Spiced Pickled Beets

 

For the twin's school fundraiser, I received more beets than I knew what to do with.  My friend suggested pickling some.  She got the recipe from her 82 year old neighbour.   So we got together and did just that. 

Prep Work:

1.  Beets 

 Either cover beets in water and boil or roast in oven till tender but firm.  Cool.  Peel.   Dice.

Roasting Beets:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. This is a flexible cooking temperature; if you're using the oven for cooking something else, beets can be cooked at that temperature. Beets will cook more slowly at lower temperature and more quickly at higher temperatures. At higher temperatures, check more frequently for scorching (see Step 3).

2. Prepare the beets. If the beets still have their leafy tops, cut off the tops close to the tops of the beet, leaving yourself enough to grip. Save the beet greens for another purpose. Scrub the beets thoroughly, then wrap them loosely in aluminum foil. No need to dry the beets before wrapping. Small beets can be wrapped together, but it's easiest to roast large beets individually.

3. Roast the beets. Place the wrapped beets on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips in case the beet juices leak. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes. Check the beets every 20 minutes or so. If they are starting to look dry or are scorching on the bottoms, dribble a tablespoon of water over the beets before re-wrapping. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the center of the beet. Small beets will cook more quickly than large beets.

4. Peel the beets. Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle. Hold one of the beets in a paper towel and use the edges of the paper to rub the skin away. The skin should peel away easily; if it doesn't, the beets likely need to cook for a little longer. Peel the remaining beets.

   Boiling Beets:

   1. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding - this step in not necessary and some say it helps and others say not so much. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pot under running cold water and let rinse until beets can be handled. The skins can now be easily peeled off the beets.

   2.  Jars

   
   

   

• Preheat the oven to 325 to 356°F. 
• Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse but don't dry them.
• Place the jars onto a baking tray and into the oven for at least 10 minutes.
• Soak the lids in boiling water for a few minutes.

• We left the jars in the oven and took out when we were ready to fill.  We filled 4 at a time.

Now that the prep work is done you are ready to prepare the ingredients and fill those jars.

Ingredients:

12 Cups cooked chopped Beets
2   Cups Cider Vinegar
2   Cups Sugar
2   Cups Water

1    TBSP Salt

In a Cheesecloth (or tea ball) combine

1   Tsp Ground Allspice

1   TBSP Whole Cloves

1   TBSP Pickling Spice

1. Set cubed beets aside.
2. Boil remaining ingredients (including spices) for 5 minutes.  Remove spices.  Keep brine hot until needed.
3. Remove sterilized jars from oven (BE CAREFUL ... THEY ARE HOT!).
4. Fill jars almost to top with cubed beets.
5. Pour brine into jar to cover beets.
6. With tongs, lift lids from boiling water and place on top of jar.
7. Place lid ring on jar (with tongs) and tighten (using a cloth ... they are hot too).
8. No need for a hot water bath.  This according to Joyce (82 years old) & Helen (89 years old).  You will hear the lids "pop" seal in about an hour.  

                                            YIELDS 6 PINTS

Pictured above:  some of my 1/2 pint jars.