Pickled beets

Ingredients

7 pounds beets, 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter
4 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
1/2 teaspoon canning or pickling salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
4 to 6 onions, optional

Instructions

Trim beet tops, leaving about 1 inch of stem and the roots attached. Wash thoroughly and sort by size. Cover similar-sized beets with boiling water and cook until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Drain and discard the cooking liquid. Cool the beets, remove roots and stems, and slip off the skins. Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Peel and thinly slice onions, if using.

Combine vinegar, salt, sugar, and fresh water. Place cinnamon sticks and cloves in a cheesecloth bag and add to the vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions and simmer for five minutes. Remove the spice bag.

Pack beets and onions into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover with the hot vinegar mixture, maintaining 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water-bath canner.