How to Can Beets

Canned Beets | Photo: Kelly Hunt It”s so simple really. Trim off the beet greens. You can eat these just like chard. Do not cut into the beets, just take the greens off and leave a little “stump”. If you cut into the beet itself, it will bleed like crazy and make for a messy experience. Get a huge pot, fill it with water and throw your beets in there. Bring to a boil and cook until the beets are fork tender (you can stick a fork in them and it falls off when you lift it). This should take anywhere from 1/2 hour to 4o minutes. Next, drain the water from the beets, keep the beets in the pot, and now fill the very same pot with cold water. The skins will now easily slide away from the beets with a little rubbing. You can wear rubber gloves for this part, but I like to see my hands all stained Macbeth red for a little while, lol. It comes out pretty easy so don”t get too upset. In another pot, mix together 3 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of vinegar. Add to this one cinnamon stick and one and a 1/2 tsp of cloves as well as a squirt of lemon juice. Bring to simmer. In your large pot or canner, sanitize your mason jars. Once sterilized,cut your beets in whichever shape you like best and fill the jars almost to the top. Take your syrup and fill to the top of jar,leaving about 1/2 – or an 1/8 inch headroom. Warm your lids by popping them in the canner for a few seconds (do not boil your lids!). Using a chopstick or skewer or something that is not metal, run it down the side of the jar gently, just teasing any air bubbles up to the surface. Place one lid and one screw top on each jar and screw tight with one hand, so it is just finger tight. Repeat this until you have filled all of your jars. Return jars to boiling water in your canner or large pot, covering with water at least 1/2 inch above the lids. Boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove jars and set out on counter to cool. Within a few seconds or a few minutes you will start to hear the “pop” of the lids sucking closed. Store your beets away for a while (your beets should be ready to eat in about 2 weeks). You can eat them right away, but the flavour will develop over time. Any jars that did not seal must be stored in the fridge and eaten up within two weeks. Notes: I purchased these beets from Farmer Mark at Adelaide Farms, but I have also seen beets at all of the markets for the past 3 weeks now. One basket of beets will make about 3 medium/largish jars and one small.  Read More