Tasty Tuesday - Canning Pickled Beets

This recipe is spicy not a hot spicy but a tasty spicy. My Mom use to serve these along with Bread and Butter Pickles instead of chips with lunch. I also remember as a child standing on a chair helping peel the skins off the beets, giggling at my red fingers.  I now where gloves when canning beets...unless I feel like showing off my industrious side.

Supplies
Canner or Large pot
Tongs (to lift the hot jars)
Slotted Spoon
Ladle
Jars and lids
4 lbs of beets
2 Onion (thinly sliced)
2.5 Cups Cider Vinegar
1.5 Cups Reserved water from cooking beets
1 t Salt
2 Cups Agave nectar (or sugar)
1 t whole Allspice
1 t whole Cloves
3 sticks Cinnamon broken a bit

Preparing the Jars
Fill your canner/pot with water, place clean jars filled with water in the canner/pot.  Place the rings of the lid in the water bath but not the flat lid part, you can get the seal to hot and it wont work.  Slip them in right before you fill your jars.
Start heating up your jars, this sterilizes them.  If it comes to a boil turn it down...but you will be turning it up later.

Prepping the yummy gems
First cut off tops, leaving one inch of the stems and leave the roots on then wash them.  
Put these in a pot and bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for fifteen minutes. 
Take them out of the pot but be sure to keep the water you boiled them in.
Now you can cut off the top and root, peel the beets  You can run a little cool water on them so you can peel them without burning your little fingers off but try to keep them hot. Slice them up and set them to the side. GORGEOUS!

Make the Brine

Combine the remaining ingredients in a sauce pot (or the pot you boiled the beets in...less to clean up)

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer.  Isn't it pretty!

Now Add the Beets...such beauties and look how full my pot is!  My pot it runith over...abundance for sure.  Cook these until the beets get warm. 

DON'T FORGET to Slip your lids into the water bath with your jars and rings.

Place your jar on a plate to catch all the spills.

Using a slotted spoon fill your jars with the beets, onions, allspice and cloves.  Take out the cinnamon sticks and don't add any fluid yet. 

Pack those jars good and tight but leave head space.  I fill to the lower rim of where the lid screws on...about 1/4 inch. 

Once packed you can add the brine. 

Place a lid and ring on the jar and tighten.  Use a towel to do this so you wont burn your hands. 

Place jars in the water bath bring to a low rolling boil for thirty minutes. (you may have to add more water to keep your jars covered) 

Remove jars from bath and place on a towel and listen for that beautiful popping sound of sealing lids.

There is a canning kit with tools that make the job easier and safer.  It has a jar funnel, jar lifter, magnet stick and various other things I cant think of.  But they all are super tools that I can't imagine living without.  They have plastic but the metal is much more durable. 

Though I used regular pint jars here, I recommend using wide mouth.  It is easier to fill and your hand will fit down in them for clean up. 

Enjoy and happy canning.