If you prefer to can your kraut, pack the sauerkraut and juices into
pint or quart mason jars, leaving 2 inch headspace at the top of
each jar. Close the jars with two-piece caps. Immerse the jars in a
canner of water heated to about 140°F and bring the water to a boil.
Keeping the water at a gentle boil, process pint jars for 20 minutes,
quart jars for 25 minutes.
BASIC PICKLED Beets
7 pounds beets, with their rootlets and 2 inches of their tops,
well scrubbed
Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 quart cider vinegar
2 cups water
1) Put the beets into a large pot and pour enough boiling water over
them to cover them. Return the water to a boil and boil the beets
for 15 to 35 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just
tender.
2) Drain the beets and cover them with cold water. When they are
cool, trim them and slip off their skins. If they are large, halve or
quarter them—or, if you like, slice all the beets into Y,-inch-thick
rounds.
3) Tie the spices in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth. Put this into a
nonreactive pot with both sugars, salt, vinegar, and water. Bring the
contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and
simmer the liquid, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
4 While the liquid simmers, pack the beets into pint or quart mason
jars. Pour the hot liquid over the beets, leaving 2 inch headspace.
Close the jars with two-piece caps. Process the jars for 30 minutes
ina boiling-water bath.
5) Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks
before eating the beets. After opening a jar, store it in the refrigerator.
From The Joy of Pickling pg 108
