Originally posted in August, 2008 - yes, over 13 years ago!
I was looking over some old canning recipes and when I read this one, I noted I had said (in 2008) a can of beets at the grocery store was about $.50. Just for the heck of it, I checked Walmart to see how much a can of beets is today and surprise! Their Great Value brand was... $.50! That was funny... and I decided what the heck - it's been over 13 years, let's post this old recipe again for 2022!
My
recipe is out of an old Amish recipe book that my FIL gave me and it
used to be my MIL's years ago (she passed away in 1982). I love the
recipes in this book because the Amish women assume that you know just
what they mean and use as little words as necessary.
(typos are as typed in the Amish recipe book and are not mine);
How to Can Beets
To every quart vinegar add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 heaping cup sugar. If your beets are dark red use part white sugar. Spice whatever you like. Heat to boiling point and pour over beets. Can while hot.
That's it. The whole recipe.
So... here is my version - with just a few more details as I made them.
1 quart vinegar - cider/white (I used a mixture because I didn't have enough cider vinegar)
1 c water
1 heaping cup sugar
1 1/2 T salt (I checked 3 recipes and there was a disagreement on how much so I did 1 1/2 T.)
1/4 t cinnamon more or less to taste
1/8 - 1/4 t cloves more or less to taste
10 lb. beets
Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and optional cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer until ready.
Scrub fresh beets and cut off the roots and tops. Roast in a roasting pan in the oven, covered for an hour and then immediately fill the roasting pan with ice water or dump the beets into ice water so the skins will slip right off.
Dice or cut beets to size, or if they are very small, under 2 inches, leave whole if you prefer.
You can also boil them if you prefer although this will leak more of the red color out and they won't be quite as vibrant. Continue with the cutting and packing as above.
Pack into hot, sterilized jars. Cover the beets with the hot brine leaving 1/2 - 3/4 inch head space. Tighten lids and caps and water bath process for 35 minutes for quarts and 30 minutes for pints.
Let cool on the counter, making sure they 'pop' and store to use. I got about 3 quarts out of this.
Cutting off the roots and stems
In the roasting pan (I removed the cover for the photo)
Plunged into cold water
Sliced or diced and packed into hot, sterilized jars
After a 35 minute water bath let them set to cool and 'pop' and then store in a cool dry place like a cupboard.
