Preserving method: Water bath canning

Makes about 4 pints (16 oz) of beets 

Note that this recipe will only perform as expected when using the Ball® freshTECH Automatic Home Canning System.

You will need

• 10 cups beets, prepared
• 3 tbsp Ball® brand Mixed Pickling Spice
• 2-1/2 cups white vinegar, 5% acidity
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Ball® brand pint (16 oz) Glass Preserving Jars
• Required: Ball^® freshTECH Automatic Home Canning System

Directions

Prepare your beets

1. To prepare beets: leave root and 2 inches of stem intact to prevent bleeding. Scrub thoroughly and sort by size, placing larger beets on the bottom of a large stainless steel saucepan and smallest on top. Add water to cover; bring to a boil and cook until tender, 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon the size of the beets. Remove beets from saucepan as they are cooked and run under cool running water. Drain. Slip off skins and remove tap root and stems. Leave baby beets whole and slice or quarter larger beets.
2. Tie pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag. In the meantime, pre-heat your empty jars.
3. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and spice bag in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, until spices have infused the liquid. Discard spice bag. Add beets and return mixture to a boil.

Pre-heat your empty jars

1. Remove Inner Pot from Appliance. Remove Rack; set aside. Fill Inner Pot with warm tap water to fill line. Return Inner Pot to Appliance. Place Rack back into Inner Pot. Place empty jars onto Rack in Inner Pot. Set preserving lids and bands aside in your work space. Close and lock Appliance Lid.
2. Press Pre-Heat button, then press Start. The red Pre-Heating light will illuminate, and the Appliance will begin pre-heating your jars. Jars will be pre-heated when the green Ready light is flashing. Keep jars in Appliance, with Lid closed and locked, until ready to fill with beets.

Preserver your beets

1. Unlock and open Appliance Lid.
2. Remove one hot jar. Close Lid, but do not lock, to keep remaining jars hot. Using a slotted spoon, ladle beets into hot jar, leaving a generous 1/2-inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover beets, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim of the jar. Center new lid on jar. Twist on band until fingertip tight. Return filled jar onto Rack in Inner Pot.
3. Repeat step 2 until all jars are filled with beets and pickling liquid and returned to Inner Pot. Close and lock Lid.
4. Press Pickles, then press Recipe 2. Press Start to begin preserving.
5. The Appliance will start sensing your recipe, indicated by the orange Sensing light. Then, the preserving phase will begin, indicated by the orange Preserving light. When your appliance beeps and the green Ready light is flashing, your pickled beets have been successfully preserved! Press Stop. Unlock and open Lid.
6. Remove jars from Inner Pot using jar lifter and place upright on a towel. Allow to cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. Check lids for seal. Label and store your jars.