Simple Fermented “Pickled” Beets Recipe with Dill and Garlic

Last Updated on March 26, 2024

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 lacto-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.

Make it garden-to-table, and learn how to grow beets from seed or seedling in our easy step-by-step guide!

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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, lacto-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, lacto-fermented beets are even more healthy than raw beets are!

Supplies Needed

• 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 allows fermentation gases to escape the jar while keeping potential contaminants out. Examples of fermenting lids include an all-in-one device like this Ball fermentation lid, or a Kraut Source lid. If your air lock lid doesn’t include a weight or springs, you can add a separate ceramic or glass fermentation weight below the lid.

Ingredients

• Fresh 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! 
  
  
• 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, and 3 to 4 for a half gallon batch.
  
  
• Optional: Peppercorns, fresh chili peppers, or red chili flakes

Directions

1) Clean Your Supplies

It’s important to start with clean supplies, but they don’t need to be “sterile” as they do for canning. Avoid using bleach or fragrant dish soap to clean your fermentation supplies. Any leftover residue will negatively impact the flavor! Instead, we spray ours with plain white vinegar, and then rinse well with very hot water.

2) Prepare the Beets

Wash the 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. 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, feel free to skip them! Or if you loooove garlic, you can add more (though fermented garlic can have a fairly overpowering flavor). We find about 1-2 cloves of garlic in a quart jar, and 3-4 cloves per half-gallon jar is our sweet spot for this fermented beet recipe.

Other optional seasonings

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 Fermentation Jar

Once you have your chosen seasonings at the bottom, start adding chopped beets to the jar. Try to fit as many beet slices 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 Salt Water 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 Fermentation Weight and Lid

Next, add a fermentation weight to keep the beet pieces submerged below the brine. This part is essential, as any “floaters” will be more prone to mold! If your fermentation lid includes a weight or spring (as our Kraut Source does), you don’t need an additional weight. Another option is to use a ceramic or glass fermentation weight. Finally, add the airlock fermentation lid to the 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.

7) Let it Ferment

Once it’s all put together, let the beets sit out at room temperature for 7-14 days to ferment. 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’s summer 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.

Lacto-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!

Ways to Eat Fermented Beets

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. Be sure to leave a review after you give them a try!

Curious to learn more about why fermented foods are so great for your health? Learn about the health benefits of fermented foods here. If you have more beets on hand, also be sure to try our easy beet pickled eggs or delicious balsamic and orange roasted beets recipe. Thank you for tuning in today!

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