Bick's Pickled Beets

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 8 cups raw beets (golf ball size)
• 2 cups onions
• 4 cups vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water (reserved from cooking beets)
• 1 tablespoon pickling salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
• 4 inches cinnamon sticks

Recipe

• 1 under cold running water, thoroughly wash beets. cut stems leaving 1" of stem and all of the root attached. place beets into a large pot and fill with cold water enough to cover beets by 1". bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered until beets are fork tender. (20-30 minutes).
• 2 drain beets saving liquid in a separate container and immediately plunge hot beets into an ice water bath to stop cooking process. when cool enough to handle, remove skin, stems and roots.
• 3 slice onion into 1/4" thick, separated rings.
• 4 make a cheesecloth spice bag containing cloves and cinnamon stick. in a medium pot combine 1 1/2 cups of reserved beet cooking liquid, vinegar, sugar, salt and add the spice bag. bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
• 5 pack hot, sterilized, 1 litre pickling jars with alternating layers of onion rings and whole beets. start with onion rings on bottom and end with onion rings on top.
• 6 ladle hot spice liquid through a strainer into beet filled jars leaving 1/4" air space at top. seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• 7 after processing, remove jars, let cool and store in cupboard. ready in 2 weeks.
• 8 keeps for 12 months, refrigerate after opening.