In Denmark, pickled beets are a beloved and traditional accompaniment to many meals. They are often enjoyed with classic dishes like Danish pork belly roast, cold cuts, and liver pâté on Danish rye bread, but some people, like my mom, would eat pickled beets with almost everything. Whether served as a side dish, topping, or as part of a salad, pickled beets add a burst of color and flavor to the plate.
Notes
My mom grows beets in her garden, but store-bought raw beets work just as well. This recipe is my late grandma’s and it yields enough for three medium-large jars (approximately 6 pounds of beets). Sounds like a lot, but trust me, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll gobble up these pickled beets. Though if refrigerator space is a concern, you can make half the recipe for a more manageable batch.
In the video below, my mom has sterilized the jars with boiling water and added a bit of sodium benzoate to the inside of the jars, but you can use any sterilizing method you prefer.If you sterilize the jars properly, the pickled beets can last up to a year. If you don’t sterilize the jars, your beets will last up to 6 weeks, if covered in the vinegar pickling liquid.
Preparing pickled beets is rather quick and straightforward, but it takes a couple of weeks before the flavor is fully developed, so be patient:)
Recipe: Syltede Rødbeder – Danish Pickled Beets
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medium-large jarsIn Denmark, pickled beets are a beloved and traditional accompaniment to many meals. They are often enjoyed with classic dishes like Danish pork belly roast, cold cuts, and liver pâté on Danish rye bread, but some people, like my mom, would eat pickled beets with almost everything. Whether served as a side dish, topping, or as part of a salad, pickled beets add a burst of color and flavor to the plate.
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Ingredients
2 teaspoons salt
6 lbs beets
34 oz (1L) vinegar
½ cup water (for the pickling liquid)
1 ½ lbs (~3 ⅓ cups, 700g) sugar
15 whole cloves
5 whole peppercorns
Directions
- Wash the beets and cut off the uppermost and lowermost part. Place them in a large pot.
- Pour over water so that the beets are covered.
- Add salt, and boil the beets for 1 hour 15 min, or until they are easily pierced with a fork, indicating they are tender. While the beets are boiling, you can prepare the pickling liquid:
- Pickling liquid: In another large pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, cloves, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. This will create a sweet and tangy pickling solution.
- Prepare 3 medium-size jars. Sterilize the jars and the lids if you want.
- Now back to the beets: Once cooked, drain the beets and transfer them out of the pot to cool until they are at a temperature you can handle comfortably. Peel the beet skins, and slice the beets into
¼ – ½ -inch thick slices according to your preferences. Transfer the sliced beets to the jars. - Pour the hot pickling liquid over the beets in the jars, ensuring that the beets are completely covered with the liquid. Leave about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jars.
- Allow the jars to cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator. The pickled beets will improve in flavor over time, so it’s best to let them sit for 2-3 weeks before enjoying.
