This is my tried and true canned pickled beets recipe. You could cut this recipe way back and just make a jar or two at a time as well without doing the water bath processing.
Ingredients
7 pounds of beets
4 cups vinegar (5%)
1 ½ tsp canning salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
4 to 6 onions small to medium (optional)
Directions
Trim your beet tops, leaving about 1 inch of stem and roots. Wash thoroughly.
Cover with boiling water and cook until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). This works best if you can do similar size beets together. Drain and discard your liquid.
Let your beets cool. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins.
Slice your beets into cubes or slices of your choosing.
Combine vinegar, salt, sugar and fresh water.
Place your spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture.
Bring vinegar mixture to a boil.
Add your beets and onions. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove spice bag.
Fill jars with beets and onions, leaving ½ inch head space.
Add hot vinegar solution, leaving ½ inch head space.
Remove your air bubbles.
Wipe jar rims, adjust lids.
Process pints or quarts for 30 minutes in a hot water bath.