German-Style Pickled Beetroot with Onions & Spices (Safe Water-Bath Canned)
This recipe makes four 700ml jars.
Ingredients
For the jars:
- 1.5 kg beetroot, cooked, peeled, and sliced into 5mm rounds
- 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced into half-rings
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled (one per jar)
For the brine:
- 470 ml vinegar 8%
- 1 l water
- 150 g white sugar
- 3 bay leaves, broken into pieces
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Cook the beetroot
Wash the beetroot and trim the tops, leaving about 2.5 cm of stem. Place them in a large pot, cover with water and boil until tender — about 25–30 minutes, depending on size. Drain, rinse with cold water and slip off the skins. Cut into 5 mm slices. If any are very large, cut them in half or into quarters first.
Prepare your jars
Wash your jars and lids, then rinse them with boiling water.
Make the brine
Combine the 8% vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, cloves and allspice. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes to let the spices infuse.
Pack the jars
Pack the beetroot slices and sliced onions into the jars, adding one garlic clove to each jar. Leave 2 cm of headspace at the top. Do not overpack.
Add the brine
Ladle the brine over the beetroot, making sure it completely covers them. Again, leave 1.5 cm of headspace. Wipe the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel.
Seal and process
Seal the jars tightly with sterilised lids. Place the jars in a large pot and fill the pot with water to just below the lids. Pasteurise the jars in a hot water bath (about 95 °C) for about 30 minutes. Let the jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes, then remove them with a jar lifter. Check the seals once the jars have cooled. The lids should be concave and should not flex when pressed. The beetroot is ready to eat after two weeks. Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to one year.
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