My mother’s pickled beet recipe is absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted; filled with sweet pickle flavor, and just a hint of clove, this heirloom recipe will be one you want to make time and again. Mother always tucked a hard-boiled egg into each delicious jar of her pickled beets.
Opening a jar of mom’s pickled beets was like unwrapping a gift at Christmas; inside awaited the most beautiful purple beets and a prized purple, pickle egg! What a joy, to see the brightly colored purple egg, paired with is bright yellow center waiting for me to devour its sweet and chewy purple outer edge.
Disclosure: This is an heirloom recipe and is NOT tested by the National Center for Food Preparation! I share this as a precaution and ask that you do your homework before canning at home. Please visit the National Center for Food Preparation for the TESTED recipe for Pickled Beets. The National Center for Food Preparation, discourages the use of eggs in pickled beet recipes. Here is a link to the TESTED recipe for Pickled Eggs.
- 1 gallon beets, tops removed leave root (save beet greens, they can be prepared like spinach and are delicious)
- In a large stock pot add enough water to cover beets and 1 tablespoon salt, cook until skins turn dark and the flesh of the beets are tender, drain, peel and slice the beets.
- Discard boiling liquids and rinse stock pot
- Return sliced beets to stock pot, about 2 quarts sliced beets
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 quart apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- Bring ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and cook 15-30 minutes, or until beets are fork tender.
- Do not over cook or beets will become tough.
- Following manufacturers instructions, sterilize canning jar (6-8 ounce jars or 3 16 ounce jars)
- Begin by placing sliced of beets on the bottom and around the jar leaving space in the center to add one hard-boiled egg. Place one egg in the center of the beets and continue adding beets slices until jar is full, leaving 1/4 head space.
- Pour hot liquid over beets leaving 1/4 head space. Cover with bands and lids, and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Place jars on a clean towel and cool.
- Pickle Beets can be stored or used immediately.
Hi Rebecka, Hope you enjoyed the symphony. The pickled ginger recipe is not on my blog yet! Will be posting it soon. Have a lovely week!
Beautiful! I love pickled beets and pickled eggs . . . never would have thought of combining the two!
Yeah Karen!!! Another home pickling convert ♥ I’m proud of you. How did your pickles turn out? I hope you posted the recipe and pictures…I’m going over to your blog to check it out…
Magic of Spice…I hope you get the opportunity to try a pickled egg, of course, the beet eggs are much more attractive than their dill cousins.
I just pickled for the first time, and I think I’m addicted. Pickled beets sound great!
I have never tried a pickled egg…these are gorgeous 🙂
Jenn, What I wouldn’t give to have your amazing eggs to use in the pickled beet recipe! The eggs I used this year were pitiful.
I’m hoping to go to a friend’s farm in the next few weeks to acquire some fine duck, goose and chicken eggs. I plan to make kitchen flavours pickled ginger with the fresh eggs! hugs
My grandmother used to make these! I really need to make some pickled beets with eggs!
@ kitchen flavours, yum, pickled ginger! I gonna need that recipe! Is it on your blog? I’ll br checking your blog tomorrow morning, right now I’m off to the symphony with a friend! xoxo
@Angie, I hope you give pickled beets a try this season. This is such a great recipe, not too sweet or over spiced..:)
The pinky-coloured eggs look so pretty…pickled beets are something I always want to try….maybe I should this year when the beets are in full season.
Pickled beets! Lovely and very interesting with the addition of an egg! I usually have my hard-boiled eggs with pickled ginger. This is great, bookmarking this! Thanks for sharing!