mm) slices. It is convenient to use a vegetable slicer or grater. You can make a shaped cut. The main thing is to make the slices thin. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon. Finely chop the cilantro. Garlic is chopped or squeezed.

Slices of beet spread on a cutting board, sprinkle with pepper and lemon juice, sprinkle with cilantro and spices. Slices prepared this way are put in a container for marinating. The next portion of beets is placed on the board, seasoned. When all the beets are prepared, they are salted, peppered and thoroughly mixed by hand.

At the last stage, pour olive oil over the beets and mix them gently with a spoon. Snack can be eaten immediately after dressing. The taste will be brighter and richer if you give beets in Korean style to stand in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Before serving, you can add sunflower seeds or other seeds, pine nuts or greens to the beets. You will get a delicious tangy salad, preserving all the vitamins and minerals.

Georgian style

This variant of cooking beets is closer to pickling, not pickling. And in one container, several vegetables are cooked at once, so the result is a delicious vitamin salad. It can be a supplement to an everyday meal or a highlight of the holiday table.

To prepare the beets in Georgian style you will need:

• Fresh beets - 4-6 pcs,
• white cabbage - 1 medium-sized sprout,
• fresh celery leaves - 1 bundle,
• garlic - 1 head,
• red hot pepper - 2-3 pcs,
• salt - 3 tablespoons without a hill,
• water - 1 l.

Georgian-style beets are convenient to cook in a plastic bucket with a lid, a glass container will also do. It is important that it was possible to open and close the container.

First you need to prepare the filling. To do this, add salt to 1 liter of cold water and bring to a boil.

All vegetables are thoroughly washed. Remove the core from the cabbage, cut the leaves into 5-7 cm squares. Peel and cut the raw beet into 3-5 mm thick slices. Chop the celery leaves and garlic coarsely, cut the pepper into rings.

The prepared vegetables are placed in a container in layers, alternating the beets and cabbage and interspersing them with garlic, celery and peppers, pour the brine. On top lay an upturned saucer, which will serve as a crutch. The brine should cover at least 2/3 of it.

Cover the container with a lid, leaving it ajar on one side, and leave in a darkened place at room temperature for 4-5 days. To speed up the process, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of 9% vinegar in the brine. Then the snack will be ready in 2-3 days.

Crunchy vegetables look very smart and will be a worthy decoration of the holiday feast. Spicy and tangy snack is a valuable source of vitamins in the winter, an excellent means of stimulating the immune system and preventing colds.

Since Georgian-style beets are prepared without adding vinegar, this savory snack can be included in the diet of people who cannot eat pickled products for health reasons.

You can experiment with any recipe by adding new ingredients. These can be vegetables, spices and fruits. Beets go well with apples, plums.

The addition of nuts and seeds to the jar with the preparation should be abandoned. They should be added to the finished product just before serving.

This root vegetable can be marinated as sliced or whole. In this case, choose small specimens. For pickling whole beets, beets must be pre-cooked until tender.

Regardless of the chosen recipe, in a concealed container with billet stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 days. Therefore, the optimal choice is a container, the volume of which corresponds to no more than 2-3 meals.