Course: Pickles, Jams & Jelly
Tags: Gary Bowdridge
Sugar Free Pickled Beets
They take effort and time, however are very easy as far as skill level goes.
Difficult to get wrong except in the burning of the boiling beets. it's very easy to burn them. watch the liquid level. take them off the boil for a second to see the true level of the liquid. The beasts should be covered or mostly covered at all times. You will need to add equal amounts of water and vinigar several times.
6 cups Liquid amounts are your starting and ending goal. along the way you will add equal amounts of water and vinegar that boils off. Often time I start out with 4 cups vinegar and 4 cups water and just make sure the level is boiled down to 6 cups of liquid at the end... It might be easer to maintain a 6 cup level, I find it easier to start with 8 cups liquid and let 2 cups of liquid boil off. you will likely need to add water and vinegar a few times, even if you start with 8 cups liquid. If the beets are just covered when you take them off the boil, you probably have the right amount of liquid.
I often do 2 pots on the boil at a time to double the recipe for 6 Jars.
The beets will stain your hands. Gloves are recommended.
Source
Gary Bowdridge 2025-05
Ingredients
| xkg / xlb | beets |
| 3 c | vinegar |
| 3 c | water |
| 3 c | stevia |
Bust Out
| 3 | mason jars |
| large pot with a top |
Steps
- Clean and sterilize mason jars. Some people boil them in a pot, some people just clean them and pour boiling water in them.
- Cut the bad ends from the beets and cut them in half.
- Wash the beets
- Place beets in large pot with a top.
- Cover beets in the vinegar, water, and stevia. Don't do more beets in one pot than you can cover in the 6 cups of liquid.
- Place top and bring to a boil and let boil for about and hour. (varies depending on beets maybe 1h, 1.5h, or 2h)
- Add more and equal amounts of water and vinegar as the liquid level boils down, you may need to do this 4 or more times. When done you want the liquid level to be about the same as when you started (6 cups liquid). you need the liquid for the beets.
- Check that the beets are able to be easily pierced with a fork. When they can, run coldish water over a beet half and see if you can easily work off the skin by rubbing gently with your fingers. When the skin comes off easily and the beets are soft, they are done. If the beets are too soft they will fall apart when you peal them.
- Repeat the de-skinning for the rest of the beet halves
- Slice the beets into somewhat thin slices (like dollar coin thickness, does not need to be exacting)
- Fill the mason jars with the sliced beets (leave a little room at the top)
- Pour liquid in mason jars to cover beets (leave a little room at the top)
- Seal Jars. for best results wait at least 5 days before eating, although they are ready immediately.