New Recipe: Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie} - Polish Your Kitchen (2024)

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Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie}

Buraczki [boo-rah-chkee], the queen of all vegetables… as far as Poles are concerned. She, along with cabbage and potatoes, rules our world. We eat beets in soups, cold saladsor hot side dishes.The more, the better.

If you spent any time around Polish people, especially the older generation, you will know that growing a garden was always part of existence. Give us a chance, and a small patch of a yard becomes a bountiful garden with rows of parsley, onions, cucumbers, beets, carrots, leeks, tomatoes and string beans. It was none other in my grandparent’s house, on both sides of the family. On one hand, it was a necessity – dad grew up with four brothers and one sister and a hard working dad. No amount of food was ever enough to feed boys with bottomless stomachs – and convenience on the other – with a bit of work, food was always available.

Crops were harvested at the end of the season and processed for the winter. Carrots, potatoes and onions stored in a cool food cellar, cabbage soured in a barrel and cucumbers pickled, fruits made into juices and jams.

As far as beets go, grandma always made 2 different types of pickling. Whole beets in vinegary brine and shredded beets – finely shredded for fried beets, and course shred for salads and soups. Both methods result in a sweet and only a tiny bit sour beet, ready to be transformed into a dish in no time.

I’m sharing both methods with you today.

New Recipe: Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie} - Polish Your Kitchen (1)

New Recipe: Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie} - Polish Your Kitchen (2)

  • Prep Time: 2 hrs
  • Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

  • Shredded beets:
  • 4 lbs / 2kg of whole raw beets (about 8 cups of cooked and shredded beets)
  • 5 tbs of vinegar (10% strength)
  • 2 tbs of sugar
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp of salt
  • ***********************************************************
  • And a recipe for the brine for whole beets below. You can make a desired amount of beets in any size jars you have, just follow this recipe for brine. Double, triple the recipe, if needed.
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 1/2 tbs of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of vinegar

Instructions

  1. For both recipes, preheat oven to 350℉ / 180℃.

  2. Wash raw beets and place in an oven safe container (unpeeled), add a 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the dish, cover and bake until beets are soft - 1 to 2 hours, depending on their size.

  3. In the mean time, sanitize jars and lids.

  4. Once beets are soft, cool and peel. I save the smaller beets to be pickled whole and the larger ones to be shredded.

  5. Place those to be pickled whole in sanitized jars, cut in half, if needed. Shred the rest. I used a food processor with the course grating attachment, and saved a lot of time.

  6. Prepare brine for whole beets. Pour over whole beets, cover with lids.

  7. Shredded batch: add vinegar, sugar and salt, mix to combine. Taste, add a bit more salt, if needed.

  8. Place in jars, cover with lids.

  9. Place all jars on a baking tray and in the oven. Turn oven to 215℉ / 100℃. Bake for 30 minutes from the time the oven comes to temperature. Turn off and let cool with oven doors cracked. Take out and check the seal.

  10. Store jars in the pantry until ready to use.

Notes

I found that baking beets is the best method of preparing them for pickling. Baking them whole and unpeeled preserves their color (as seen on photos) and keeps flavor in.

Below are some suggestions of how to use them. Click on each item to see the recipes:

Whole beets:

  1. Ukrainian style beet soup {barszcz ukraiński}
  2. Christmas beetroot broth {barszcz wigilijny}
  3. Fried beets {buraczki zasmażane} – they will have to be finely shredded though.
  4. “Clear” beet soup {barszcz czerwony}
  5. Cold beet soup {chłodnik}

Shredded beets:

  1. Beet salad {surówka z buraczków}
  2. Creamy beet soup {barszcz czerwony ze śmietaną}
  3. Cold beet soup {chłodnik}

You can make life easier and just pickle beets whole. Those can then be used for all of the above, shredded coarsely or finely, or kept whole.

Good luck! Please share your results!

Smacznego!

Anna

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New Recipe: Polish Pickled Beets {Buraczki w Occie} - Polish Your Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Are pickled beets a laxative? ›

Fermented pickled beets are rich in healthy bacteria called probiotics, which improve your digestion by making it easier for your body to break down foods and absorb their nutrients ( 18 , 19 ). Probiotics may also protect against toxins and harmful bacteria, as well as reduce gas, constipation, and bloating.

How long does it take for pickled beets to be ready to eat? ›

No need to wait to enjoy your pickled beets. They're ready to eat as soon as they've cooled down, however, the longer you wait, the better their flavor. Give them at least a week or two.

How long do pickled beets last on the shelf? ›

How to Store Pickled Beets. Because these pickled beets are processed, they are shelf-stable and do not need to be stored in the refrigerator when sealed. Store canned pickled beets in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months. Once opened, pickled beets will last about three to four days in the refrigerator.

Which beets are best for pickling? ›

Best Beet Varieties to Grow for Pickling

Deep red or gold beet varieties provide the most robust flavors, more vibrant juices, and more tender pickled beets. As you embark on the pickled beets adventure, try some of these tried and true beet varieties to grow: 'Detroit Dark Red' 'Ruby Queen'

Do beets affect bowel movements? ›

Ultimately, the fiber from beets adds bulk to stool while also softening it, decreasing the chance of constipation. Or, if you tend to have loose and watery stools, the fiber may aid in solidifying stool as it absorbs water and adds bulk. A bulky, soft stool is ideal for whole body detoxification.

What happens if I eat pickled beets everyday? ›

That said, there is evidence that eating pickled beets positively affects your health. The vinegar used to pickle beets might help with blood sugar management. Vinegar reduces blood sugar levels after meals. Some studies have shown that pickled beets may help protect against cancer.

How many pickled beets should you eat a day? ›

The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

Can beets lower blood pressure? ›

Beets and beet juice are high in nitrates, substances that turn into nitric oxide inside your body. Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, which is crucial for blood vessel health. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens your arteries, allowing more blood to flow through and significantly lowering blood pressure.

Why do my pickled beets taste like dirt? ›

Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.

How do you know if pickled has gone bad? ›

Visible mold: This is an obvious sign that your pickles have gone bad. Unusually sour taste and smell: If things smell and taste a bit more sour than usual, in an unpleasant way, this may not be a good sign. If you're not liking the taste anyway, it may be time to toss those pickles.

Can you eat pickled beets right out of the jar? ›

Pickled beets are a very versatile side dish. You can eat them right out of the jar, add the pickled beets to salads, or serve them along side a number of main dishes. Serve pickled beets as German cooks do, as an accompaniment to any kind of cold meat.

Are pickled beets healthy? ›

Antioxidants. Raw pickled beets are still a great source of antioxidant compounds that protect the body from free radical damage. Antioxidants such as selenium, flavonoids, and vitamins A, E, and C can be found in pickled beets, as long as they were not cooked prior to canning.

What makes beets taste better? ›

Roasting beets deepens their natural sugars while tempering bitterness. Bake whole, wrapped beets at 400°F for 60-75 minutes until easily pierced by a fork. Allow to cool before peeling and juicing. Incorporating roasted beets creates a smoother, mellower, almost nutty-flavored blended juice.

What do pickled beets do for the body? ›

Pickled beets are a rich source of antioxidant compounds that help ‌protect your body from damage‌ from harmful reactive oxygen molecules called ‌free radicals‌. These beneficial antioxidants include ‌vitamin C, A and E, selenium‌ and ‌flavonoids‌.

What is the best tasting beet? ›

Avalanche beets are amongst the sweetest of the beet varieties I've seen at the farmers market. They are not as earthy as your standard red beet either, so these might be the perfect beets for picky eaters. If you don't like how red beets stain your hands and your cutting boards, avalanche beets are for you.

What are the side effects of pickled beets? ›

Pickled beets do contain added sugar and sodium from the pickling process. Although these quantities can vary based on recipes, consuming too much added sugar and sodium consistently can have negative effects on health, including an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure (18).

Are pickled beets in a jar good for your liver? ›

Beetroot's antioxidants have been associated with a lower risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease and dementia, and with supporting liver and kidney health. A bitter-sweet result of the pickling process, however, is that small amounts of these antioxidants are lost.

How many pickled beets should I eat a day? ›

The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

Can pickled beetroot upset your stomach? ›

Beets are great for the digestive system because of their effects on gut bacteria health. However, people with sensitive stomachs may experience digestive distress (like gas or bloating) when consuming beets. A mild upset stomach could be the result of the fiber content in beets helping clear the digestive tract.

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