Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Requires: 5 half litre mason jars

5 lbs. baby beets (head to the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market and visit Peas on Earth, they still have gold and candy cane beets!)
2 cups white sugar
1 lt. white vinegar
1 tbsp. pickling salt
20 pc. whole cloves
2 tbsp. mustard seed
2 tsp. coriander

• Place beets in a medium pot, cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, if using a variety of beets boil separately and jar separately to preserve the colors
• Drain, reserving 2 cups of the beet water, cool and peel
• Sterilize the mason jars and lids by immersing in a pot of boiling water for at least 10 minutes
• Remove the jars from the water, then divide the beets up evenly amongst the jars
• Carefully divide the cloves amongst the jars
• In a pot combine the sugar, beet water, vinegar and pickling salt, bring to a boil
• Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars and seal the lids
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot and fill halfway with water
• Using a jar holder carefully lower the jar into the water, if necessary pour more water in to ensure the jars are immersed completely
• Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes
• Remove, set aside and store in a cool place

These will take as little as two weeks or up to two months to fully pickle, depending on how large your beets are. For the sake of the salad, if you are in a rush you can use some beets you have already pickled, or if you have to, pick up some pickled beets, I won’t tell!