Pickled Beets

About this recipe

Sweet-and-sour acidified beets. NCHFP-published recipe processes 30 minutes for both pints AND quarts at sea level — the longer-than-20-min processing means altitude adjustments use the steeper schedule. Pre-cooking the beets is mandatory: raw beets in this brine would not heat through evenly during the BWB process.

Brine architecture: 4 cups vinegar (5%) + 2 cups water + 2 cups sugar + 1.5 tsp canning salt (sweet acidified brine for ~6 pints). Vinegar floor: 5.00% acidity.

Ingredients

• 7 lb of 2- to 2.5-inch beets
• 4 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1.5 tsp canning/pickling salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 12 whole cloves
• 4–6 onions of 2- to 2.5-inch diameter, sliced (optional)

Procedure

1. Trim beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem and the taproot to prevent bleeding. Wash thoroughly.
2. Boil beets in water until tender, about 25–30 minutes. Drain and discard the cooking liquid. Cool, then peel and trim off stem and taproot. Slice into 0.25-inch rounds.
3. Combine vinegar + salt + sugar + water + cinnamon + cloves in a kettle; bring to boil. Remove cinnamon sticks.
4. Add sliced beets (and onions if using) to brine and bring to a boil.
5. Fill clean hot pint or quart jars with beets and brine, leaving 0.5 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rim, apply lid + ring fingertip-tight.
6. Process pints OR quarts 30 minutes in a boiling water bath canner at 0–1,000 ft; add altitude minutes per the longer-time table.

Altitude adjustment

Recipe time exceeds 20 min — use the longer-time table: add 10 min at 1,001–3,000 ft, 20 min at 3,001–6,000 ft, 30 min at 6,001–8,000 ft, 40 min at 8,001–10,000 ft (USDA Guide 1, Table 3, recipes >20 min).

• Sea level to 1,000 ft → 30 min
• 1,001 ft to 3,000 ft → 35 min
• 3,001 ft to 6,000 ft → 40 min
• 6,001 ft to 8,000 ft → 45 min
• 8,001 ft to 10,000 ft → 50 min

Safety

Beets are a low-acid vegetable — without acidification by 5% vinegar to a finished pH below 4.6, beets must be pressure-canned at 11 psi for 30 minutes (pints) or 35 minutes (quarts). This recipe is acidified, so BWB is safe. Do not reduce vinegar to less than 4 cups for the published yield. Pre-cook beets to the tenderness specified; under-cooked beets render rubbery slices.

Other pickle recipes

• Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles
• Pickled Dilled Beans (Dilly Beans)
• Pickled Beets (current)

Source — verify before canning

NCHFP (UGA) — Pickled Beets. USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 6.. This page reproduces the published recipe for reference. Always verify against the current NCHFP / USDA recipe before canning — food-safety guidance can be revised. Information provided for educational purposes only. Last verified 2026-04-30.