4 pounds fresh beets
3 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cups vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
Trim tops from beets, leaving about 2 inches of the stems attached. Cover the whole beets with water in a large pot. Boil until they are tender when a fork is poked into them. Drain the beets. Peel and remove the stems. Cut into chunks — a size that fits into the mouth without cutting it first. Set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the prepared beets and heat through. Chill the beets in the juice. These will keep in a tightly covered glass bowl or jar for several weeks in the refrigerator.
- Recipe courtesy of Sue Doeden