I was talking about making pickled eggs and beets over on Instagram a few weeks back. And, I was shocked at the people who had never eaten one before, or never even heard of them. I had a friend tell me that she always BUYS the pickled beets in a jar and didn’t know you can make them. Pickled eggs and beets are something that Deb and I, both, grew up eating. My ex mother-in-law actually taught me how to make them 120 years ago and I’ve been making them ever since
They are so quick and easy to make. I had a lot of people wonder how we did it so I thought I would document it here. I always feel a little ridiculous sharing a “recipe” like this, because it probably doesn’t even qualify as a recipe. 😆 But, then I thought, my ex mother-in-law had to share with me how to make them… sooooo 🤷🏼♀️
The Best Pickled Eggs and Beets
If you’ve never had pickled eggs and beets, I’m sorry. 😆 They are the best. If you like sour pickles, sauerkraut, etc, you will love them. But, they are a little sour and a little sweet. 😋😋😋 We eat them for breakfast and snacks both.
Here is how we make our pickled eggs and beets. You obviously can adjust the amounts for how many people you have in your household. Obviously, we only have two people here in our house, so that’s what the recipe is for.
1 dozen hard boiled eggs (peeled)
2 cans of beets – either sliced or whole
Drain the beet juice in a glass measuring cup… (you will understand this step next) and pour in a sauce pan.
However much beet juice came from the 2 cans, add the same amount of sugar, and the same amount of white vinegar.
Example… 1 cup beet juice / 1 cup sugar / 1 cup white vinegar
Bring all of this to a boil making sure the sugar is dissolved.
Add your peeled hard boiled eggs and the beets to a large glass jar with a lid. I usually use an old 1 gallon size pickle jar… or a sun tea jar. You can use anything that’s big enough to hold it all. Pour the liquid over the eggs and beets.
Refrigerate!
They are THE BEST after pickling for 48 hours. 😋😋😋 But normally we can’t wait….. so we eat them the next day. Add a little salt and pepper… mmmmmmmh.. So delicious. They will last for awhile in the refrigerator, but they don’t last long here because we eat them quick.
Do you like pickled eggs and beets? Let me know if you try them.
Wendy says
This is awesome. Two of my favourite things but I have never seen them together. I make pickled beets with fresh beets and that’s a messy job. Sure going to try your way.😊
Danelle Harvey says
Oh you will LOVE them then.
Paula J Wise says
I love them! When I was growing up we called them, “beet eggs”. Mom would pickle them, then make deviled eggs. I thought they were so pretty! The tradition continues. Yummmmmy!
Paula Branson Wise @pineislandtreasures
Danelle Harvey says
Oh yummy! I love deviled eggs, too.
Georgina says
I’m gonna try that!
Pam A. says
I always had these growing up, maybe it’s an Indiana thing? My grandmother’s recipe always called for a little ground clove in the mix that you bring to a boil.
Danelle Harvey says
Oh..someone else said that, too. I need to try that.
DARLEENE MOORE says
I love pickled beets and eggs. never made them but this sounds delish going to make them.
Danelle Harvey says
They are delicious.
Debbie says
Love them both but never had a recipe. I am making these for sure!!!!
Danelle Harvey says
They are delicious. Keep me posted on how you like them.
Judy says
I love pickled eggs alone just pickled in white vinegar. My husband’s father owned a beer store back in the days before beer was sold in grocery stores. There were no convenience store s like present day. He had a drive through window and you could buy a pickled egg for a dime. He put it in a small paper bag and sprinkled a little salt and pepper in the bag. It was delicious. Putting the eggs together with the beets is even better. So glad you reminded me!
Love your blog!
Danelle Harvey says
Oh geez… Don’t you love memories like that? I could exactly see that all happening.
Karen says
I make canned pickled beets with beets from the garden and once we eat the pickles I save the juice to add boiled eggs to it, delicious!
Shannon says
Is this a Midwest thing? I live in Iowa and I’m about your age. I remember these. I’ll make these for my husband!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Stephanie kates says
Definitely going to try this. Thank you for sharing
Danelle Harvey says
They are SO GOOD.
Danelle Harvey says
MAYBE… There are so many people who said they have never had them.
Sandra says
I remember when I was in high school in Iowa, we made 120 quarts of pickled beets one summer. We always added cloves to ours too. But I can’t wait to try your recipe, now that I live in AZ and cannot grow beets anymore.
Thanks for Sharing!!
Danelle Harvey says
Oh that sounds delicious. Someone mentioned SPICY eggs and beets. Do you think that would be with cloves?
Penny says
Loved them and lost my recipe! Thanks! They are also a great thing at Easter to make a relish plate like you showed above.. Thanks for recipe and also the laughs you have been providing me during this cursed CORONUS!
Danelle Harvey says
hahaha awwww. thanks. I cannot wait until things at least feel a little normal.
Susan Matheson says
In most neighborhood bars, back in the day, as they say, there was usually a huge jar of pickled eggs at one end of the bar, as well as a huge jar of pickles at the other end. They were generally free, so their saltiness prompted the patrons to drink more beer., thus more profit for the owner.
Danelle Harvey says
Are you serious? I never heard this before but that’s very interesting.
Sharon Haslam says
I’ll try this! Sounds quick and delicious. I grew up on pickled beets, pickled eggs, pickled hotdogs, pickled pigs feet’s, pickled polish sausage (or kelbossa), mustard beans, and probably some other stuff that I may have blocked out of my memory 😬 You name it, we canned it or pickled it or both.
Danelle Harvey says
ahahaha you sounds like Deb’s family. They were the same.
Shelly says
Oh man, I love beets! I buy them in a jar and when I open them I can’t stay out of them! I have eaten the whole jar at once several times!
Just a little warning if you are going to pig out on them…..
your pee can look like it has blood in it!!!! So don’t freak out, it’s from too many beets!
The eggs, I would have to be hungry to try those. I’m not a big egg eater.😁
I have been known to drink the best juice!
Danelle Harvey says
hahaha Yes! Me too.
Karen says
I made these last week from the same recipe. They are delicious,. Grew up eating these as a kid and now as a grandma make them for my grandkids who also love them. We often take these on camping trips.
Danelle Harvey says
YES… We both grew up eating them. They are my faves.
Danelle Harvey says
YES! Deb said the same about car trips.
Sheree says
Oh my gosh!! One of my favorites from growing up Pennsylvania Dutch. I’m going to make these tomorrow! Yeah
Danelle Harvey says
They are SO DELICIOUS.
Danelle Harvey says
Yay! They are SO DELICIOUS.
Kath says
Yes, I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, and these were a mainstay in our house. ALWAYS served at picnics. I personally love them most when they’ve been in the juice for a few days but I’ll eat them anytime. Funny….my husband, who is Italian, loves them!🤣
Danelle Harvey says
hahahah Yes! We can never wait long enough.
Julie says
My mom used to make spicy pickled beet eggs. Sadly she doesn’t remember how to make them anymore. Thank you for this recipe. I am going
To play around with it and see
If I can figure out how to make them.
Danelle Harvey says
Awwww.. I’m sorry about your mom. But, spicy sounds delicious.
loly says
How long do they last in the fridge? Not that I expect my boys to leave them alone – my sons great grandmother used to make these but they stopped appearing at family functions. (She only makes 402 things now at 88). So I imagine they will be gone before it matters!
Danelle Harvey says
hahahaha We’ve kept them for a week before. But since they are pickled, I can’t imagine them going bad for a long time.
Courtney says
I absolutely love these! I was raised by my grandmother and she made these all the time. I’m 38 yrs old and only found out a couple years ago that pickled eggs can be white. Apparently the beets is a Pennsylvania Dutch thing which my grandmother was. To me if they aren’t purple they’re not the real thing. Lol.
Danelle Harvey says
hahah Really? My grandma was amish/dutch/german… she loved them.
Anonymous says
We actually have some in the fridge right now Either this same recipe! Sooooo good! I don’t like cloves in mine. I remember when I was a kid I ate so many red beets that my poo 💩 turned red! Not even kidding-that’s a true story. Have you ever tried Harvard beets? They are awesome, too!
Mandy Bailey says
I use apple cider vinegar and very little splenda and they turn out perfect!
Joanne says
This brings back good memories, my mom would make these every year after Easter. She would peel all the eggs we colored and put them in a big jar and just add the the pickled beet juice to the eggs and that’s it. But I’m definitely going to try your recipe sounds so good.
Kari says
Do the eggs really get that red after 48 hours? I am definitely going to try these and add a bit of cayenne for some spice.
LAURA LASKEY says
My Irish grandmother taught me how to make these – we always have called them Pink Eggs. Her favorite color (and mine) is pink so I think that is why. I “think” she got the recipe from a Pennsylvania Dutch friend way back when. In our recipe we do not use sugar – just beet juice, water, and vinegar. I really like to use apple cider vinegar, gives it a little kick. We also can never wait until they are supposedly “ready”.
Kath says
Yes, it is certainly a German thing with the pickled red beets. There were so many German immigrants that settled in the Midwest and in Pennsylvania.
Danelle Harvey says
YES!…. My grandma was from the Amish decent/German/Dutch.
Paula Warren says
My grandparents were born and raised in Poland. My grandmother always had pickled beets and eggs in the refrigerator. I’m 66 and still remember eating this delicious concoction. My mother short cut the recipe by buying Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Beets in a jar and would use the liquid to color/flavor the eggs.
Danelle Harvey says
They are delicious.
Monica Weida says
I grew up in Pa Dutch country. Our recipe is very similar but we add raw sliced onions also. I always hated making them until I purchased an egg cooker. My eggs never ever peeled nicely until I started using an egg cooker!
Danelle Harvey says
Oh awesome… I need to try that. AND, are you talking about that little egg cooker that you can buy on Amazon? I have been eying that.
Rebecca says
Hello, they look yummy, I have never had them though. I am going to try this!
In the picture it looks like salt and pepper was added , is that correct? They look very appetizing on the plate!
Rebecca
Danelle Harvey says
Yes… salt and pepper just when you are eating them. Not in the recipe.
Mary Snow says
I love pickled beets and pickled eggs. I basically make mine the same but I use fresh beets and I also use pickling spice. I would love to send you a jar to try!
Mary 😊
Mel says
Just made some myself but I also boil a cinnamon stick with best juice n vinegar n sugat n leave it in the jar as well. Gives it a really good taste.
Danelle Harvey says
Oh yummy.. that sounds delicious.
Wendy says
This has become my daily lunch! I absolutely love these beets and eggs. Thank you for this!
Danelle Harvey says
YAY! I love them too.
Patti says
Hi Danelle, We made the pickled beets and OMG they are fantastic! Planning on doubling the recipe next time because they are going to fast🤣🤣🤣We love them!!! Also we have had a deer problem eating our bird food😡, they bang the feeders so food will come out! We fill in the evening and by morning it’s gone. So my husband researched and found a telescopic pole that goes up to 15ft. so you bring it down to fill feeders then put it up out of the deers reach! Had to cement the pole into the ground, today we finish it and get our feeders back on.Can’t wait!!! Wondering if Deb since she is the bird aficionado can recommend a really nice feeder that I can get for my hubby for Father’s Day? Love watching you guys and all your escapades 🤣🤣
Danelle Harvey says
hahah OMG… Yes. It’s taken some practice to keep the squirrels off of ours. If we put them too close to a tree, they jump. And, I have a whole post on bird feeders. Enter it in the search bar and it should pop up.
Anonymous says
Love this recipe
Danelle Harvey says
Me too… We are making some today actually.
Karen Price says
Pickled beets and eggs are amazing. It usually is an Easter tradition. But just this weekend I was in Ohio Amish Country and bought a jar of already pickled eggs. Oh my! So good!!! And of course I bought a jar of pickled beets too. Best thing to snack on. Thanks for sharing!
Lee Kuhn says
Love pickled eggs. This is similar to mine but I add pickling spices & sliced onions in addition to the beets. When I was little & very sick my parents couldn’t get me to eat or drink. My grandmother had made pickled eggs & asked me if I’d try one. I ate one & asked for another, then another. My mom wanted to slap me! Lol! My grandmother said it was the vinegar that made me feel better.
Anonymous says
Love picked eggs & beets. Yummmm
Tracy says
I live in Pennsylvania, we call them red beet eggs. I love them. They’re my favorite. I also use them to make egg salad with, so yummy!! Thank you for sharing. 😋💖🥰🤟
Susan says
My husband LOVES this recipe!! Had to make back to back batches. He wanted more but the heart labs said to back away for a bit!! He’s waiting for the next round and my friends all want the recipe! Thank you!! 😘