Canning Beets

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There are two tested ways of canning beets, and they use different canners. Plain beets are a low-acid vegetable and go in a pressure canner. Per the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), that's 30 minutes for pints and 35 for quarts, at 10 psi in a weighted-gauge canner (0 to 1,000 feet) or 11 psi in a dial-gauge canner (up to 2,000 feet). Pickled beets are acidified with vinegar and go in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes at low elevation, pints or quarts.

Both recipes below come from the NCHFP, adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Pick the one that matches what you want to eat. Don't mix their steps.

Plain or Pickled: Which Method?

Our guide to pressure canning vs water bath canning explains why the vinegar changes the method.

Part 1: Pressure Canning Plain Beets

Processing times and pressure (NCHFP)

Dial-gauge pressure canner

Weighted-gauge pressure canner

The dial-gauge table ends at 8,000 feet. If you live higher, contact your county extension office. Our pressure canning altitude chart explains the bands.

Choosing beets

The NCHFP prefers beets 1 to 2 inches across for whole packs. Beets larger than 3 inches are often fibrous, so cube or slice them.

How many you need: about 21 lb (without tops) for a 7-quart load, or 13½ lb for 9 pints. A 52-lb bushel without tops yields 15 to 20 quarts, about 3 lb per quart.

Step by step

1. Trim the tops, leaving about 1 inch of stem and the roots on. The NCHFP says this reduces bleeding of color.
2. Scrub well.
3. Cover with boiling water and boil until the skins slip off easily, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on size.
4. Cool just enough to handle, then remove the skins and trim off the stems and roots. The beets should still be warm or hot when they go into the jars.
5. Leave baby beets whole. Cut medium or large beets into ½-inch cubes or slices. Halve or quarter very large slices.
6. Add salt if you like, 1 teaspoon per quart. The NCHFP says salt is for flavor only.
7. Fill hot jars with the hot beets and fresh water that's been brought to a boil, not the water you boiled the beets in. Leave 1 inch of headspace.
8. Release air bubbles, recheck the headspace, wipe the rims and put on the lids.
9. Load the canner with the rack and 2 to 3 inches of hot water, or the amount in your manual. Lock the lid.
10. Vent for 10 minutes, then add the weight or close the petcock.
11. Process at the pressure for your elevation: 30 minutes for pints, 35 for quarts. If the pressure dips below the target, bring it back up and restart the full time.
12. Let the canner depressurize naturally. Remove the weight, wait 10 minutes and open the lid away from you.
13. Cool the jars for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals.

New to the canner? Our beginner's guide to using a pressure canner covers each step in detail.

Part 2: Canning Pickled Beets

Ingredients (NCHFP)

Yield: about 8 pints

• 7 lb beets, 2 to 2½ inches across
• 4 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1½ tsp canning or pickling salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves
• 4 to 6 onions, 2 to 2½ inches across (optional)

Step by step

1. Trim the tops, leaving 1 inch of stem and the roots. Wash thoroughly and sort by size.
2. Cook similar sizes together in boiling water until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Drain and discard the cooking liquid. The NCHFP flags this as a caution.
4. Cool the beets, trim off the roots and stems, and slip off the skins.
5. Slice into ¼-inch slices. Peel and thinly slice the onions if using.
6. Make the brine: combine the vinegar, salt, sugar and fresh water. Tie the cinnamon and cloves in a cheesecloth bag, add it, and bring to a boil.
7. Add the beets and onions and simmer 5 minutes. Remove the spice bag.
8. Fill the jars with beets and onions, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Add the hot vinegar solution, keeping ½ inch of headspace.
9. Release air bubbles, wipe the rims and put on the lids.
10. Process in a boiling water canner for the time below.

Pickled whole baby beets: use beets 1 to 1½ inches across and pack them whole instead of slicing. The onions can be left out.

Boiling water canner times for pickled beets (NCHFP)

Water bath canning needs a pot deep enough for at least 1 inch of boiling water over the jars, per the USDA. Our canning pot guide compares options, and many pressure canners can double as water bath canners. Check your manual.

No-sugar-added pickled beets

The NCHFP also has a version developed at the University of Georgia. It uses 7 lb of 2- to 2½-inch beets, 6 cups of 5% cider or white vinegar, 3 cups of water, 1½ teaspoons of canning or pickling salt, 2 cinnamon sticks, 12 whole cloves, 4 to 6 onions if desired, and 2 cups of Splenda (optional). The steps are the same, in pint jars, with ½ inch of headspace. The processing times are the same as above: 30 minutes at 0 to 1,000 feet, 35 at 1,001 to 3,000, 40 at 3,001 to 6,000 and 45 above 6,000 feet.

Note the higher vinegar amount in this version. Use the ingredient list that goes with the recipe you choose.

Don't Change the Pickle Ratios

The NCHFP's general pickling guidance is blunt: "Do not alter vinegar, food, or water proportions in a recipe or use a vinegar with unknown acidity." There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the jar to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria.

• Safe to change: leaving out the onions, or packing whole baby beets as the variation allows.
• Not safe to change: cutting the vinegar, adding water, using homemade vinegar or vinegar under 5% acidity, or adding extra vegetables.

Plain beets have no acid at all, so they can never go in a water bath. If you want beets without the pickle flavor, use the pressure canner method.

Common Mistakes When Canning Beets

• Water bath canning plain beets. They're low-acid. The NCHFP says vinegar can't be used to shorten processing for fresh vegetables, outside of tested pickle recipes.
• Using the beet cooking water. Both recipes call for fresh liquid.
• Packing big beets whole. Over 3 inches tends to be fibrous, and whole packs are for small beets.
• Cutting the tops and roots flush. Leaving 1 inch of stem and the roots reduces color bleeding.
• Using the pickled-beet headspace for plain beets. Plain beets need 1 inch; pickled beets need ½ inch.
• Dry canning. The NCHFP calls packing raw vegetables without liquid an unsafe practice and lists beets among the vegetables people try it with.

For carrots, potatoes and other root crops, see our canning vegetables chart. If you're choosing a canner that handles both methods, our Presto pressure canner review compares the 16- and 23-quart sizes.

Storing Canned Beets

Remove the bands, test the seals and store the jars in a cool, dark, dry place. The USDA says below 95°F (35°C), ideally 50 to 70°F (10 to 21°C). The NCHFP says properly canned food keeps its best quality for at least a year.

Don't taste from any jar with a bulging or unsealed lid, spurting liquid, mold or an off smell. The CDC recommends boiling home-canned low-acid foods, which includes plain beets, before eating: 10 minutes below 1,000 feet, plus 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet.

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