I delivered a couple dozen empty egg cartons (that I have scrounged from several sources) to my veggie farmer friend who supplies me with chicken and duck eggs. The well timed visit had me coming home with farmer's market leftovers, including a grocery bag of yellow string beans and 4 lbs of small beets.
9 years ago, I got this recipe for pickled beets that uses red wine in the brine. I've been wanting to make that all these years and for multiple reasons, I just never did...UNTIL yesterday! ...I did a small batch (4 Qt jars), much easier that I thought it would be.
Here is the recipe for your reading pleasure, I did modify it a bit, swapping Honey for sugar, and such.
Recipe: SS Beets
pickled Beets in Wine brine, *yield 4 Qt jars
4 lbs beets covered in water
Cook, light boil about 20 min.
Move beets to cold water, then peel.
Cut into chunks/slices to fit in jar.
Put spices into jars first.
1 Cinnamon stick
6 cloves
9 allspice
Then add beets, then add boiling brine, leave 1/2" headspace.
Brine:
3 cup Honey (cooking grade)
3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cup wine (I used a CA Zinfandel)
1 TBLSP canning salt
>>>Bring to boil, let boil about 8 min if you wish? ...That's what the previous recipe said, but I don't see the need for the 8 min.
Put lids on, then process in boil water bath for 30 minutes
OR
in pressure canner 10 min @ 7 lbs.