Pickled Eggs with Beet Juice

1 jar (16 oz) beets
1-3/4 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. whole allspice
1 stick cinnamon, halved
8 HARD-COOKED EGGS, peeled

1. DRAIN beets, reserving juice.  Set beets aside for another use.  COMBINE beet juice, vinegar, sugar and spices in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil; STIR until sugar is dissolved.  REDUCE heat and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Arrange eggs in 1-quart jar with tight fitting lid.  POUR hot mixture over eggs.  Cover tightly.  Allow to cool to room temperature 1 hour.  Refrigerate to blend flavors, at least several hours or up to one week.

• Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel.  To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking.  This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
• To hard-cook eggs:  PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan.  LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large) COOL completely under cold running water and peel.
• Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling.  Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.
• To peel a hard-cooked egg:  Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over.  Roll egg between hands to loosen shell.  Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.