Canning: Pickled Beets

Finished product: Pickled Beets

When I first tasted pickled beets (that my mother-in-law gave for me to try and see if I would like it), I did not like it. It had an overpowering earthy taste. That was 3 years ago. I do remember having beets in potato salad that rendered an exotic taste that I liked...it was a potato salad made by a classmate in med school back when I was in the Philippines.


Washed and trimmed for boiling

This year, my sister-in-law (the one licensed to sell her canned goods) gave me a jar to try it again. Surprisingly, I liked it. I thought she used a different recipe. She said she used our MIL's recipe. My Nanay liked it too, and I told my SIL about it. She thought, maybe I would like to can some for my personal use. She then offered some of her beets in her garden. I harvested about half of a row. Best to get the smaller ones (I used my fist as the basis for the max size I would use for my canning. The bigger ones were too starchy instead of sweet. Too tough.
Boiling
I probably boiled these for about one hour to make sure they were tender enough, but not too tender that they crumbled when handled.
Slicing
After boiling, it was so easy to slip off the skins. I then used my mandoline to slice them.
I would classify these as one of those "acquired taste" kind of food for me. Beets definitely are one of the healthiest food available to mankind.  Nanay can finish a jar in 3 days.

TOOLS, PROCEDURE & INGREDIENTS:

Wash beets. Cut top offs, leaving about 1inch long of the stems (this prevents them from bleeding while you boil).
Boil til tender (about 1 hr). (Meanwhile, wash and sterilize the jars. Boil water for the lids and bands. Pour onto the lids and bands just when ready to can.)
Dunk beets in cold water and slip the skins off.
Slice with 1/4-inch thickness. Place in a big stainless steel stockpot. (Note: Any vinegar or acidic canning project will react with aluminum, so always use stainless steel in canning.)

In a different stainless steel stockpot, prepare brine using the following solution, adjust according to how much beets you have:
1 & 3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 cups of sugar.

Boil the brine.

Pour into the beets. Simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm.

Put 1 tsp canning salt into each quart jar (or half tsp into each pint jar).

Ladle beets into hot sterile jars, release bubbles, leave 1/2 inch headspace, wipe rim, and adjust lids and bands.

Process 30 minutes on easy boil in hot boiling water bath.
~~~~~~~~~~
I had some extra beets the I peeled, cubed, then simmered til tender, then I added with corn, diced fresh tomatoes, and green onions to make beet salad. I was just curious to see if I would still find it good to eat as salad. I was surprised how good it was, and that even my sons liked it. Here's how it looked like:
Beet salad
I better study how to plant and take care of beets now, in preparation for my canning escapades for the year 2012.





Comments

  1. So much nicer than store bought!

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  2. Dear Manang,
    I simply eat the beets raw and saw saw them in Suka and asin like how we eat manibalang na papaya n the Phil. Refreshing!

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  3. Kimmie, I haven't tried store-bought, so I cannot tell. One thing that I am certain, though, is that plenty of my co-workers are telling me, they don't even like the store-bought bread and butter pickles, but they love the ones I made. So it is probably true with the beets.

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  4. GroovyDulcet,
    Well, I did not know that beets can be eaten raw!!! That is something I gotta try when we have them again next year (I probably will ask my SIL for some). Thanks for that info! Is it also like eating Jicama?

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  5. Exactly, like how we eat jicama.
    I also pickle them raw with vinegar,sugar and crushed pepper. Slice them into sticks for easy eating.
    Every bite comes with a crunch!

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  6. Oh, and I steam or boil the leaves and dip (sawsaw) them in suka and bagoong.

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  7. "It had an overpowering earthy taste." Ha ha! Exactly why I don't like beets - lasang lupa!

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  8. hi manang,
    slamat po sa lahat ng mga posts ninyo. the best ang mga recipe. tuwang tuwa ang asawa ko nung makita nya ang Siakoy recipe ninyo. Ilang beses na kmi nag try ng ibang recipe pero, hindi maganda ang resulta, matigas pa sa bato. Nung sinubukan namin ang recipe ninyo, tuwang tuwa kami dahil saktong sakto ang lasa at consistency ng Siakoy. maraming maraming slamat po! makakakain na rin kmi ng siakoy anytime, malayo kasi kmi sa filipino store. at minsan wala silang tindang siakoy. Pati yung pan de sal recipe nyo masarap din. dito na kmi lagi maghahanap ng recipe sa website ninyo, kasi tunay ang lahat ng recipe na na-i-share ninyo.

    salamat po ulit ng marami!!!!!

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  9. GroovyDulcet: thanks for all those ideas!

    Maricel: Maybe someday, your taste buds will learn to like them, too, just like mine did...or maybe never, just like my husband...haha!

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  10. Hi marj, salamat sa feedback! Yung siakoy recipe na yan ay courtesy of a friend I met on fb. Siguro, dahil na-satisfy sya sa maraming recipes ko, that was her way of giving back. Guilty tuloy ako na kahit ako ay hindi ko pa na-try ang siakoy recipe nya. Masubukan nga...

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    Replies
    1. hi Manang,
      salamat sa reply. Naku subukan nyo talaga ang Siakoy recipe. Masarap talaga!!!! Meron pa kaming isang hinahanap na recipe, Sana ma i-share din ninyo sa susunod. Yung recipe ng "hotcake", yung nabibili lang natin sa tabi tabi sa pilipinas na kulay dilaw. Parang may pagka rubbery ang texture. Marami na kaming nahingian ng recipe pero wla talagang tumama kahit isa. I hope Manang makita ninyo ang recioe na ito. Salamat in advance :).

      naku nag bake pala ako ng Crema de fruta na recipe ninyo nung new year. Masarap!! nagustuhan ng mga bisita ng anak ko. Salamat po ulit. :)

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    2. Hi marj,
      Kinukumbinsi na nga ako ng anak ko na gumawa ng siakoy kagabi pero kako, meron pang spanish bread kaya sabi ko "bukas na lang" so we might make tonight. Hindi pa ko nagta-try ng pinoy-style hotcake pero you can try this link if you have not tried this recipe yet: http://lutongpinoy.info/hotcake/
      I suggest na para maging mas rubbery, let it sit in the fridge for several hours para mas madevelop ang gluten.

      Delete
    3. hi Manang,
      salamat po ulit sa reply. I-try ko itong recipe ng hotcake. Sa susunod na linggo siguro, kasi kakaluto lang namin ng siakoy kahapon. :)salamat sa link na ibinigay nyo.

      Delete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. I have never tried pickled beets before. I bet it really tastes good. It looks good! :) Visiting you Manang.

    Adin B

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    Replies
    1. Adin, it is an acquired taste for me. I did not like it the first time I tried it (although I liked the beets in the potato salad that I had back in the Philippines). I liked it better the second time.
      Thanks for the visit!

      Delete

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