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Pickled Beets

© Pier Jones

As I sit here before the computer, wondering what to write, I look down at my purple-stained fingernails and realize I might as well write about what I've been canning......Beets!

I don't think I've ever met anyone that could either take or leave beets - you love them or you hate them. This article is for the beet-lovers out there.

Beets are a great source of Vitamin C and folate, and the greens (don't just throw those away!) are high in potassium, iron, beta carotene and vitamin C. If you are wondering what to do with those beet tops, just cook and serve them like spinach or any other cooked green. The greens are the most nutritious part of the plant, providing approximately 35 mg of vitamin C, 160 mg of calcium, 2.5 mg of iron, 1300 mg of potassium, and an significant amount of vitamin A, per 1 cup serving. Beets are higher in sugar content than any other vegetable, yet only contain about 50 calories per one cup serving. Beet roots were once regarded only as a medicinal, and not as a food source; they were used to treat headaches and toothaches.

I love Pickled Beets, so will give you my recipe for those. Some of the nutritional value is lost in the processing, but they taste too good to worry about that!

Pickled Beets

Makes approximately 9 pints.

13-14 C beets, cooked, peeled, and sliced in 1/4 inch slices

1 ½ C sugar

1 C honey

3 cups water

1 ½ C cider vinegar

1 ½ C red wine vinegar

1 T whole allspice

3 three-inch cinnamon sticks

Scrub the beets to remove the dirt, and trim the tops to 2 inches, leaving the root attached. (This prevents them from losing color and nutrients.) Boil in unsalted water until tender; the time depends on the size of the beets, but usually 30-40 minutes. Once tender, dunk them immediately in very cold water to stop the cooking and to loosen the skins. When cool, the skins will slip off with ease. Trim the tops and tap roots and slice in 1/4 inch slices.

Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a large nonreactive saucepan, and bring them to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then, using a slotted spoon, remove the allspice and cinnamon. Add the sliced beets to the pickling syrup and bring to a slow boil. Ladle the hot beets and juice into hot pint jars and seal according to manufacturer's instructions. Process in a Boiling Water Bath for 30 minutes.

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