Pickled Beets

      3 c  Cooked beets; sliced or
      2    16-oz jars sliced beets; drained (reserve
           1/4 cup cooking liquid or liquid from jar)
    1/4 c  Cider vinegar
      1 T  Sugar
      4    Whole cloves
    1/2 ts Dry mustard
    1/2 ts Salt
      1    Clove garlic; minced
      1 c  Sweet red onion; thinly sliced

In a small saucepan, combine reserved beet liquid,
vinegar, sugar, cloves, mustard, salt and garlic;
bring to a boil.  In a glass bowl, combine beets and
onion; pour in beet liquid mixture.  Cover and chill
at least 8 hours or overnight.

Fresh beets are available year-round in most
supermarkets.  When purchasing fresh beets, look for
good lobular shape, smooth and firm flesh with a rich,
deep red color.  The small and medium size beets are
usually more tender.

Beets are sold with and without beet tops.  The young
tender tops can be eaten as salad greens or cooked as
a vegetable similarly to spinach. However, the tops
should be used within a day or two of purchase as they
are more perishable than beets.  Beets (without tops)
keep up to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Beets can be cooked by boiling or baking.  With either
method, leave the skins on during cooking.  The skins
will easily slip off after cooking by rubbing with
your fingers.  When boiling, do not cut the stem or
root end too close to the beet to avoid "bleeding" in
the cooking water.  Cook, uncovered, in boiling salted
water until tender, about 40 minutes.  To bake beets,
rub with oil; arrange in a shallow baking pan.  Bake
at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour.  

Makes 8 servings

Contributed by Judi M. Phelps
Source:  Woman's World Magazine