Put the beetroot in a large saucepan and cover with water , bring to the boil and cook until a knife goes in easily ( 25 minutes or so )
Drain and reserve some of the water
Wearing latex gloves slice or chop the beets and put into warmed sterilised jars
Put the sugar , vinegar , pickling spice and some of the reserved water into a pan . Bring to a boil
Allow to cool slightly then pour over the beets . Add a couple of cloves to each jar and seal