Just Beet It

 Or just beat it!

Versions of of "Beat it!" run through my head as I pick out different colored beets.

Michael Jackson

Fall Out Boy

I like these beats...but not others.
See, I'm not really a beet fan.
I know, I know.
Yes, they're good for you.
Yes, they provide vital nutrients.
But you see, I don't really like them.
My mom does though...and so do people that I care about.
So I pickle beets.
I tried a couple different pickling recipes, and liked them both.
But what I like most of all was a combination of both.
Oh no! Am I starting to like beets?!

Spiced Pickled Beets
Recipe modified from Bon Vivant by Candace Shaw

Ingredients:

6 lbs. beets

1 medium onion- sliced

3 cups apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon pickling salt

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

1 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground allspice

Clean, sterilized jars and lids

Directions

1. Cut leafy greens and stems off beets; place beets in a pot.
2. Cover with water and boil until fork tender.
3. Cool beets, and remove skin (skin will peel away easily with your fingers).
4. Slice beets.
5. Combine vinegar, salt, sugar, spices, and water in the pot. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Place slices of beets and onion alternately into sterilized, hot jars.
7. Pour vinegar mixture over beets and onions.
8. Remove bubbles by running a knife around the edge of the jar.
9. Prepare according to National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Store for at least a week to allow the pickling to take effect, then enjoy.

Or if you're like me, give them to someone who will enjoy them.

But seriously...how beautiful are these?!

Wow!

Something this beautiful, must be tasty. 

I think I might have to give these another try.

I'm a cliche'-Part Two

On my quest of Portlandia self-discovery,
I have realized that I too love to find new things to pickle and can.
Pickles...
Salt and vinegar...
When I was little, I thought that my mom was a bit nutty.
She loved anything with a little salt and vinegar...
...expecially with it was on a chip or used to pickle.

If my mom could find a way to pickle mustard,

then that would be the perfect pickled item.

She lo-o-o-o-ves mustard as much as pickles.

Is she gets desperate for some pickled mustard,

she can head over to the Portlandia website

and the We Can Pickle That! application.

You can pickle anything and it doesn't even mess up your kitchen!

 

No surprise...I pickled a bit this summer....

 Beets for Momma...

  Pickles...Duh!

 

Onions...I know, strange, but they came highly recommended

from the Farmer's Market.

Murphy would love a little bit of pickled cat! 

Gross, I know...but it's really true.

Cats are his nemesis...

He'd like them better in a jar and spiced up with herbs.

Jelly Beans, I mean Dilly Beans...

MMMM...Jelly beans...now I want some.
Cinnamon or Very Cherry are my favorite jelly beans.
 But that is not the right kind of bean for today.

Green Beans are though!

I love, love, love fresh crisp green beans. 

They just taste so fabulous straight from the garden.

Since I receive a box of produce every week, and I'm just one person...One of my main goals for this summer, is to preserve as much as possible to use again during the winter. An added bonus will be finding new ways to add veggies into every meal.

Flipping through my trusty Ball Blue Book, there were many options, but I settled on Dilly Beans

http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes.aspx



Dilly Beans

Supplies:

sterilized jars, rims, and lids

2 pounds green beans (only had one pound, so I made a small batch)

1/2 canning salt

2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 heads dill ( I had fresh dill stalks...worked fine)

4 cloves of garlic ( I doubled this...I love garlic!)

Before doing anything else, start your waterbath canner.  It takes a good 30-45 minutes to bring it to a strong boil.  I have an electric stove top, so gas would probably be quicker! :0P

Directions:

1. Trim and wash your green beans.

2. Combine the salt, vinegar, and water into a large pot.  Bring it to a boil.

3.  In each jar, pack your beans lengthwise.., as best as you can.

4. To each jar add your red pepper flakes, garlic, and dill.  Go away shove it in!

5. Ladle the hot liquid over the beans, filling it up, but leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

6.  Remove any air bubbles, add the two-piece caps and process for 10 minutes.

7.  Now...wait...4-6 weeks.  This is definitely not an instant gratification canning project.  But it is exciting to wait and see what will happen.  I'll let you know...well, in like 6 weeks! :0)

 Waiting is the difficult part....



Got Zucchini?

Who doesn't, right? 

Zucchini...it seems to be the veggie that people ditch on your doorstep and try to throw in your direction.  But it doesn't have to be a thorn in your side.  It can be something new and spicy.

I love to preserve food, and this summer I wanted to try pickling.  Now, for me, I don't really like pickles.  I guess you could say that I'm picky about my pickles or pickled items.  I like them a bit sweet and a bit sour. 

My guidebook for pickling is this beautiful book.

 http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/art-of-preserving-cookbook/

This week I received some zucchini and summer squash in my CSA box and thought that I would try and different take on this troublesome veggie.


Pickled Zucchini Relish
By Rick Field and Rebecca Courchesne
Recipe copied from the book listed above

2lbs. zucchini ( I mixed in squash too- half and half)
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Chop, chop, chop...Chop zucchini (and squash), onion, and red bell pepper into small pieces.  Place in a non-reactive bowl with the salt.  Mix to combine.  Cover and let it sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours, but you can leave it sitting for a whole day.

2. The next day...have your jars and lids ready to go.

3. Drain and rinse the zucchini mixture a couple times.

4. Place the zucchini mixture into a saucepan and add the sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, nutmeg, turmeric, pepper, and 1 cup of water.  Stir. This smells so good!

5. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Let it simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and until it becomes slightly thickened.

6. Ladle the hot relish into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.  Remove bubbles and adjust the headspace.  Wipe the rims and seal with the lids.

7. Process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

8.  The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year.  :0)

One of my favorite comfort foods is egg salad.  I love egg salad.  When I'm having a bad day, nothing makes me feel better like yummy egg salad, well, and a cookie.   This is a good alternative to pickled relish and will be a perfect addition to my comforting egg salad.

Now I need a sandwich...at least I have the relish ready! :0)