Hidden Springs Homestead may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking links on this page. Learn More.
Canning beets brings back so many memories. I can remember the summers when mama would be canning them and the house would smell so good, just like fresh soil.
I also remember her giggling at me as I referred to them as “smelling like dirt”. Still love that smell to this day!
Since we grow beets every season and canning beets is pretty straight forward. But beets are one of those vegetables that you either love them or hate them. I love them.
I realize many people prefer pickled beets, but at our house, we like plain beets. Pickled beets can be made in a water bath canner. Never water bath can plain beets though, they are a low-acid food and must be pressure canned.
Never guess at a recipe when canning. Always follow the recipe exactly and make sure the recipe you are following is from a reputable source. I’d recommend you check out:
- Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
- Balls All New Guide to Home Canning
- Canning and Preserving For Beginners
- Farm Girls Guide to Home Canning
And when in doubt, refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. This site is a wealth of great canning information.
Lets get started:
Depending on the variety you are canning, some beets hold there color better than others. I grow and can Chioggia Beets. They are not known for holding their color too well.
If you prefer the really dark red color beets, I would recommend the Detroit Dark Red or the Crosby Egyptian. The Chioggia’s are just naturally sweet and tasty.
Makes: 6 pints or 3 quarts
Gather Equipment or Canning Tools
- Pressure Canner
- Canning Jars
- Jar Lids and Rings
- Jar Lifter and Funnel
- Large Stock Pot – for cooking beets
- Sharp Knife
- Large Spoons
- Tongs
Ingredients:
- 10 lbs of beets
- salt (optional)
- water
How to Can Beets In a Pressure Canner
Step 1: Prepping Beets for Peeling
Wash beets with cold water. Trim stems to about 2 inches long and leave beet root tail attached.
Place in a large pot with stems and roots attached. Cover with hot water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until they are tender but not soft. This should take about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size.
A tip, is to separate the sizes and boil like sizes together. Or if they are really large, it will take longer for them to cook.
In the meantime, use this time to get your jars and pressure canner ready .
RELATED: Use “The Complete Beginners Guide To Home Canning” and get comfortable with home canning.
Step 2: Peeling Beets for Pressure Canning
Rinse in cold water, skins should slip off easily. An easy way to see if they are ready is to scrape one gently with a spoon. If the peel comes off easily, they are ready. Drain off the water, cool and peel.
You may need to use a sharp knife for some stubborn spots.
Step 3: Packing Hot Beets Into Canning Jars
As you skin beets, quarter them or slice them to your desired size. Pack them into hot canning jars, leaving a 1-inch head space. If using salt, add 1/2 tsp salt to pint jars and 1 tsp salt to quart jars.
Using a jar funnel and ladle, pour boiling water over beets, again, leaving a 1-inch head space – enough to cover completely. If you have a tea kettle or such this would work great too.
Remove air bubbles using a thin plastic spatula or wooden spoon. You can also purchase air bubble removers. (Don’t use a butter knife or metal object this could harm your jar)
Step 4: Prepping Jars To Go Into Pressure Canner
Clean rim of jar well with a damp cloth to remove any juice or pieces that may have gotten on it. Make sure it is clean.
Place on two-piece canning lids “finger tight”. In a pressure canner, process pint jars for 30 minutes and quart jars with 35 minutes using 10 pounds pressure.
This time can vary a bit depending on your altitude. I like this altitude chart from BALL.
After jars are processed, allow canner to cool completely to zero pressure. Remove the lid, let jars remain in hot canner for 10 minutes. Remove and place on thick cloth or towel on counter. Let cool without disturbing for 24 hours. Resist the temptation to tighten lids if they are loose.
Check seals, label jars and store.
More Canning Recipes
Canning Beets The Best Way
Canning beets can be done in several ways, but this recipe captures the flavor of Canning Plain Beets.
Ingredients
- 10 pounds Beets
- Water
- Salt, optional
Instructions
- Wash beets with cold water. Trim stems to about 2 inches long and leave root tail attached
- Place in a large pot. Boil until they are tender but not soft. This should take about 30 min. depending on the size of your beets. If they are large, cut them in half.
- After boiling, rinse in cold water and skins will slip off. Drain, Cool, Peel
- Pack hot beets into hot jars, leaving a 1 inch head-space
- If using salt - add 1/2 tsp to each pint or 1 tsp to each quart
- Ladle hot liquid or boiling water over beets, leaving a 1-inch head-space. Just enough to cover beets. Remove air bubble using a thin spatula or wooden spoon.
- Clean rim of jar with a soft clean cloth to remove beet pieces and juices. Using the 2-piece canning lids, tighten to finger tight.
- Place into pressure canner. Using 10 pounds pressure, process pints for 30 minutes or quarts for 35 minutes. (Note: check this altitude chart on the official Ball site for varied times)
- Allow canner to cool to 0 pressure, carefully remove lid, let jars remain in canner for 10 minutes. Remove and place on thick cloth on solid surface. Let sit undisturbed 24 hrs
- Check seals, label and store
Notes
When you remove your jars from the canner, resist the temptation to tighten lids if they are loose.
Connect with Hidden Springs Homestead!
Be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post!
Dianne Hadorn is the owner of Hidden Springs Homestead nestled in the hills of East Tennessee. She is a Master Gardener and enjoys helping others learn how to grow and preserve their own food and sharing tips for living a more sustainable life.
I’m canning regular dark red Beets today! I’ve had a bumper crop this year, I’ve already made 12 pints of Pickled beets and they came out the best I’ve ever made! But I have A lot more beets’ So I’m not wasting them! I made about 8 pints more regular, I just put in my pressure canner! I’m in Michigan, and we’re having bumper crops on everything! Last year wasn’t as good! I used your recipe and everything is going great! Thanks for the tips!
I have hot packed pickled beets successfully for years. This is the first time I am treating to do plain beets. My sister said to raw pack the beets, but I have not seen any reference to this. I don’t want soggy beets. She just peels, adds a pinch of salt, then follows the directions for pressure canning. Is this safe?
Hi Nancy,
I’ve done extensive research on this, as I don’t want to say your sister is doing things wrong. I find that beets MUST be put into jars hot before canning. They are heated to remove the peels easily, but then will need to remain hot to be put into jars. Here is an article from the National Center for Home Food Preservation that discussed filling jars with “hot” beets.
I ALWAYS err on the side of caution when canning. I realize that our parents and grandparents may have done things a certain way, but I prefer to be safe when feeding my family and follow the science.
I’ve tried canning beets and they have always lost their beautiful color! They come out all washed out looking….is there a solution to this issue?
Hi Carmen,
I’m curious of what variety of beets do you grow? Some are known for losing their gorgeous deep red color when canned. I mention this in the growing beets post near the bottom.
I used to grow Early Wonders and they lost their color. Still tasted delicious, but the color looked “ugly”. In the first image of my canning beets post, you can see some of the Early Wonders – they turned a light pinky-yellow color. Almost scary to eat, but they were totally ok, just lost color.
In my How to Grow Beets post – will give you some examples of varieties that will keep that deep purple/red color when canning. Feel free to go take a look.
Happy Canning,
Have you ever put horseradish in your beets and then pressure canned them.
Hi Pat,
So funny you would ask this question. I have not tried it in beets yet, but I did pickle peppers this past Friday and I used horseradish in them. I’m anxious to taste them since I am fan of horseradish.
I microwave my beets until almost soft. This leaves them with the deepest color. Great.
Instead of boiling your beets, try roasting them single layered in a large casserole pan or 2 covered with foil for about 1.25-1.5 hours (depending on size) @ 350 degrees. The color retention is far better for dark red beets and they will taste sweeter. After roasting them, let them set until cool enough to handle and slip the skins off and proceed with your recipe for canning. Less hands on time too.