Old-Fashioned Spiced Pickled Beets

The Pre-Cook: Place the beets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25–35 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
The Easy Peel: Drain and immediately plunge the beets into an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, the skins should slip right off with just a little pressure from your thumb. Slice into ¼-inch rounds or wedges.
The Brine: In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let it simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the spices.
The Pack: Pack the sliced beets (and onions, if using) into clean glass jars.
The Pour: Pour the hot brine over the beets, ensuring they are completely submerged. Leave about ½ inch of headspace at the top.
The Cure: Wipe the rims, seal the jars, and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. They only get better the longer they sit!

Leave the Tails: When boiling the raw beets, do not trim the root tail or the very top of the bulb too closely. If you “wound” the beet before boiling, the color will leak out into the water, leaving you with a pale, sad-looking beet.
Whole Spices Only: Use whole cloves and allspice rather than ground versions. Ground spices will turn your brine cloudy and muddy-looking.
The “Quick” Option: If you don’t want to boil fresh beets, you can use high-quality canned sliced beets. Just skip the boiling step and go straight to making the hot brine and pouring it over the canned beets.

The “Salad Builder”: Toss them with goat cheese, walnuts, and arugula.
The “Ploughman’s”: Serve them on a board with sharp cheddar and those Cheese Straws we talked about earlier.
The Juice: Save the leftover beet juice to pickle hard-boiled eggs for a stunning purple snack!