PICKLED BEETS, GRANDMA'S STYLE

Steps:

• 1. WASH BEETS. Trim tops to about 3 inches and remove any dead stem tops. Do not trim the root. If you have different size beets, sort into 2 or 3 sizes and fill your 2-3 large pots. The beets will cook even and you will have them already sized to fill the jars. Add water to cover beets, put on lid and set on medium heat to bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer.
• 2. MAKE PICKLING LIQUID: While beets are simmering..prepare the pickling liquid. Add all the liquid (vinegar, sugar & water)to one pot and mix well. Tie spices into the cheesecloth and add to liquid. Simmer pickling liquid and spice bag for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove spice bag. Hint: I saved the spice bag in a ziplock bag and put in freezer for later use. One batch of pickling liquid was enough, and you can make more if needed.
• 3. SIMMER beets for about 15 to 30 minutes until skin slips easily. Hint: take one beet out and try to slip skin. If not, return to pot and add a few more minutes. I scooped out a few beets at a time and put into a bowl of cool water and then trimmed off top and root and slipped the skin. Discard water from pots when done.
• 4. FILL your clean, sterilized jars with the beets. I had quite a few cleaned as I thought I was going to fill up everything. LOL. I put the jars into the dishwasher to clean and keep while I was preparing beets. Leave 1" head space. FILL your beet filled jars with the warm pickling liquid and also leave 1" head space. Remove any bubbles you see (non metallic tool) and wipe jar tops and threads clean and place (cleaned and sterile) lids and rings and screw rings down firmly. Do not worry about keeping your filled jars hot..
• 5. WATER BATH: 30 minutes (old way)I did a little research and it says yes? and no? So I did not use this method. ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER: Mine can be used for canning. It will hold 3 - 32 oz (quart) and 4 - 16 oz (pint)
• 6. FILL ELITE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER (8 Qt): Please use your directions for your pressure cooker. I got 6 pint jars of beets. Sooooo..fill inner pot with 4 pint jars. Wrap a clean dish towel around jars to keep from touching each other (and the sides). Fill with 6 cups of warm water. Close lid and lock...make sure that the pressure limiting valve is set to air tight. Plug in the power and set timer to 30 minutes. When pressure cooker time is finished, unplug and let sit until pressure release is released naturally. Open lid and look inside...2 of my jars had leaked (I did not tighten enough) Remove jars with canning tongs and set on a towel away from drafts. They will boil for a while until cool enough. Remove rings after the lids pop. Clean rings, tops and jars to keep rings from rusting. Repeat with the last 2 jars as above. (my jars leaked so I dumped out the water and rinsed towel and reused the towel and added clean water as above)