Pickled Beets - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 1/2 lbs medium beets, leaves left on
1 cup pearl onions
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups wine vinegar
5 None bay leaves
1 None lemon, cut into 5 slices
5 None 16 oz sterlized preserving jars with lids

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F. Cook beets in boiling salted water for 20 mins. Drain, and plunge into cold water. Peel and cut into slices. Douse pearl onions with boiling water, drain and peel.
Put 3 cups of water, the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Season with a pinch of salt. Place the sterilized preserving jars in a roasting pan. Make sure they do not touch one another.
Arrange the beets and onions in the sterilized jars and fill with the pickling liquid. Put 1 bay leaf and 1 slice of lemon in each jar. Close the jars tightly. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan about 1/2 inch high and put in the oven.
When the liquid in the jars begins to bubble, reduce oven temperature to 225\u00b0F and cook another 30 mins. When cooked, leave to cool, then store in cool, dark place up to six weeks.