Hey Sweet Dirt Roaders! How are you? We are good…doin’ good. Life has been crazy…and summer has been super busy. Busy is good though. I missed mmmMonday! this week…because of some of the busy in our lives. Sooooo….since I was canning our beets from the garden yesterday and sharing on Instagram…I thought that I would bring a little mmmMonday to Wednesday this week. Are you down with that? I knew that you would be. You are flexible that way. 😉
Sooo…here I was laboring away in my farmhouse kitchen…and what to my wondering eyes did appear? My momma. How awesome is that? I know…pretty awesome. She came just in time. Plus, she brought our little cousin…to swim with my little one….so it was a win/win all the way around. She can peel beets like nobody’s business. Even hanging way over the sink…right Mom? 😉 AND…getting to visit with your mom…while you are having to work….makes it go super fast. I love you Momma….you are an amazing person. Thank you for teaching me the joy and satisfaction of raising a garden and putting up food for your family. I hope that your new wax pot worked and I hope that you are enjoying all of the goodies that I sent you home with. Plan that vacation….and get back up here….PRONTO…please. 😉
Okay…so….here is my “famous” pickled beet recipe…for all of you that want to know. It’s a little hodge-podge. Our friend Connie gave it to me a few years back…and I tweaked it (of course) to my own taste…..so…well….I hope that you enjoy.
Connie and Kelli’s “famous” Pickled Beets
3 gallons of beets
4 c. of sugar
4 c. of vinegar
4 c. of water
about 1 tsp. of allspice
sea salt (to taste)
Directions:
Cover beets with water in canner and boil until skins loosen. Drain and let cool. Peel beets and place back in (washed) canner. Add vinegar, water, sugar, allspice and sea salt (a couple of pinches) and taste. Just kind of go by your own judgement and tweak it to the way that you think they should taste. I don’t like them really spiced. Maybe you do. Just go wild. 😉 I love the way that the salt balances out the sweet. Cook them until they boil and then ladle them into hot jars. Seal…and wait for the popping sound to start. (My favorite part of canning.)
If you have questions about all of the steps to canning I will be happy to answer. Just leave me a comment. Canning is an art…and actually for me a heritage. It has been passed down from my grandmothers…to my mom and now to me. Even though it is a lot of work…canning is one of my favorite things about summer. There is a certain feeling in your kitchen and home…when you are preserving. Maybe it’s the essence of the Proverbs 31 woman….in the room. Whatever it is…it makes me thankful for this country life that I am blessed to live.
Smiles!
Along the Dirt Road 
So, do you not have to bathe the cans or steam them at the end? Process them? Just curious. If this works for you, I would do it this way. Much less heat in the kitchen and not so time consuming… so I can make more! 🙂
You know…there is great controversy over that question. I don’t….and my grandmothers never did. 😉 You can…but I don’t think that it’s necessary. The only thing that I worry that much about in the canning process is green beans. I was canning those in the oven…but someone freaked me out a little about botulism…so I just started freezing those. Tomatoes have an acid that helps kill anything like this…and anything pickled usually has salt and vinegar. I once made some banana peppers that were in a water and salt brine and they were wonderful. No processing there either. So…to finally answer your question….I don’t…but if you feel better about it go ahead. 🙂 I have been canning beets for a few years now…and never have processed at the end…but I would say that it’s up to the individual. ~k.