PICKLED BEETS

By tschnet1

Ingredients

• 4 - 5 lb small beets (40 - 48)
• 3 cups vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp pickling salt
• 2 tbsp mixed pickling spice, tied in cheesecloth bag

Preparation

Step 1

Cook beets until barely tender. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel and slice beets into 1/4 inch thick slices. To prepare pickling liquid, combine vinegar, sugar, water, salt and pickling spice in a nonreactive Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add beets to liquid; return to a boil. Remove spice bag. Ladle beets and pickling liquid into hot sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a narrow rubber spatula or plastic knife. Add additional pickling liquid, if required, to maintain headspace. Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean damp cloth. Seal and process for 35 minutes in a boiling water bath. For altitudes higher than 3000 ft (914 m), add 5 minutes to processing time. Makes 4 pint (500 mL) jars.