Beet Pickles

There is no more beautiful pickle.  I used to make beet pickles solely to have the pretty gem-tone red jars on my shelves.  So many people I know have been making pickles, processing crab-apples, baking with zucchinis that the pickle-making-bug finally settled in my world.  This is close to the recipe I used in years gone by, but has an interesting spice twist that I’m looking forward to trying.  I’ll give them a few weeks to sit and then find out how the cloves and cinnamon flavours work.

Beet Pickles

3 lb. beets (I don't know how to measure this. I had 12 medium beets, and the brine worked perfectly.)

1 stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
½ cup sugar (One recipe said to use 1 cup, another said ½.  I overfilled the ½ cup measure.)
2 cups vinegar
½ cup water

Boil beets until tender.  Move to ice-cold water – once cool enough to handle remove skins.  Slice into uniform pieces, and fill jars with sliced beets.

In a saucepan, heat vinegar, water, sugar and spices to boiling point, and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Strain and cover sliced beets with brine.  Seal and process for 20 minutes.

(As of August 2013, Bernardin FAQ’s says:  to prepare jars; cover jars with water and heat water to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Keep jars hot until used.  To prepare lids; bring SNAP LID® to a boil and leave in hot water until ready to use.  Screw bands require no preparation and are much easier to handle if left at room temperature. Apply screw bands evenly and firmly until resistance is met. Don't over tighten as this prevents venting - air escaping - during heat processing.)

September 9 - Lu's Notes:  Tried the pickles today.  Don't skimp on the sugar, use the full cup.  And 1 1/2 cups vinegar to 1 cup water might ease the pain when eating. :)