Pickled Beets Grandmas Style Food

PICKLED BEETS, GRANDMA'S STYLE

Steps:

• 1. WASH BEETS. Trim tops to about 3 inches and remove any dead stem tops. Do not trim the root. If you have different size beets, sort into 2 or 3 sizes and fill your 2-3 large pots. The beets will cook even and you will have them already sized to fill the jars. Add water to cover beets, put on lid and set on medium heat to bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer.
• 2. MAKE PICKLING LIQUID: While beets are simmering..prepare the pickling liquid. Add all the liquid (vinegar, sugar & water)to one pot and mix well. Tie spices into the cheesecloth and add to liquid. Simmer pickling liquid and spice bag for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove spice bag. Hint: I saved the spice bag in a ziplock bag and put in freezer for later use. One batch of pickling liquid was enough, and you can make more if needed.
• 3. SIMMER beets for about 15 to 30 minutes until skin slips easily. Hint: take one beet out and try to slip skin. If not, return to pot and add a few more minutes. I scooped out a few beets at a time and put into a bowl of cool water and then trimmed off top and root and slipped the skin. Discard water from pots when done.
• 4. FILL your clean, sterilized jars with the beets. I had quite a few cleaned as I thought I was going to fill up everything. LOL. I put the jars into the dishwasher to clean and keep while I was preparing beets. Leave 1" head space. FILL your beet filled jars with the warm pickling liquid and also leave 1" head space. Remove any bubbles you see (non metallic tool) and wipe jar tops and threads clean and place (cleaned and sterile) lids and rings and screw rings down firmly. Do not worry about keeping your filled jars hot..
• 5. WATER BATH: 30 minutes (old way)I did a little research and it says yes? and no? So I did not use this method. ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER: Mine can be used for canning. It will hold 3 - 32 oz (quart) and 4 - 16 oz (pint)
• 6. FILL ELITE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER (8 Qt): Please use your directions for your pressure cooker. I got 6 pint jars of beets. Sooooo..fill inner pot with 4 pint jars. Wrap a clean dish towel around jars to keep from touching each other (and the sides). Fill with 6 cups of warm water. Close lid and lock...make sure that the pressure limiting valve is set to air tight. Plug in the power and set timer to 30 minutes. When pressure cooker time is finished, unplug and let sit until pressure release is released naturally. Open lid and look inside...2 of my jars had leaked (I did not tighten enough) Remove jars with canning tongs and set on a towel away from drafts. They will boil for a while until cool enough. Remove rings after the lids pop. Clean rings, tops and jars to keep rings from rusting. Repeat with the last 2 jars as above. (my jars leaked so I dumped out the water and rinsed towel and reused the towel and added clean water as above)

GRANDMA JACKIE'S PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Sterilize 5 (1 pint) jars with lids and rings. Keep hot.
• Place beets into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until beets are tender enough to pierce with a fork, but not mushy. Drain and cool, reserving 2 1/2 cups of the water from the beets. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and trim the ends. Cut into wedges or chunks if desired and pack into hot jars.
• While the beets are cooking, combine the sugar, vinegar, pickling salt, lemon juice and clove oil in a large saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil. Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a clean towel and seal with lids and rings. Set at room temperature for 24 hours, then store in the refrigerator. Wait a few days before eating to allow beets to soak up the flavor.

PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Place beets in a large stockpot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes depending on the size of the beets. If beets are large, cut them into quarters. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the beet water, cool and peel.
• Sterilize jars and lids by immersing in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Fill each jar with beets and add several whole cloves to each jar.
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, beet water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Bring to a rapid boil. Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars, and seal lids.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

PICKLED BEETS (FOR CANNING)

Steps:

• In a large pot cook the unpeeled beets until fork-tender (do not overcook) cool and then remove the skins.
• Slice into about 1/4-inch thick or cut into cubes.
• Pack snuggly into the canning jars (be careful not to bruise).
• In a large saucepan combine the sugar, water, vinegar, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon and whole cloves; bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes (no sugar granules should remain).
• Quickly pour over the beets in the jars, leaving 3/4-inch headspace (the liquid should go no further than the shoulder of the jar!).
• Process in a boiling water bath for 12 minutes.
• Cool on a rack.

PICKLED BEETS

Steps:

• Cook the beets until just tender.
• Slip off skins.
• Combine vinegar, water, sugar, spices and salt.
• Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.
• Add the beets and simmer 5 minutes longer.
• Pack the beets into hot sterilized jars.
• Bring the syrup to a boil, then pour over beets.
• If not enough to cover add hot vinegar.
• Seal immediately.
• Allow to *pickle for 3 weeks before testing*.