Canned Beet Pickles
- 12 bushel beet
- 4 12 pints apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pickling spices
- To cook beets, leave about 1 inch of stalk on the beets and bring to a boil in a large kettle with enough water to just cover them.
- It generally takes 25-30 minutes at a full boil.
- Test with a sharp knife to make sure they are tender.
- Drain and cover immediately with cold water.
- Peel and quarter or cut into desired size chunks.
- Using pint measure, measure out enough prepared beets to make 12 pints and set aside.
- To prepare syrup:.
- In a large stainless steel or enamel kettle, mix together the vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Make a spice bag by cutting a 6-in square of cotton cloth and placing the pickling spice on the square.
- Draw the sides together to form a bag and tie with a string or a piece of cloth.
- DO NOT USE TWIST TIES.
- Add spice bag to the vinegar mixture and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 5 minutes then remove the spice bag and discard it.
- Pour the prepared beets into the syrup and boil for an additional ten minutes.
- During this step, prepare canning jars by placing 12 jars into a hot water bath (either in the sink or in a large pan will work).
- Also prepare the lids (not the rings) by placing them in a small pan of boiling water.
- (the lids with white on the inside work better than those with metal on the inside).
- When beets are done boiling, fill the hot jars to 1 inch from the top of the jar and cover with hot syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space.
- Wipe rims of jars with damp cloth, use tongs to retrieve lids and place on jars, then seal with the rings.
- Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Remove from bath and set on dry surface to cool.
- (I use a large bath towel to set the jars on to reduce the risk of the jars cracking from cooling too quickly).
- Leave at least an inch of space around each jar while cooling.
- Store in a cool, dark space.
apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spices
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/canned-beet-pickles-312565 (may not work)