Can't Beet the Harvest!

I thought it might be helpful if I "showed" you what I do with all our Beets after be harvest them....First we cut the leaves off of the beets.  I'm sure to leave a few stems sticking up from the beet and not cut into the actual beet.....That way if I can't take care of them right away the beets will keep for a long time in the fridge.  Then we wash the greens I will freeze some in bags to put in green smoothies and put some in the fridge to steam soon as a side dish for a few dinners.

Then I wash the beets and bag them and put them in the fridge until I have time to get to them.

Then on the day I'm ready to take care of them I cut both ends off then I quarter large beets and half small ones.  I put some raw beets in bags and put them in the freezer for Beet Smoothies, then I usually pickle the rest.

I put all the beets to be pickled in a very large pot of water on the stove and I cook them until soft.  The other pot has the pickling sauce with a bag of spices floating in it.  You can find my recipe here!

Once the beets are cooked I spoon them out with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water.  This just helps them cool down so I can touch them and slide the skins off.

The skins usually come off really easily....I just slide my thumb across them.  I usually put the skins in the compost pile although the kids usually eat a few!  I also save the water I cooked the beets in.  It makes a great soup base or a smoothie base.  I'm just certain with that dark color it's full of lots of good nutrients and I just can't bring myself to dump it down the sink.  It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

I cut up the peeled beets into the size I want....

Then I put them in clean quart jars.

Then I pour the pickling sauce over them.  At this point I either put them in the fridge or I water bath can them.  Usually some go in the fridge and some get canned so they can go on the shelf.  Aren't beets just pretty!

With my canning this year I have got a few Tattler Reusable Lids to try out.  They seem to work good (just be sure to read directions first because you use them a bit different) and I think I will get some more!  A great item to have around since they are reusable!  Well that's it for the beets!  I've done lots of food preserving this fall and I'm excited to show and tell you more about it!  For now though what have you been canning this season?