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WARNING About Vinegar!

-------- To pickle, Vinegar needs to be 5% acidity
-------- In 2012, the vinegar sold in stores dropped to 4%.
-------- Find proper pickling Vinegar, AND check label for 5% acidity.

Sterilize

-------- DO NOT use old pickle or other regular jars with screw on lids.
-------- Jars must be COMPLETLEY clean and sterilized before use.

-------- 350 oven, middle rack, 30 minutes
-------- Put CANNING jars, rings and NEW lids - separated - directly on rack (or cookie sheet)
-------- Lids rubber side up.
-------- Turn oven off, and keep in oven until you need them

Beets

-6- pint sized CANNING jars, rings and NEW lids

-5- lbs beets
-------- Put in large stock pot,
-------- DO NOT peel the beets,
-------- DO NOT cut the roots,
-------- DO NOT cut the stems off completely, leave some of the stem above the top of the beet,
-------- ... or all the colour will bleed out while boiling.

-------- Boil beets until tender
-------- Run cold water into pot
-------- When beets are cool enough, peel and cut into roughly 1 inch or bit larger chunks.

-3- whole cloves per jar
-------- Put 3 cloves into bottom of each jar
-------- Add beets to jar, tucking firmly, leave space at the top for the brine to cover beets, and for an air pocket.
-------- Brine should not touch the lid

Brine

-------- Ratio: 1 cup malt vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar
-6- cups malt vinegar - check its 5%
-6- cups water
-3- cups sugar
-------- Bring to boil and boil at least 1 minute
-------- While hot, pour into jars, COVERING the contents of the jar COMPLETELY!
Brine should not touch the lid
Pickles (and any inclusions) should not touch the lid
Needs to be an air pocket at top of jar
-------- Seal with sterilized lids and rings
-------- IMPORTAT: As jars cool, tighten and re-tighten the lids.

Store

-------- Store in cool dark place - example cupboard - until opened
-------- Once opened, must store pickles in fridge
-------- If you open a jar and the pickle isn't pickled enough, put jar you opened in the fridge and wait another week or so.

Eat

-------- For beets, wait at least a week before trying. Maybe two.