Simple Fermented "Pickled" Beets Recipe with Garlic & Dill (2024)

Last Updated on July 22, 2023

Whether you’re new to fermentation or an experienced ferment-a-holic, making fermented beets is a wonderful and delicious way to preserve beets when you’re blessed with a bounty. Follow the simple step-by-step directions below and learn how to make our easy fermented “pickled” beets recipe. They’re tangy, crunchy, and loaded with gut-healthy probiotics! They also add a beautiful pop of color to a wide variety of meals.

Are pickled beets the same as fermented beets?

Not exactly. Traditional pickled beets are made with vinegar, while fermented beets do not contain vinegar. Pickled beet recipes may also call for added sugar. Instead, fermented beets are soaked for an extended period of time in a simple salt water brine at room temperature, where beneficial bacteria naturally lowers the pH of the beets to safely preserve them long-term. This process is called lacto-fermentation.

Since they’re exposed to high heat (reducing nutritional value), canned pickled beets often get soft. On the other hand, fermented beets are crisp and crunchy, and the perfect combination of tangy and sweet!

Are fermented beets good for you?

Full of probiotics, fermented beets are arguably more nutritious than pickled beets. Probiotics help support a healthy gut biome and digestion – which is inextricably linked to all sorts of positive health outcomes. In fact, research shows that gut health can impact the function of every other organ in our body!

Even more, fermented beets are not heated (like pickled beets often are) which helps retain all the awesome nutrients in the beets themselves. Beets are known to contain high levels of fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, folate (vitamin B9), iron, manganese, and potassium – supporting heart, brain, and muscle health as well as lowering blood pressure. All in all, fermented beets are even more healthy than raw beets are!

INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES

• A fermenting vessel – Some folks use ceramic crocks, but many modern homesteaders and foodies these days simply use mason jars of varying sizes. For smaller batches, use a pint or quart jar. For larger batches, we use these half-gallon mason jars.
• Fermenting lid or air lock device – The use of a lid made for the fermentation process is ideal, which makes the job much easier and pretty foolproof, though a regular lid can be used with a few tweaks. Examples of fermenting lids include an all-in-one device like a Kraut Source lid, OR use the use of a combination of items like a glass or ceramic weight along with another type of air lock lid (like this one, or this other option). A further discussion of their reasoning and use will follow in the directions section below.
• Organic Beets – As many needed to fill your vessel of choice. We found that a half-gallon jar takes just under 3 pounds of beets (about a dozen small-medium beets), and a quart size fits half of that. Personally, I prefer fermenting red beets or chioggia beets. We honestly have never tried using golden beets. If you do, be sure to report back!Yes, it is important to use ORGANIC produce whenever your are fermenting!
• Salt – Sea salt or kosher pickling salt. Do not use iodized table salt! It messes with the flavor and process. We love this Celtic sea salt.
• Filtered water
• Fresh Dill – 1 bunch
• Garlic – I recommend 1 to 2 fresh cloves per quart jar
• Optional: Peppercorns, chili peppers, or red chili flakes

DIRECTIONS

1) Clean Supplies

You want to make sure all of your supplies are clean. No, they don’t need to be insanely clean or “sterile”. You actually never want to use bleach (or even soap) on your fermenting tools! The residual could stick around and really make things taste “off”. We spray ours with plain white vinegar, and then rinse well with hot water. That’s it. I do the same with my hands.

2) Prep the Beets

Wash your beets, cut off the hard stem portion, and peel away the skin. Then, cut them into your desired size. We like to cut our beets into bite-size slices or chunks – about the size of a quarter, but twice as thick. Alternatively, you could cut them into long “sticks” – like carrot sticks. Or, leave them in larger round slices. It all depends on how you intend to use them!

Since we most often use our fermented beets as a salad topping, creating bite-sized pieces from the start is most convenient.Also, please note that large chunks of raw beet will remain more firm and tough post-fermentation, while thinner cuts will soften nicely – but still retain a nice crisp texture!

3) Add Seasonings of Choice

In the bottom of your chosen fermenting vessel, add some washed fresh sprigs of dill. I suggest this simple “seasoning” at minimum. As long as you don’t dislike dill, it provides a very mild and delicious addition! The amount of fresh dill doesn’t need to be precise. I put a small handful in the bottom of the container, and another few sprigs in when I am halfway through filling the jar with beets.

We also usually add a couple cloves of fresh garlic and about a dozen peppercorns at the bottom of the container. If you don’t like dill or garlic, you can totally skip either and keep it super simple! Or if you loooove garlic, you can add more. Personally, we have found that fermented garlic can overpower the flavor of everything else if you go too heavy. We find about 1-2 cloves of garlic in a quart jar, and 3-4 cloves per half-gallon jar is our sweet spot. (These were massive cloves, so we added only 2 in this half-gallon.)

You can also get creative here and go beyond what this basic recipe is calling for. For example, add a sprinkle of celery seed or mustard seeds, a chunk of fresh ginger or turmeric, a dash of red chili flakes, or even a whole hot chili pepper or two – if you want some heat!

That’s the beauty of fermenting. The options for experimentation and creativity are endless. Keep in mind that flavors usually mellow out when fermented too. For example, hot chilis will become much less spicy than when eaten raw or even cooked once they’re fermented.

4) Pack the Jar

Once you have your chosen seasonings at the bottom, start adding chopped beets to the jar. Try to fit as many veggies in the container as possible. If you’re going through this process, you might as well maximize the amount of cultured food you get out of it in the end! This will also reduce the amount of brine needed, and the amount of air that can get trapped inside. Therefore, don’t just lightly toss them in there. Pack them in tightly!

I usually fill half the jar with the sliced veggies, then add another little layer of dill and a clove of garlic about halfway through, then continue layering with more beets until the jar is totally full.

5) Make a Brine

The standard brine ratio for fermented vegetables is 1 tablespoon of sea salt or kosher salt per 2 cups of filtered water. With a fully-packed jar of veggies, we have found that 2 cups of brine is adequate per quart jar. Scale up or down as needed, e.g. 4 cups of water and 2 tbsp salt for this half-gallon batch.

On the stovetop, heat a pot with filtered water to just warm enough to dissolve the salt. You do not want to add hot brine, but lukewarm is okay. Too much heat will kill the beneficial bacteria (lactobacillus) needed to safely ferment your beets!

Once cooled to room temperature or lukewarm, slowly pour the brine into the jar until the beets are completely covered. Pockets of air are likely trapped in there, so carefully give the container a little tap and wiggle to help release them, and top off with more brine as it settles into the voids.

6) Add a Weight

This is an important step in fermenting foods! The beet pieces need to stay submerged below the brine level. If they’re allowed to float or be in contact with air, mold can develop!

The stainless steel all-in-one Kraut Source fermentation device we use have a flat plate and spring inside that help to easily accomplish this, acting as a weight to keep everything down. Another option is to use a ceramic or glass weight. Some people get resourceful and use other clean items that fit inside their vessel, like a boiled rock or smaller glass jar.

Helpful tip: Even if you use a weight or Kraut Source device, sometimes pieces of chopped radish can still slip around them. To keep the floaters at bay, we often use a large leaf of cabbage, collard green, or other hearty green to make a “cap”. This is placed on top of the veggies, below the weight, and keeps them trapped below. It should also be submerged as much as possible. The Kraut Source does a great job keeping floaters down in pint and quart size jars, but we usually add a “cabbage cap” to the larger half-gallon batches.

7) Cover

Next, the jar or container of fermenting beets needs to be covered with a tight fitting cover. The use of an air-lock lid made for fermenting is preferable. Air lock lids allow for the release of any excess air and carbon dioxide that is produced during fermentation, without allowing new air or anything else to come in.

This is one reason why we really love the Kraut Source! They not only have a weight that keeps everything submerged, but also have a little moat on top that you fill with water, thus creating an air lock. However, there are a lot of other mason jar fermentation lids out there too! Here is another lid option that would need to be used in conjunction with a weight of some sort, like these glass ones.

If you do not have an air lock cover, you can try using a regular mason jar lid. Screw it on tightly, and then make sure to quickly “burp” your container every few days to release the built up carbon dioxide. Sometimes this works, though I have heard mixed reviews. I suppose they do make air-lock lids for a reason…

8) Ferment

Once it’s all put together, let the beets sit out at room temperature for 7-14 days to do their thang. The total time depends on your personal flavor preference, and the temperature of your house. We usually let ours sit about 10-14 days.

Warmer conditions will ferment things more quickly, and cooler does just the opposite. The ideal fermentation temperature is around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is summer time and your house is warmer than this, try to find a slightly cooler location for your vessel to hang out. Too hot of conditions can encourage the development of white Kahm yeast. It is not dangerous, but rather stinky and off-putting.

Notes during fermentation:

While they are fermenting, you will notice the beets start to undergo change. The lactobacillus is working away to convert the starches in the food into lactic acid, which preserves it. In the process, carbon dioxide is formed, so you’ll probably see some bubbling activity in there! If red beets were used, the brine will turn very red and also get a tad cloudy, which is totally normal! Fermented foods can often give off a bit of a funky odor, but taste better than they smell!

If you are using a Kraut Source, keep an eye on its little water-filled moat, making sure it always has some clean water in there. Refill with water if needed. Also, carefully remove the top cap of the lid and press the spring down to remove more air halfway through fermentation.

Our vessels usually overflow from the lid for the first several days of fermentation. Be forewarned that yours may do the same! So we always set eve on a plate or in a bowl to catch the overflow. Once that initial burst of activity subsides (about 5 days later), the moat can dry up and you’ll want to add more water into it.

9) Refrigerate

When the time is up, remove the air-lock, replace it with a regular lid, and move your finished fermented beets to the fridge. Because of their acidic nature, standard mason jar lids have the tendency to rust. To avoid this, we store our finished ferments with either these stainless steel lids or these BPA-free plastic ones.

These fermented beets are good for several months in the fridge, if not longer. We have enjoyed some almost a year after they were made – though we always eat them up quicker than that!

10) Enjoy!

Now it is time to feed your belly with probiotic-rich home-fermented food! We love to use these fermented beets as a salad topping, or on top of sautéed veggies, brown rice, or madras curry lentils. They could also be used on sandwiches, like a pickle on an hor d’oeuvre plate with cheese and crackers, or just snacked on plain!

Don’t throw out that brine either! The liquid is also chock full of probiotics and beneficial enzymes, just waiting to make your belly happy. Did you know they actually sell leftover brine, marketed as “gut shots”, at natural food stores? And they aren’t cheap! We like to drizzle some on top of salads with olive oil as a dressing, or even take little shots of it straight!

Ready to try?

Go make some insanely healthy, tasty fermented beets of your own. If you are new to the process, do not be nervous! If you follow these steps, it is really quite difficult to “mess up”. In all our years fermenting, we have NEVER had mold or anything dangerous form in our vessels.

Curious to learn more about why fermented foods are so great for your health? Check out this article that talks all about the health benefits of fermented foods!And if you enjoy this recipe, you’ll probably also love these too:

• Fermented Dilly Radish Recipe
• Probiotic-Packed “Pickled” Fermented Green Beans
• Super Simple Sauerkraut Recipe
• How to Make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

Please feel free to ask questions, leave a review, or just say hi in the comments below! Thanks for tuning in.