From the Garden...Home Canned Beets

 If you have beets growing or can buy them at a Farmers Market like I do, try canning them. They are quite simple to can and you can then use them later on for beet pickles, or as a veggie or in a relish. The only warning I have is that beet juice stains so I would wear gloves if you don’t want red hands and a apron to keep your clothes clean.
Keep in mind that beets are a low acid vegetable and must be pressure canned not water bathed. 
 The directions I use are from the Ball Canning Book and I would recommend buying one if you do not have one. It has the recipes for other ways to can beets as well.
 If you are not sure if you are doing it right check out our posts on canning or again buy the Ball Book and read the introduction to canning.

Canned Beets
2 to 3 pounds red beets per quart (Salt Optional)
water
  Wash Beets and drain. Leave 2 inches of stem and tap root on. Put in large kettle, cover with water and  heat to boiling. Boil till skins slip off easily. Remove skins, trim top and bottom and slice, dice or leave whole if small. 
  Pack hot beets into hot jars leaving one inch head space. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to pint jars and 1 teaspoon to quart jars if using salt. Ladle boiling water over beets leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, a plastic knife works well. 
Adjust two piece lids just until finger tight. 

  Process pints 30 minutes and quarts 35 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner starting timing according to the directions with your canner. Let pressure drop on its own. When you remove them,  let cool and then check that they all sealed. Any that did not seal can be stored in the refrigerator and used. Remove rings carefully, wash jars and store in a dark cool (not cold) place.

6 comments:

  1. I just love beets. Even leaving stems and root on, I still have trouble losing a lot of color from my beets. I'm thinking about roasting them next time I have enough to can, or scrubbing them really clean and canning them with the skin on. I've tried different varieties and haven't noticed much difference between them in color-keeping. *Sigh*. Hope you and Sue are doing well. Hugs

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    1. Hi Ilene, Hope you are doing well also. I haven't found anyway to keep beets from bleeding either.
      We do like them, fixed just about anyway.

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  2. I absolutely LOVE beets! Always have, but my mother only made pickled beets. Now I love them pickled or heated w/butter...YUM!!! And here's the story my ex & I like to tell: When I was a young newlywed, my husband asked for cooked beets. I'd never had beets any other way but pickled & thought it was strange that he wanted them heated. But being a good wife, I heated the pickled beets. Well you can imagine the reaction!!! I felt bad, but then shopped for regular canned beets and heated those next time. Fell in love with them! A few years later I even planted some & cooked those. The smell of cooking beats makes me drool! (Do they have a room spray that smells like that?! lol) I almost think that now I like cooked, buttered beets even better than pickled. And now everyone is putting shredded or chopped beets on their salads. Unfortunately my current husband doesn't like beets, so I buy a small can for myself now & then or a jar of the pickled.

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    1. Nadine, I am so glad that we all like beets. Have you tried them with orange juice? It is similar to Harvard beets but we think it is better.
      The recipe is in the archives. Though we like them best with just butter.

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  3. Replies
    1. It is coming up on one of the cookbook reviews this month.
      You might want to give it a try when it posts.

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