For some reason, when I planned my garden, I planted 9 square feet of beets. What was I thinking?? I have beets coming out my ears! You can only give beets away to so many neighbors. Most people are afraid of this strange looking pink potato root vegetable. So, I buckled down and spent the afternoon pickling my beets. I thought it would be much more difficult than it was. Surprisingly it went quickly and after the effort of bottling my beets I came up with an incredible salad to use all of my beets in.
Here is what I did to pickle my beets:
Cut off the leaves of the beets, leaving about an inch of stem. Cut most of the long root on the under side of the beet as well. Place the beets in a large pot and cover with water. Boil on high for 10-15 minutes or until the beets are soft and tender (but not overly cooked). Drain out the dirty water and let the beets cool.
(Beets are pretty scary looking, aren’t they?)
Try this recipe idea for a delicious summer salad that uses your pickled beets. The poppyseed dressing is one of the most colorful and prettiest things I have ever eaten. The dressing turns a bright fuchsia color and the sweet and tangy flavor goes perfectly with the beets and feta. This salad is not only pretty, it is healthy and amazingly delicious!!
Summer Chicken & Beet Salad


- 2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and seasoned with salt and pepper--diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 8-10 c. romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 c. croutons
- 1/2 c. feta
- 1 c. pickled beets, cut into pieces
- 1/2-2/3 c. diced cucumbers
- 1/2 c. beet juice (reserved from bottled beets)
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 T. white vinegar
- 2 t. poppyseeds
- 1/2 t. dry mustard
- 2 T. sugar
- Prepare the salad. Grill the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Place the salad ingredients into a serving bowl.
- For the dressing: puree or whisk until smooth and dressing is combined. Pour dressing over salad.
Thanks! I need to pickle my beets too! Question- you said after the jars cool off for 24 hours to remove the lids and store. Why? Thanks
Just remove the rings to prevent rust from hiding out behind them. Once the lids have sealed, the rings are no longer needed.
Pickled beets are one of my favorite pickles. I usually slice the beets about 1/2" thick to make sure they pickle all the way through. I hate biting into a pickle and finding it's not pickled in the middle.
A few summers ago when we had beets coming out of our ears too, we bottled them and then came up with a similar salad … salad greens, chicken, and black beans. Add a little ranch, or desired dressing and it quickly became our favorite!
I am glad to hear some of you enjoy beets as much as I do! Heather, your salad sounds delicious too!!
Removing the rings also insures that when you bring the jar up from storage several months later that the jar is still sealed. If the lid is not sealed tight then you know you shouldn't eat the food. Sometimes the ring can hide the fact that the lid is not sealed tight or unseal and reseal without you knowing it (according to my grandma..maybe it is a wives tale? 🙂
Thanks for the tips and comments!
That recipe looks yummy…
I'll try it for lunch one day very soon 🙂