pickled beets

[sky otter]

ok..got the beets done..and thought i would give you guys the recipe

personally i don't eat beets..to me they taste like dirt..but they are nice to grow and hubby luvs em and i use them in a
hunkie holiday condiment of horseradish and beets..it's great on the holiday ham..

since hubby has a sweet tooth i have altered the reicpe to suit him

brine ratio.. adjust to amount of beets

water         1/2 cup
vinegar    1 1/2 cup
sugar       2 1/8 cup    ................... reg recipe is only 2 cups of sugar

beets..washed and placed in pot ..water to cover plus a bit
cooked till tender  ..you know..the fork thing
(water can go on compost pile..with the skins from the beets - doesn't matter if it's still hot)

remove beets from hot water
cool slightly and remove skins

easyest way for me is put on rubber gloves and roll them thur your palms..stems and roots come right off and so does the skin
but sometimes it sticks to the gloves..so i have a small container with water to stick my hands in to rinse off the pieces..that goes to the compost also
yes it's messy and beet red is a dye..so be fore warned

if canning they get cut into pieces to fit the clean hot jar and the brine is poured over the beets ..capped and hot packed for 30 minutes

for just eating..pour the warm brine over the warm beets and let sit till the brine is a nice red
en~joy

some tips
> if you are growing the beets..let them sit for a day or two after pulling from the ground
    a cool place not out in the sun... it lets the juice settle and they don't bleed hardly at all
> then  you can cut the stems to about two inches from the beet and clean the dirt off
     before cooking

>  don't ever use alum to cook and never use plastic to cool in
>  i use enameled steel pots and glass..both are easy to clean
>  the leaves can be eaten as greens..but if you don't eat them..they go in the compost pile

in addidtion to the pickled beets you can add pickled eggs
> after the fresh ones have been in the frig for overnight - covered
    i make hard boiled eggs and add to the beets
    it's a hubby snack.....i don't eat this stuff..i just grow it..



beets and horseradish condiment

>dig horseradish before the ground freezes and just let it in a cool place..garage,etc
  i ususally do it right before thanksgiving

> cut off the top and scrub the horseradish roots then scrape or peel the outer skin
    the cut off part goes to the compost pile

>  open a jar of the picked beets and mix it with the horseradish as you put it thur the grinder
    don't stick your nose in it...just cleaning it and scrapping the outer skin will clear your sinus   
   for   the year

> use part or all of the juice..depending on how dry the roots are as you grind
   any extra juice.. pickle some eggs

put the mix into an container and cover.(glass is best).the more time it has to sit the sweeter it becomes...it goes and stays in the frig
so if you make it a month ahead the pinch from the horseradish lessens greatly



ok.. go forth and can and eat and enjoy the garden produce all year round

[Shasta56]

We had roasted beets last night.  They were yummy.

Shasta