Spicy Candied Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- Raw fresh beets
- cider vinegar (5%)
- cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices / per cup of vinegar
- 1 small dried hot pepper / per cup of vinegar
- 1/2 tespoon mixed pickling spices / per pint jar
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds / per pint jar
- 1 small dried hot pepper / per pint jar
Instructions
Wash beets leaving skin and root intact. Trim stem end to 2 inches. Place beets in Pyrex casserole dish, add 1/2 cup water. Cover with lid and bake at 325 degrees F. 75-90 minutes, or until easily pierced with point of knife. Turn beets into another container or into sink and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Trim stems and roots from beets, and slip skins. Set aside. Meanwhile, while beets are baking, bring vinegar to a fast boil. Stir in pickling spices and hot peppers, immediately remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 1 hour. Strain all spices from vinegar, add equal amount of sugar and bring to boil. Add beets (cut in quarters if large), and boil gently for 5 minutes. Pack jars with beets, adding the additional pickling spice and hot pepper to each jar. Fill jars with pickling solution to within 1/4" of rim. Top with lid and ring and tighten. Process in BWB 15 minutes. Store for at least 1 month before opening. Refrigerate before serving. The leftover liquid can be used to make pickled eggs.