This is a photo of the pickled beets that I've just finished. Wondering about the colors? I bought beautiful organic beets & when they were cooked & peeled the inside was variegated. The recipe was interesting as it was different from my usual one. I wanted to can these beets & my regular recipe has jars of beets in the refrigerator. I bought 3 pounds of beets & the yield was 1 quart & 2 points. Here's the recipe I used:
Ingredients
- 5 1/3 cups distilled white vinegar
- 4 cups white sugar
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 12 pounds beets, peeled and sliced
- 6 1-quart canning jars with lids and rings
Directions
- In a large pot, mix the white vinegar, sugar, water, cinnamon, salt, and cloves together; bring the mixture to a boil, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the beets, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sterilize the jars, lids, and rings in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, pack the sliced beets into the hot, sterilized jars, and pour in the beet liquid to fill the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a sterilized knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
- Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 30 minutes. Add more time if you are at high altitude.
- Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.
I changed up this recipe a bit & here's my variation ~ I bought 3 pounds of beets (instead of 12) as they fit perfectly in my pressure cooker. Did you notice that the recipe doesn't have you cook the beets in a pressure cooker? I like my beets cooked holding as many nutrients in as possible. By cooking them via my preferred method I can then easily peel them (you cook with the skins on) by wearing rubber gloves & rubbing the beet skins off. I noticed that the recipe called for cooking the beets in the pickling liquid. Since I was changing how the beets & liquid came together I substituted 1 cup of the beet liquid from the pressure cooker for the water. [I divided the recipe by 4 based on the amount of beets I had]. The pickling liquid was exactly the right amount & 1 quart & 2 pints was ok as a yield for me.
I also wanted to try making a jam with wine & honey based on a recipe that I found. I bought Cupcake wine at the store & loved the variety - Red Velvet. When I found local honey I purchased a 32 ounce (2 pound) jar. It measured out to 3 cups exactly. Since the recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of honey (with 2 cups of wine) I had to buy a smaller jar of honey, too. The jelly is lovely.
My sweet husband agreed to try jam if I could make it in a coffee cake. He'd seen breakfast danish in the store at almost $7.00 a box & knew that I could beat that price. I made a coffee cake with Blueberry Jam. Cross your fingers that this opens the door for him. He doesn't eat jam - at all. Ever. Can you imagine? I make jam every week of the summer & he has no interest. He didn't grow up eating pb & j so he has no interest in trying it now.
I'm also including a photo of a card that I made for my Tea Swap partner.
The criteria for this card was that it was to reflect "where you live". I live next to a lovely Lake & decided that if rivers have sirens - our lake could have a mermaid. I love this little redhead & hope that my swap partner likes her, too. She's made with a Stampendous stamp that I colored with color pencils. I'd taken a class in CT & she was one of the cards we made. This is a fun class program as you get to bring home a stamp after each class. Now I can make as many mermaids as I like. Since we have an upcoming party & I want it to have a Pirate & Mermaid theme I think she'll be making a reappearance.
How was your weekend? I worked on Friday so this is a short one for me. Tomorrow it's back to a long day at work.
Your mermaid is lovely! Great idea on tying her in to the lake!! :o) Have a great week, Kim!
ReplyDeletereally pretty Kim - your work is beautiful
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