Canning Beets Part 1

Canning season is in full swing and I've been as busy as a bee trying to get things done before my daughter goes into labor. We picked all our beets and I finally have them canned and put in the pantry. I'm not a big fan of pickled beets (or any beets for that matter), but my husband absolutely loves them. It's a bit of a long process but not difficult at all.  Make sure when you pick them not to cut the stem too close to the beet and don't cut off the root. Keep about a 2-3 inch stem. If you cut too close all the pretty red color will run leaving the beets a bit pale in color.

Wash the beets really well  and place in large stockpot; cover with water.

Cover and cook on medium high heat for about 20-30 minutes or until skins slip off easily. Mine took right at 30 minutes.  Drain and discard the water and let the beets cool down.  I just put mine in my sink and ran some cool water over them. Trim off the stem and the root and the skins should just slide right off.

You are now ready to slice or dice the beets, whichever you prefer.  I bought a mandolin from Pampered Chef  a while back so I used that to slice them. Last time I just used a simple paring knife which worked well too.

Beets are slightly messy  to work with so be sure to use an apron so you don't mess up your good clothes.  From here you can either put a lid on them and put them in the fridge (which is what I did because I was flat worn out) OR you can proceed to the canning process (Part 2) .  If you would like to purchase a mandolin like the one I have here, listed below are a couple of links you can check out. Have a blessed day!!

Pampered Chef Ultimate Mandolin from Amazon

Pampered Chef Ultimate Mandolin from Pampered Chef