Pickled Beets

I like to plant beets.  I like to watch them grow.  I like to harvest them.
I always have great hopes of using/eating them.
One year I planted a lot of beets and carrots and put them our root cellar
hoping to have a large supply for using in my juicer all winter long.
A few days later (thankfully it wasn't weeks), I went to check on them.
I nearly cried when I discovered that the groundwater
(thanks to my neighbor flood irrigating his alfalfa field) had risen
and my precious stash was floating in 6" of water.
I brought them all in the house, used the carrots for canning soup,
and sliced and canned the beets.
The soup is long since gone.  But I still have those canned beets.
Four years, three moves, and two states later, I still have those canned beets.

Not this year!  This year I am adding sugar! 
Just the mention of the word has peaked the girls interest.
And the smell of those wonderful spices in the kitchen had them
begging for a taste.
I am convinced that these canned beets
will not make it through this winter, let alone next.

The recipe called for 7-8 lbs of beets, I am not sure how many pounds I had,
but I made 5 pints and probably had enough liquid for 6 pints with this recipe.

1 large onion (or more if you want to)
4 cups vinegar
1 1/2 t. canning salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
12 allspice nuts

I cooked the beets, whole, for 30-40 minutes. 
It works best not to slice them first because they bleed.

Then I cooled them in an ice water bath,
just so I could work with them quicker,

Next, I peeled and sliced the beets
and had Rylee slice the onion for me (cheating - I know)

The trick with the spices is to put them either in cheesecloth or, like I did,

a handy tea strainer.  That way the spices are easily removed before canning.

The liquids and spices, from the recipe above are then heated to a boil
in a non-aluminum pan.
Then the beets and onions are added and allowed to simmer in the spices
 for 5 minutes.

Next, I removed the spice holder and ladled the beets into sterilized jars.

I poured the hot liquid over the beets in the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.

Then sealed and water bathed the jars for 30-35 minutes.

I am not sure how long we will wait before trying them,
but I hope to give them a few weeks at least.