Pickled Beets with Sugar

Serves 4 in about 25 minutes. Apple cider vinegar goes in first, and pickling spice finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs small beets (if already cooked, slice ¼" thick)
• 1 sweet onion sliced thinly
• 2 cups water* (or use 1 cup of the water from cooking the beets, if you have it, and 1 cup of water)
• 2 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp pickling salt
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice (put in a spice ball/tea ball, or make a cheesecloth bundle)
• 1 ¾ cups sugar

Method

1. Stovetop: Wash and scrub beets. Leave about 2 inches of the stems on them. Cover with water and cook until fork tender. Depending on the size of your beets, this could take 30 minutes to an hour. *Reserve 1-2 cups of the beet water if you can.
2. Peel beets and slice 1/4 inch thick. If using very small beets, 1″-2″ in diameter, you can leave them whole, if you want.
3. Electric Pressure Cooker: See my instructions for pressure cooker Beets to cook beets using an electric pressure cooker.
4. Stir in all ingredients except for the beets and onions to a pot and bring to a low boil, while stirring now and then to be sure sugar dissolves.
5. Turn down heat, add onions, and cook on low for 5-10 minutes with the lid on, to reduce evaporation.
6. Tip in the cooked & sliced beets and simmer until heated through and onion is tender. Lift out spice ball and cinnamon sticks.
7. Fill jars with the beets/onion, then ladle some pickling liquid into the jar and just cover the beets.
8. Leave it to cool and put the lids on the jars and keep in the refrigerator.
9. Pack the hot beets and onions into prepared hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid over beets, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Lift out air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 30 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

More side dishes ideas are in the side dishes collection.