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    Home » Recipes » Dressings & Sauces

    Homemade Beetroot Relish Recipe

    Published: Dec 5, 2019 / Modified: Sep 14, 2020 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 12 Comments

    • 163
    Jump to Recipe Print
    side view of beetroot relish in a glass jar with a blue napkin behind it

    This easy beetroot relish recipe is a delicious way to use up beets. It can be used in the same ways as a chutney or jam, and makes a beautiful addition to sandwiches, burgers, salads, cheese boards, and more!

    close up of homemade beetroot relish in a glass jar next to a blue napkin

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    I see you, people out there who have a bunch of beets you need to use up (or maybe you intentionally bought a lot of beets because you love them like me). This recipe is my gift to you!

    Speaking of gifts, I also made this beetroot relish with the holiday season in mind. With its vibrant red color, it would make a really fun Christmas gift!

    Throw in a batch of my Classic Thumbprint Cookies with Carrot Jam (another great way to use a veggie in a jam) and some Easy Baked Parsnip Chips, and you’ve got an amazing gift for your neighbors, mailmen, teachers, and more.

    Or, you can just keep it all for yourself. I honestly wouldn’t blame you, because it’s SUPER delicious! And it has a lot of other things going for it too…

    Reasons to Love Beetroot Relish

    • That color though! [insert heart eye emoji here]
    • It’s sooo versatile. You’ll want to eat it on everything!
    • Once you grate the beets and throw them in a pot with the other ingredients, you can pretty much let it cook and forget about it. I love recipes like that.
    • The relish has hints of apple and ginger, and believe me…they are such great companions to earthy beets.
    beets, apples, red onion, ginger, sugar, and vinegar on a counter

    How to Make Beetroot Relish

    The key to any good relish is making sure the ingredients are finely chopped. You want them to cook down and get even smaller and blend right into each other.

    So first, slice off the tops of your beets and remove the skin with a swivel peeler. Then use a hand or box grater to slice the beets. Once you get started, you can actually do this very quickly. Here is the the box grater and hand grater I recommend.

    grated beets in a white bowl with a grater next to it

    Next, add the beets to a large pot. Dice the red onion, apples, and ginger, and throw them in there too. Pour in the sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and water. Stir it all up!

    Finally, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let it cook for ~30 minutes, or until the beets are tender and have cooked down. And there you have it – grated beetroot relish!

    • beets, red onion, ginger, apples, and salt in a black pot
    • ingredients for beetroot relish in a large black pot with a black spoon

    How to Use Beetroot Relish

    There are just SO many ways to use this sweet, earthy, and zesty beet jam/chutney/relish. Here are a few of my favorites:

    • Spread on toast with butter or whipped cream cheese.
    • Put on top of sandwiches, burgers, fish, or tacos.
    • Served with a cheese or charcuterie board.
    • Mixed into oatmeal or yogurt.

    Expert Tips and FAQs

    • Use gloves when handling beets if you don’t want to stain your hands, and remember to wash your knife and cutting board right away. I usually forget to do this, but the red color comes out after a few really good soapy washes.
    • Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking! Add more ginger for a zestier relish, more apples and sugar for a sweeter jam, or add some garlic for a savory option.

    Can you freeze beetroot relish?

    Yes, this relish freezes well. Transfer it to airtight containers and store in the freezer. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before using it.

    How long does beetroot relish keep?

    This recipe can last in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

    side view of beetroot relish in a glass jar with a blue napkin behind it

    More Veggie Condiments

    If you like this recipe, I bet you would love these!

    • Pickled Red Cabbage
    • Healthy Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
    • Radish Green Pesto
    • Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
    • Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce

    I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

    📖 Recipe

    close up of homemade beetroot relish in a glass jar next to a blue napkin

    Beetroot Relish

    A delicious and easy condiment to use on sandwiches, tacos, burgers, cheese boards, and more.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 95kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
    Cost: $10 to $15

    Equipment

    • Hand or box grater
    • cutting board and knife
    • Large pot with lid

    Ingredients

    • 3 large beets - trimmed and peeled
    • 1 red onion - finely chopped
    • 2 apples - cored and finely chopped
    • 2 to 3 tablespoon fresh ginger - finely chopped
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt - more to taste
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup water
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Use a coarse hand or box grater to shred the peeled beets.
    • Add them to a large pot with the onion, apple, ginger, salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let the relish cook for ~30 minutes. Take off the lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to let some of the excess water evaporate.
    • Remove from heat and carefully pour out any liquid that's still left in the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Transfer to glass jars or airtight containers, and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Serve on sandwiches, burgers, taco, fish, toast, yogurt, oatmeal, or charcuterie boards.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

    Lizzie

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    • 163

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Keryl Rutter

      January 24, 2023 at 10:43 pm

      I love this recipe and so do my friends and family.
      I roast the beetroot in the oven first to get a more intense flavour and caramelise the onions in a large skillet first with the grated apples.

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        January 25, 2023 at 1:52 pm

        Hi Keryl, thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you love this recipe. It sounds like you have made some wonderful variations.

        Reply
    2. Mary

      November 28, 2022 at 3:25 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!! Although next time I’ll reduce the sugar. I found it slightly too sweet for my taste buds… Especially when eating it for breakfast with eggs x

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        November 28, 2022 at 1:51 pm

        Hi Mary, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
    3. Wends

      August 27, 2022 at 12:55 pm

      Here in South Africa,we eat this as a side veg to a BBQ or any meal in the summer really. We also cook it whole,then peel it (it peels easier when cooked),then grate it,add salt and pepper and can it in the vinegar solution.

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        September 01, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        Yum! Sounds delicious!

        Reply
    4. Miguel Mori

      November 18, 2021 at 11:32 am

      5 stars
      the picture of the ingredients is very Helpful

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        November 19, 2021 at 10:58 am

        I’m glad to hear it!

        Reply
    5. sophie

      October 14, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      can I use normal vinegar for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        October 15, 2021 at 9:51 am

        Hi Sophie, yes you can!

        Reply
    6. Joni Dietrich

      August 31, 2021 at 4:40 pm

      Can this relish be canned? Or what would need to be added in order to can it?

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        September 01, 2021 at 9:20 am

        Hi Joni, this recipe does not include the proper techniques for making it canned/shelf-stable. Here is more information on safely canning relishes if you are interested: https://www.fcs.uga.edu/docs/FDNS-E-43-18.pdf

        Reply

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