How to Can Pickled Beets

Pickled beets are probably my husband's favorite home canned item. It's impossible for me to can enough of these for him! Thankfully, they are easy to make, as you can see below. Do note that you can easily change the flavor of these beets, simply by omitting the spices (as I usually do) or by switching up the spices used. Ball recommends three different spice blends to try, and I've included all of them below.

(Don't have a lot of beets or just prefer to make refrigerator pickles? Click here for a pickled beet recipe that's ideal for those situations.)

(from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving)

First, prepare the beets. This may be done the day before canning, if desired:

1. Scrub the beets very well. Leave the roots and about 1 inch of stem in place. (This will help the beets keep their color during the next step.)

2. Put the beets in a pot, the largest on the bottom and the smallest on top. Add enough water to cover the beets, then place on the stove over high heat.

3. Boil the beets until fork tender. Small beets may be ready in as little as 10 minutes; large ones might take 20 minutes or more. Check the beets regularly, removing them individually once they are fork tender, and placing them in ice water (or under cold, running tap water).

4. As the beets cool enough to handle, easily push off their skins, stems, and small roots. Cut into 1/4 inch slices or chunks.

Peeled beets. These are Bull's Blood variety.

(HINT: Allow the water the beets were boiled in to cool and use it to irrigate plants. It has nutrients in that will lightly fertilize them.)

Cutting up the beets.

Next, prepare the brine. For every 10 cups of prepared beets, you will need:

2 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar (You may safely use less sugar, but remember that the pickles will taste more vinegary if you do)

3 tablespoons of pickling spice (OPTIONAL! I don't use any spices in the pickled beets I make for my husband. However, if you wish, you may use store bought pickling spice, or use one of the recipes Ball recommends, found at the bottom of this page.)

1. If using the pickling spice, place it in the center of a square made from a double layer of cheesecloth. Bring up the corners of the cloth and tie them together with kitchen twine, making a bag.

2. In a large stainless steel pot, combine the spice bag (if using), vinegar, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. If using the spice bag, boil for 15 minutes. Otherwise, move on to step 3 as soon as the brine comes to a full boil.

3. Carefully spoon the prepared beets into the pot of brine and bring the mixture back to a boil.

Bringing the brine and beets back to a boil.

4. With a slotted spoon, ladle beets into hot pint jars, leaving a generous 1/2 inch headspace.

5. Ladle hot vinegar mixture over the beets, leaving a generous 1/2 inch headspace. Bubble the jar and wipe the rim clean. Add a lid and screwband and put the jar in a canner of hot water. Repeat until all the beets are in jars.

Filling the jars.

6. Process the jars in a water bath or steam canner for 30 minutes. (If you are at 1001 to 3,000 feet, process for 35 minutes; 3,001 to 6,000 feet, 40 minutes; above 6,000 feet, 45 minutes.)

10 cups of prepared beets makes approximately 6 pints.