HELOISE Old recipe makes tasty pickled beets

Dear Heloise: I have a friend who had a recipe for pickled beets. She got it from the newspaper when your mother had the column. She said the liquid was rather thick and very good. Can you please reprint this recipe for me? Katie K., Monticello, Ind.
You're right -- this was one of my mother's recipes that she brought back from China in the late 1940s. My father was stationed there while he was in the Air Force.
To make this delicious recipe, you will need:
6 cups cooked, sliced beets
OR
3 cans sliced beets
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
24 whole cloves
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons cooking oil (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt
Drain the beets, reserving 11/2 cups of the beet liquid. Place the beets in a medium saucepan with the reserved liquid and the remainder of the ingredients.
Mix well, then cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, or until the mixture thickens. Let it cool, then store it in the refrigerator. Heloise
P.S. A reminder came in from a reader who said she remembered my mother suggesting to serve this hot over white rice. Does anyone else remember this? Heloise
Dear Heloise: Instead of roasting an extra-large (20-plus pounds) turkey, I use two 10-pounders. It halves the cooking time and offers twice as many drumsticks. Renee Houston, Coral Springs, Fla.
Dear Heloise: When I bake brownies, I use a pizza cutter to cut them out of the pan and into pieces. It cuts more cleanly and smoothly than a knife. DeAnn Gable, Little Rock, Ark.
Dear Heloise: I have a helpful hint on packing adult lunches, and several co-workers really liked the idea: I take a travel toothbrush holder -- the kind that can carry the whole toothbrush -- and keep a paring knife inside. It's so handy that you don't have to worry about getting cut, and the knife stays clean and is always tucked inside, out of the way. I enjoy reading your column in The (Henderson, Ky.) Gleaner -- thanks for the hints. Darlene Powell, Waverly, Ky.
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate