ISO Pickled Beet Recipe

[texherp]

I personally dispise pickled beets, but my mom and grandma love them and with a big crop of beets coming up I'd like to pickle and can all that I can't eat fresh. What kinds of spices/flavorings go in the store bought pickled beets? What recipe do you like to use? I've read over the recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation website (I can't post the url, stupid) and I'm thinking of trying a test batch.

 

[Constance]

My favorite recipe is here:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f94/iso-pickled-beets-recipe-20058.html

 

[mcnerd]

Being a root vegetable Beets have an earthy taste to them, which is probably why most people much prefer them pickled. Also, you can't compared commercial canned beets with home cooked ones. I also prefer to roast-cook them (wrapped individually in aluminum foil) instead of boiling so that much of the juice and flavor is retained.

Here is a refrigerator version for small quantities not enough to can:

Pickled Beets (Refrigerator)

1 1/2 pounds fresh beets -- small size
1 1/2 cups white vinegar -- or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice -- optional

Cook beets in salted water until just tender. Peel beets and slice or cut in pieces. Pack into hot sterilized jars. Combine vinegar, water and sugar; bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Mixed pickling spice tied in cheesecloth bag may be simmered with syrup. Pour hot liquid over beets to cover completely. Seal.

Yield: 2 pints
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Here is the NCHFP canning recipe link:
National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Pickle

and here is a recipe I use regularly except I roast the beets instead of boiling, as I said:

Pickled Beets

4 pounds beets -- more or less
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Water
2 Cups White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 Teaspoon Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Trim beets, leaving 1" of stem and tap root attached. Place beets in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-40 minutes or more, until tender (tip of knife should insert easily).

Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove skins and cut beets into slices or serving-size pieces. Small ones can be left whole.

Combine remaining ingredients in large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove hot jars from canner. Add beets to slightly less than 1/2" headspace. Fill jars to 1/2" headspace with vinegar mixture.

Wipe jar lip clean; place 2-piece lids on jar finger-tight, and place in canner on rack.

Process in Boiling Water Canner for 30 minutes for Pints; 35 minutes for Quarts.

Yield: 8 pints

 

[texherp]

Thanks, I guess I'll try a few batches with the spices and without.

That's a great idea to cook the beets in the oven! I can imagine the flavor would come out richer. On the same note, why is it that you cook the beets before packing them? I would think the extra half hour of boiling to sterilize them would overcook them? Just a thought.

 

[mcnerd]

You cook the beets primarily to remove the skins. When cooked sufficiently the skins should come off fairly easily. It can take a long time. Hint: wear disposable gloves. Once the beets are in the jars they don't cook that much more.

If you have never handled beets before, do some research on the internet first because you do NOT cut off the tops or bottoms ahead of time.

That "extra half hour of boiling" is a specific canning process, not just boiling like cooking food. If you do not have any experience in canning foods, you should visit the previously referenced website and get info on the equipment and procedures, or get your hands on the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.

 

[texherp]

I've done some canning in the past, just jams and jellies though. I just figured I could parboil the beets to remove the skins then use the sterilization step to cook them the rest of the way in the jars. I did a small batch of the NCHFP recipe today, going by the directions exactly so I guess we'll see how they turn out.

 

[mcnerd]

And you were able to remove the skins just by parboiling the beets a few minutes?

 

[Constance]

I used to boil my beets for canning, but I cooked them until they were just fork tender. It didn't take long, and the skins slipped right off.

I love beets...pickled or otherwise. I generally leave the spices out because I enjoy the earthiness of vegetable.

 

[Chicks]

My grandmother used to make pickled beets and instead of using cloves and cinnamon she used a few drops of the oil of clove and oil of cinnamon. I am looking for the recipe but can't put my hands on it at the moment. It was wonderful. She also added onions to them before packing and sealing them.
She would heat a jar if them and thicken them with corn starch to make Harvard Beets.
C