Beets

I praise my grandma bernt for all the baking and preserving that she did, because pickling is a whole another style of cooking compared to jams. Truly, all I had to do was go down in my basement and deep clean all of my grandma's old pots, jars, and tools for preserving. She was a true master at canning, but sadly no one, that we know of, has her old recipes. So, this week was spent searching for a pickled beet recipe that I felt confident I could use. I wasn't satisfied with any of them so I combined two. I don't know how safe this was, because I have never pickled before but I did it anyway. After finishing I would add my own changes, so you could I semi-created this recipe. I can't tell you how it tastes yet, because they have to remain untouched for a couple of weeks. I will have to let you know later if it worth it or not.

Pickled Beet recipe

1. 4 lbs. beets

2. 1 quart apple cider vinegar

3. 1 1/2 c. white sugar

4. 1 t. whole allspice

5. 1 cinnamon stick

6. 1 t. cloves

Cut leaves and stems off beets and boil until tender. Use this time to sterilize jars. After the beets are tender, reserve 4 cups of the liquid and set a side. Add ingredients 2-6 in a sauce pan with reserved beet liquid and let simmer for 15 minutes. While the mixture is simmering, slice the beets as desired and then divide them evenly between roughly 5-6 pint jars. Afterwards, funnel the liquid into the jars. Leave at least 1/2 inch of space. Make sure and sterilize the lids and wipe off and residue. Close lids tightly so the jars can seal. Put the jars in cool and dark place for at least a couple of weeks before opening. Some recipes say 6-8 weeks. If a jar doesn't seal leave in the refrigerator for up to a week.