Pickled Beets

From the garden

• 3½ lb beets, tops trimmed to 1 inch, taproots left on
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (optional) — the classic optional addition

From the pantry

• 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5%) — the tested 2:1 vinegar-to-water ratio — don't weaken it
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp canning or pickling salt
• 1 tbsp pickling spice — tied in a square of cheesecloth so the brine stays clear

1. Boil the beets whole, skins on, until a knife slides in easily — 25 to 40 minutes depending on size. Leaving the tops and taproots attached keeps the color from bleeding out.
2. Meanwhile, wash 4 pint jars and keep them hot in the water-bath canner as it heats; wash the lids and bands.
3. Drain the beets, cool just until you can handle them, and slip the skins off with your hands. Trim, then slice into ¼-inch rounds or quarter small beets.
4. Simmer the vinegar, 1 cup water, the sugar, salt, and the spice bundle for 15 minutes; discard the bundle. Add the beets (and onion if using) and return to a boil.
5. Pack the hot beets into the hot jars and cover with boiling brine leaving ½ inch headspace; release air bubbles, wipe the rims, and screw the bands on fingertip-tight. Process in boiling water covering the jars by 1 inch for 30 minutes. Altitude adjustment: 1,001–3,000 ft process 35 minutes; 3,001–6,000 ft, 40 minutes; above 6,000 ft, 45 minutes.
6. Cool the jars undisturbed on a towel 12–24 hours and check the seals; refrigerate any jar that didn't. Flavor peaks after 3–4 weeks in the jar.