1. Cut off the beet tops. Leave the roots and 1 inch of the stems to prevent color bleeding.
2. Wash the beets in cold water and arrange them by size.
3. Submerge similar size beets in boiling water and boil for 25-30 minutes until tender. Alternatively, boil beets in a pressure cooker to save on water and cooking fuel.
4. Drain the beets and discard the water. Do not use this water for canning liquid.
5. Cool the beets to a comfortable handling temperature and cut off the stems and roots. Remove the skins while the beets are still warm.
6. Cut the beets into 1/4-inch slices.
7. Combine salt, vinegar, sugar, and fresh water. Dip a cheesecloth bag with spices into the mixture and boil. The spice mix can have any dried spice of your choice. Try it with cloves, cinnamon sticks, and whole allspice nuts for sweet-style beets.
8. Add the pre-cooked beets and sliced onions and simmer covered for 5 minutes to acidify the beets. Remove the bag of spices.
9. Fill the cleaned and inspected canning jars with the beets and onions, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
10. Season each pint jar with 1/4 teaspoon salt, if preferred. Top up the jars with the hot vinegar solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace, and de-bubble using a bubble remover tool.
11. Clean the rims with paper towels dampened with vinegar. Cover the top of the jars with canning lids and screw bands. Tighten the bands until finger-tight.
12. Process the pints or quart jars in a water bath canner per the process time variations below:

Processing Time Per Altitude

• 0 -1,000ft: 30 minutes
• 1,001 – 3,000ft: 35 minutes
• 3,001 – 6,000ft: 40 minutes
• 6,000ft and up: 45 minutes

Post Processing

1. Take the jars out of the boiling water bath gently and lay them on a towel-covered countertop to cool undisturbed for 24 hours.
2. Remove the screw bands from the jars and inspect the seals. Ensure the lids do not flex up and down.
3. Store the canned pickled beets at room temperature in a cool, dark, dry place.