What to Do With Can Beets

Beets are an incredible superfood, versatile enough for dessert but also savory with their earthy, tangy taste that pairs nicely with meats or cheeses.

Beets are an excellent way to add vibrant color and flavor to dishes, especially when you can find organic beets at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Beets make excellent additions to salads and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Canned beets can be an ideal choice for many reasons: They’re convenient, typically cheaper than fresh alternatives and have a long shelf-life. Plus, they provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber.

If you own a canning stove, canning beets is an easy process: 1. Wash the beets and trim away any greens; 2. Boil until tender; 3. Peel away skins; 4. Trim away stems and roots; 5. Fill jars with boiling water then cover them securely with lid.

Frozen beets can usually be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. They’re an ideal choice for busy people who need a quick yet nutritious snack.

Refrigerator Pickled Beets is a quick and easy recipe that uses canned beets that only takes 20 minutes to make. This easy recipe uses sugar vinegar mixture to marinate the beets before they’re sliced and topped off with butter.

To make refrigerator pickled beets, you’ll need: a can of beets; sugar; vinegar; cornstarch; salt and pepper; butter.

This recipe calls for a pressure canner, but you can also make it in a hot water bath canner if you’re uncertain which kind you have or don’t want to risk botulism. With either option, the beets must be cooked until soft and mushy (approximately 30-40 minutes), so start them in the jars before finishing up with all of your canning loads.

Start by purchasing a large quantity of canned beets, as you cannot fit more in a hot water bath canner than what the quart jars will hold. Additionally, you’ll need either a canning rack or other means to elevate the jars during processing.

When canning plain beets, follow the USDA procedure: Leave an inch of root end and stem on each beet to help prevent bleeding during cooking.

For safety, be careful when filling jars with boiling water: Don’t accidentally place the lid on top and risk having your jars burst into flames or explosion.

Make pickled beets in the oven by placing sliced beets in a pan with some water and covering them with aluminum foil. Once cooked, remove from oven and serve with some salt and pepper.

Another simple solution is to simply steam the beets in the microwave before canning them. This will reduce cooking time down to around 25 minutes per pound, which is perfect for canning a seven-quart batch.