Homemade Pickled Beets Recipe

Every Fall we're deluged with the bounty of the garden and usually astounded by some of the late harvested veggies - kale, cabbage, onions, and beets, that seem to hang on and even thrive after a few frosts.  Between the beets that we grow and the big grocery bags full that Alycia's parents bring us every Fall, we have a ton of beets. If you've never had beets before, you should give them a try.  They can be baked, roasted, boiled, or pickled and are high in fiber and anti-oxidants. 
During the height of beet harvest, I usually make a large pot of borscht (see Beets and Borscht and Biscuits picture below), freeze some beets for later use, and invariably have a huge amount left over.  Years ago I discovered how tasty pickled beets are, so the remainder of the beets usually get pickled. If you haven't tried before, I would highly recommend you try your hand at pickling them. 
It's honestly a very easy (but moderately messy) process. The most time consuming part is letting the beets boil long enough so that they are tender, about 20-30 minutes depending on their size. Then immerse them in cold water and their skins just slide right off. The boiling and de-skinning process usually only takes about an hour. Once the beets were de-skinned, they get chopped up into approximately similar sized slices and chunks.
 
The processing portion of making pickled beets will get a bit messy.  Your fingers, implements, cutting board, and counter top will be red/purple beet color.
After the beets were chopped up, we hot packed them into pint jars. Then poured the following simmered brine (which was simmering on the stove) over them:
  • 2 c. water
  • 2 c. vinegar
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1 t. cloves
  • 1 t. allspice
  • 1 T. cinnamon
We then put the lids on the jars and placed the jars in the standard boiling water bath for 20 minutes and voila - pickled, canned beets!  This recipe makes enough for about 7 standard sized pint jars. 

It was a pretty easy recipe, and the beets come out darn tasty, slightly sweet, slightly tart, full of flavor and that earthy beet goodness. If you like beets and are looking for an easy way to preserve their flavor to enjoy year round, I highly recommend this recipe.

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