Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (2024)

Typically, turnips don’t exactly exude confidence.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (1)

They’re an oft-forgotten root vegetable that’s primarily recognized for not having much flavor.

That’s not really the reputation you want.

But I’d like to change that.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (2)

I’m aware that if you’re not a big fan of root vegetables to begin with, I probably can’t transform turnips into the love of your life. But when you experience a pickled turnip for the first time, one that’s been permeated with the crimson color of a beet, you might start to see them in a new light.

Pickled condiments are a staple in many different types of cuisine. Let’s explore, shall we?

We’ve got Lebanese-style (like today’s featured recipe) that tucks in beautifully to a meaty gyro. There’s giardiniera – an Italian relish medley of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil that gives life to beefy hoagies.

I recently even spotted pickled green beans and pickled baby carrots on an elegant charcuterie platter at a Spanish tapas spot.

But for right this second, I’d like to discuss the OG from my childhood: the dill pickle.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (3)

Okay, technically it’s a pickled cucumber, but you get where I’m going with this. I’ve always had a thing for pairing fried, salty food with cold, crunchy pickles.

I have hundreds of upscale food memories from my younger years (like fresh, tomatoey bouillabaisse prepared oceanside…) thanks to being raised by parents who were quite the epicureans.

But no matter how much my dad instilled in me the art of scratch-made cooking featuring fresh herbs and my mom begged me to try her rainbow chard, I still couldn’t get enough Applebee’s.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (4)

I know. It’s a miracle I ended up in the culinary industry.

I like to think that my relentless love for this American neighborhood grill was actually an exploration in understanding how flavor contrast and balance work.

This is clearly the gourmet in me speaking.

I know that this chain, though a delightfully affordable family-friendly franchise, isn’t exactly known for their artisanal abilities in the kitchen. But I can still taste the crispy tenders from that chicken finger basket paired with chilled briny pickles like it was yesterday.

(And it definitely wasn’t yesterday. I had my sixteenth birthday party there, and that was many moons ago.)

I remember that I couldn’t share a seasoned pile of french fries with friends without asking for my beloved sidecar of ridged pickles. It was as if I knew that my future self was going to become a professional cook, and I was implanting culinary nuggets (like balancing acidity with fat) into my teenage brain.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (5)

Now, as an adult, I slide all kinds of pickled veggies into anywhere that I want to infuse with a bit of magic.

And by magic, I mean crunchy tartness.

These pickled beets and turnips are a game-changer when it comes to flavor, but color is another key feature. As the hot brine gets washed over the veggies, a few cloves of garlic, and the fiery red chili, the beets release their energetic shade into the turnips.

Suddenly, the once-bland turnips are literally “turnt up.”

The result: thick, rosy matchsticks that are addictively salty, gloriously garlicky, a touch sweet, and delicately hot.

You can slip them into souvlaki, toss them with greens, or take them to Applebee’s for a hot date.

No judgement here.

Print

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (6)

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips

★5 Stars☆★4 Stars☆★3 Stars☆★2 Stars☆★1 Star☆No reviews
  • Author: Fanny Slater
  • Total Time: 24 hrs, 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 quarts 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Got a recipe that’s missing a bright touch of tartness and sassy tang? These crunchy pickled beets and turnips are your ticket to flavor.

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/3 cup coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
  • 1 small red beet, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 small red chili, halved with seeds discarded

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepot over high heat, add the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Whisk until the salt has dissolved, about 1 minute.
  2. Place the turnips, beets, garlic, and chili into 2 32-ounce glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.
  3. Cover the jars with lids and allow the pickles and their liquid to cool slightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 day. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Notes

Note that the nutritional info below includes the brine, most of which you will actually drain.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Vegetables
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Pickles

Keywords: pickles, pickled beets, pickled turnips, beets, turnips

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Peel and Chop Vegetables

Trim the root ends and tops off of the beets and turnips, and then peel them with a vegetable peeler. If you bought the beets with the greens still attached, don’t throw them out! Saute them with garlic for a delish side.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (7)

To slice them into matchsticks, place the end side flat on a cutting board.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (8)

Slice into flat slices that are ½ inch thick.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (9)

Stack several slices at a time, and then slice lengthwise into fat sticks.

Step 2 – Make the Brine

In a medium saucepot over high heat, add the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (10)

Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved, about 1 minute.

Step 3 – Pour the Brine over the Veggies

Thinly slice the garlic.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (11)

Slice the red chili down the middle, and remove the seeds.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (12)

Place the turnips, beets, garlic, and chili into glass jars with tight-fitting lids. I used two 32-ounce jars for this recipe.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (13)

Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.

Step 4 – Cover and Refrigerate

Cover the jars with lids and allow the pickles and their liquid to cool slightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 day before enjoying.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (14)

Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

It’s a Pickle Party, and You’re Invited

On a scale of one to fabulous, these cool, crisp, crunchy condiments that you can sneak into any meal tip the scales towards awesome every time.

Anything you can think of with a savory bite will make an ideal landing zone for these turnips and beets. I trickle them over breakfast tacos, pile them onto a hummus wrap at lunch, and load them into my dinnertime buffalo chicken salad.

Hungry yet? Same.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (15)

The pickling possibilities are endless. Here are some more ideas to try:

  • Harvest Time: 6 Recipes for Great Tasting Preserves
  • Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles
  • The Best Homemade Fermented Garlic Dills

How do you prefer your pickle brine? Brimming with fresh dill and garlic? Spicy and sweet? Share your salty secrets in the comments below! And don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it.

Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (16)

About Fanny Slater

Fanny Slater is a home-taught food enthusiast based in Wilmington, North Carolina who won the “Rachael Ray Show” Great American Cookbook Competition in 2014, and published her cookbook “Orange, Lavender & Figs” in 2016. Fanny is a food and beverage writer, recipe developer, and social media influencer. She was a co-host on the Food Network series “Kitchen Sink,” was featured on Cooking Channel’s longtime popular series “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and continues to appear regularly on the “Rachael Ray Show.”

  • More Posts(207)

Homemade Quick-Pickled Beets and Turnips Recipe | Foodal (2024)

FAQs

Are pickled beets good for your kidneys and liver? ›

There are many benefits of pickled beets as they are one of the best foods for nitric oxide boosting, even when pickled. Beets are low in fat and calories and are a great plant-based source to fuel the body including vital systems like the brain, heart, kidneys, and the nervous system.

Do pickled beets lower blood pressure? ›

Pickled beets are naturally rich in nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide. This molecule helps blood vessels dilate, which protects against high blood pressure ( 8 ). Research suggests that beet products can lower blood pressure by up to 10 mm Hg.

How long do beets in vinegar last? ›

Because these pickled beets are processed, they are shelf-stable and do not need to be stored in the refrigerator when sealed. Store canned pickled beets in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months. Once opened, pickled beets will last about three to four days in the refrigerator.

How long does it take for pickled beets to be ready to eat? ›

No need to wait to enjoy your pickled beets. They're ready to eat as soon as they've cooled down, however, the longer you wait, the better their flavor. Give them at least a week or two.

Who should not eat pickled beets? ›

Canned and pickled beets likely contain high amounts of sodium, so if it's heart health you're after, these choices should be limited.

How many pickled beets should you eat a day? ›

The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

Are pickled beets bad for high cholesterol? ›

The phytosterols, or plant sterols, present in beets, are structurally similar to cholesterol and can help to lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol. In the body, phytosterols compete with the cholesterol to decrease the amount of cholesterol absorbed and lower harmful LDL cholesterol.

How many beets should I eat a day to lower blood pressure? ›

However, the same meta-analysis pointed out that the people who drank 250 mL of beet juice every day had the best blood pressure outcome. This suggests 250 mL is the recommended quantity a person needs to consume daily to maximize the effect of beet juice on blood pressure.

How soon after eating beets is urine red? ›

Here's how the test works, according to Gonzalez: "Eat at least half of a raw or cooked beet (do not use fermented pickled red beets) with your meal. If you notice red urine or stool 12 to 24 hours later, your transit time is normal. If it happens in less than 12 hours, your body may not be absorbing nutrients.

How to tell if pickled beets are bad? ›

Also, pay close attention to the odor coming from the jar. Bad smells should be taken seriously; spoiled pickled food typically smells more sour than usual. By the same token, never eat pickles that are soft and resting in cloudy or foamy canning liquid, as the liquid will be negatively impacted by bacterial growth.

Why add vinegar to beets? ›

I simply grate or julienne them and then pour balsamic vinegar on them raw. The resulting beet slaw is just delicious. The strong taste of the vinegar balances the strong taste of beets. Sometimes I add other grated root vegetables like carrots, turnips, parsnips or even purple cabbage.

Why are my pickled beets too vinegary? ›

The sugar balances with the vinegar. Cutting back any further on the sugar will make the pickles taste too vinegary. And you don't wanna cut back on the vinegar or you won't have a good acidic brine. Think of the brine as a preservative and a marinade— you don't actually drink it.

Why do my pickled beets taste like dirt? ›

Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.

What is the white stuff on pickled beets? ›

Often this white film is mistaken for mold, and the entire ferment is discarded. However, the white film is usually a type of yeast known as kahm yeast.

Do you have to process pickled beets in a water bath? ›

Make sure that there is adequate vinegar in your red beet pickle recipe. Scientifically research tested recipes use more than ½ cup vinegar per pint jar. Pickled beets are safe to process in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. The USDA recommends processing pickled beets in boiling water for 30 minutes.

Should you eat beets if you have kidney problems? ›

However, for ESRD patients, beets are typically avoided because they are also high in potassium. Your kidneys work to filter out excess potassium and the amount of potassium in your diet is directly related to the amount of potassium found in blood.

Can beets help with liver damage? ›

Beetroot. Chock-full of antioxidants and nitrates, beetroot has earned its stripes as a potent weapon for heart health, blood pressure, cognition, and inflammation. But when it comes to liver health, this resplendently red root also serves as a natural blood cleanser, purging your body of toxins and heavy metals.

Are Aunt Nellie's pickled beets healthy? ›

Aunt Nellie's Pickled Beets contain no fat, saturated fat or cholesterol; they are kosher and gluten-free.

Are pickled foods good for kidneys? ›

Pickles are another harmful food to avoid in chronic kidney disease. Pickles and any kind of fermented foods can be high in sodium. It can be harmful to people with kidney problems as their kidneys may not be able to remove excess sodium from the body.

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