Recipe: Pickled Beets (canning recipes)

There are a few different recipes for canning pickled beets. If you want Harvard beets, you will need to thicken them AFTER your open the jars to serve them, since thickening before canning is unsafe.

Here is one recipe:

Pickled Red Beets

Use small beets whole. Cut larger beets into wedges or 1-inch chunks, or 1/4-inch thick slices.

6 quarts fresh red beets - cooked until fork tender.
4 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1 tsp. (or to taste) canning salt (non-iodized salt)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

To cook fresh beets - For tender, freshly picked beets - wash, rinse and drain until all traces of garden soil are removed. Use a small vegetable brush if needed. (Peel larger beets with a thick, tough skin.) Place beets in large heavy boiler or stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; remove beets from pan; set beets aside. Add remaining ingredients to hot beet juice and cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, Partially fill a boiling water bath canner with hot water; Set aside.

Pack cooked beets into hot canning jars (Use pint or quart jars; wide mouth jars work best here). Pour hot beet juice mixture into each jar, leaving 1/4" headspace. Run a thin spatula or non-metallic utensil through each jar to remove air bubbles. Add additional liquid to jars if needed. Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel. Place a new lid on each jar, followed by a screw band. Screw bands tightly onto jars. Place filled jars in rack in a water bath canner. Add additional hot water to canner to cover jars. Jars should be completely immersed...tops of jars should be at least 1" below water level. Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.(begin timing as soon as water begins to boil). Remove jars from canner; Place jars on a towel covered kitchen counter or table. After jars have cooled for several hours, test seals. Lid should have an indentation in center that stays down when pressed.