Pickled Beets

What to do with all those beets? Try this canning recipe. Its one of my all-time favorites. Nicole, Megan and I just made a batch last week!

Clean 7 lbs of beets. Trim off tops, leaving 1 inch of stems and roots to prevent nutrient loss. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender (25 to 30 minutes). Drain and run under cold water to cool. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into ¼ inch slices.

Combine 4 cups vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. Put cinnamon sticks and 12 cloves in a spice bag and add vinegar to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil.

Add beets, simmer 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. Using a sterilized ladle and or funnel, fill sterilized jars with hot beets and vinegar, leaving ½ inch head space. Make sure to keep lip of jar free of splashes or drops. Wipe lip with clean towel if necessary. Screw on lids lightly. Submerge jars in boiling water (on a rack so as to prevent them from touching the pot) for 30 minutes.

Remove jars and cover with towel to allow for a slow cooling. Check in 12 hours to make sure a seal has been formed