Canning Pickled Beets

                                        Pickled Beets

I love pickled beets!  Fresh boiled beets are ok, but pickled beets are like eating candy!  Therefore I decided to pickle my whole beet harvest and can them for preserving.  I also wanted my little girls to enjoy this veggie, and what better way is there to savor this vegetable then to introduce them to the sweet and sour taste of a pickled beet in cinnamon and cloves.

I included the recipe I used to pickle my beets at the bottom on this page along with its source.  Because Beets are a low acid food, you need a pressure cooker if you do not plan on Pickling them.  If you pickle them, the Vinegar will protect your beets from the botulism that can develop otherwise.

After pulling beets, wash them and then cut the tops off, leaving 2 inches of the greens above the beet.

I sterilize my jars by putting the in the dishwasher on the Sanitize cycle.

I boiled my beets for about 35 minutes to make them soft to a fork prick.

I let them cool just until I could stand handling them, then I rubbed the skins and tops off with my fingers.

Now the beets are slick and soft, ready for slicing.

I saved the soft skins and tops and gave them to my chickens.  They enjoyed it!

I sliced the beets and packed them tightly in my prepared jars.

I prepared and poured the pickling juice over the beets next, then canned them according to the recipe I was following.  It is important to follow canning recipes exactly for best and safest results.

Not all the beets found their way into the cans, the pickling juice was so good that we ate some for dinner, tossed with the juice.  Of course the beets were not officially "pickled" yet, but still delicious! 

I cannot wait until I get to open the pickled jars in a few weeks and try the real ones!



Here is the recipe I used that I found on the Country Living Source: http://www.goodbyecitylife.com/pickled-beets/

Pickled Beet Recipe (6 pints)

• 3 quarts cooked beets, peeled
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 ½ cups vinegar (check the label you need 4 to 6 % acidity which is standard pickling vinegar)
• 1 ½ cups distilled or filtered water

Instructions:

1. Wash and drain your beets. Leave 2 inches of stems and the large tap roots on the beet.
2. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender.
3. Let them drain until just cool enough to handle, then chop them into pickled beet sized pieces, or slices if you prefer.
4. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the beets in a large pot over low heat.
5. Simmer 15 minutes.
6. In the meantime, prepare your jars and lids by boiling them to sterilize.
7. Pack peeled and trimmed beets into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch head space.
8. Pour hot pickling liquid over the tops of the beets in each jar.
9. Adjust your lids.
10. Process 30 minutes in boiling water canner.

Shelf Life of This Pickled Beet Recipe

Store jars in a cool, dark place and let set for 6-8 weeks before opening.
Consume within 8 months.