It's a Beet Thing
The joy we find in sitting down to a plate of white beans swimming in hamhock, fried potatos with onions, cornbread, sliced onion and tomatoes, can only be eclipsed by the party in my mouth when I add pickled beets to the menu.
If you have never tried a pickled beet, don't turn your nose up at the thought. I admit it, beets taste a bit like dirt, but in a pleasing sort of way. They are earthy and dense and without pickling really aren't very tasty in my opinion. But add some vinegar, sugar and pickling spices and you have a sweet/sour treat that your children will love. I've been growing and pickling beets for more than 30 years. The recipe and methods are tried and true, however; ALWAYS use your Ball canning guide to double check canning times.
Growing Beets
Beets are not a difficult crop to grow, if your soil conditions are at least fair. Work the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches, creating a loose bed. If the soil is lacking in nutrients, do amend it prior to planting. Beets won't grow well if they are constricted by dense earth, such as red clay, nor if the soil lacks phosphorous. I recommend preparing the bed in the fall of the year, giving the amended soil time to rest. If you cover the bed in straw, or some other composting material, you will make the bed irresistable to the growing beet seed.
Beet seed are as dense as the root they form. I recommend strongly that you soak your seeds for at least 12 hours before planting. This softens the seed and helps it to germinate. I have done this both ways and learned my lesson. It's best to soak your seeds.
Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep, 2 inches apart in rows spaced 12 inches apart. As the beets begin to grow and crowd one another, you will need to thin them to at least 6 inches apart. If kept moist, your seeds will begin to germinate in 5 to 10 days. Any seeds that did not come up should be replanted at 2 week intervals. In the fall, plant your seeds at least 60 days before your first frost.
When the beets are 30 days old I fertilize them with a mild fish emulsion, just to give them a boost. It really isn't needed if they are growing well, although I did it this year simply because they looked like they needed a little pepping up. At 60 days, your beets should be ready, or very close to it. Do not be afraid to stick your fingers in the dirt and find the root. Just cover it back up when you have finished.
I like to pull my beets when they are the size of a tennis ball, or smaller. I realize I can get more if I leave them to grow, but I prefer the flavor and texture of a smaller root. This is one of the wonderful advantages of growing and preserving your own food, YOU decide. I cut mine into quarters and eights because I like them bitesized. Some folks pull the root small and pickle them whole. Others slice them and add onions to the jars. No matter how you slice them, once you have tasted the astounding flavor of these pickled gems you'll be growing them for years to come. Enjoy!
Our beet bed this morning before I pulled half of them up.
Note the loose soil around the root. If the soil is too compact beets will have a hard time developing to their full potential. This beet is a tad small but will be tender and full of juice.
Now this is the perfect size beet for canning. It will quarter easily once cooked.
There are few things prettier than a basket of ruby red beets!
Next you want to get them all cleaned up. I do this work outside, where I also sort them by size. The smaller ones cook faster then the larger ones, so I separate them out ahead of time. The greens can be cleaned further and cooked for dinner. We don't care for them but they are really good for you. This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
Read More
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2353/2#ixzz2XHWSreeL
Once I wash them off I trim the tops off. NEVER trim off the entire top of the beet. Always leave a couple of inches of stem. If you cut into the beet by removing the stems, you will cause the root to 'bleed'. During the cooking process much of the color will bleed out of the root and cause your beets to turn out pink. I like pink as much as the next girl, but not in my beets. Leave the little tap root in place as well. You want to retain as much of that lovely deep red juice inside the root as possible.
Pickling your Bounty
Your beets are now ready to be cooked. Place several pounds of beets in a large cooker and cover with cold water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and allow to cook until tender. The smaller ones take approximately 20 minutes, while the larger ones can take twice that long. Test with a fork for doneness every 10 minutes. Do not overcook the beets or they will become too soft to work with.
While the beets are on the back of the stove cooking I get my jars ready. There are several approved methods for sterilizing your jars. If you have a dishwasher, that's all you will need. Just make certain that you set it on the dry cycle. I sacrificed my dishwasher when I signed on for this simpler life so I have to hand wash mine. It is best to place the handwashed jars in a 275 degree oven for 20 minutes before filling with food. Non sterile jars are the fastest way to make yourself and others sick and that is the last thing we ever want to do.
This step is important to the proper sealing of all that work you just went to. Place new jar lids (NEVER re-use a jar lid) in a shallow pan and pour boiling water to cover them. If I don't use them right away, I will place them on a lowest flame on the back of the stove to keep them hot. The rubber expands in the heat, allowing it to adhere to the lip of the jar, forming an airtight seal. If the rubber gets cold again and contracts, it will be hard to get a good seal once you process the batch.
When the beets are soft, drain them and put them into a sink of cold water. This is not to stop the cooking process, as with blanching foods, but to cool them quickly so you can peel them with ease. The beets are fully cooked and safe to eat. Pickling them adds to that safety.
Trim the tap root and the stem. The skin will slide right off the beet. Wash and cut any way you like, but try to keep it uniform. Place the cut up beets in a large bowl and set aside.
In a deep metal pan add 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 1/2 cups of vinegar to 3 cups of sugar. As you can see in this picture, the mixture has yet to reach clarity. DO NOT add the spice bag until the sugar has clarified. Like this:
By placing the spice bag into hot liquid, you release the flavors of the spices in a more intense way. You'll be glad you waited.
Now that you know when to use the spices I guess you'd like me to tell you what they are. Take a square of cheesecloth, ( I like the old fashioned birdseye diapers) and add 1 tbs of allspice, 1 tbs of whole cloves and a 2 inch stick of cinnamon. Tie the bag together tightly and when the liquid has clarified, drop the bag into the pot. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 20 minutes. Your kitchen is about to smell fantastic!
Pack your cooled beets into jars. I fill them to the rim, place my hand over the jar and shake them down. Continue to add beets as needed to the jar until your roots are tightly packed. Fill the jar with the liquid, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Using a damp cloth, wipe the rims and mouth of each jar. If there is residue between the rubber seal and the jar rim, your beets won't seal. Place the hot lids on the clean jars and screw down the bands. Do not over tighten the bands.
Place the jars in a hot bath canner and put the lid on. Once it begins to boil it will take 30 minutes to fully process. Again, I recommend you refer to the Ball Home Canning Guide for processing times. Always double check yourself when processing foods at home.
All done! Once the jars have processed, allow them to cool in the canner for a bit. An hour will do. Once you take the jars out of the canner wipe them off with a damp cloth to remove any water residue, which will make them appear cloudy. Store them in a cool dark place for at least 6 weeks. Believe me, the longer they rest, the better they are. I know, it's hard not to enjoy them after you just put in all that work, but it will be worth it. Promise.
If there is one root crop that I will always, God willing, have in my pantry, it will be the beet. The next time you cook up a pot of white beans and cornbread, try adding some pickled beets to your plate. They are bright, beautiful, easy to grow and preserve; they have it all.
