This year once again we had a pretty good sized garden. Unfortunately, because of my injury and Shane having to pick up most of the chores the grass got in and we couldn't get it out. Haylie told us one night that "we had a nice batch of grass growing." All Shane and I could do was chuckle. She was 100% correct. It was a nice batch of grass. Shane wanted to plant some beets this year being as how he absolutely loves pickled beets. I told him to go ahead and plant a row or two. Even though the grass got in and literally took over he managed to get quite a few beets out of the garden and our tomato crop was very abundant again this year. We ended up bottling 23 pints of salsa, 12 quarts of hot pepper mix, several pints of jalapenos, five pints (yes five) of pickled onions, 12 pints of peach jam, and beets. Shane was such a trooper. He wasn't afraid to step up and do a batch of salsa from start to finish all by himself. I am very proud of the way he wanted to learn how to do it all, and grateful for the help he gave me with ALL of the canning this year.
My mom told Shane that if he wanted to bring his beets over to the shop one Saturday she would mix them with hers and we could bottle them together. Boy was Shane excited. First because he wanted to learn how to do it and second because he would have his very own beets for the winter. Bottling beets is quite a process but with the crew we had it didn't take very long.
Mom and Kim cooking the beets.
Mom stirring the beets.
Taking the beets out of the cooker.
Getting ready to strain the juice.
Shane and Wendy peeling the beets after they had been cooked.
Tracy mixing the juice with vinegar and something else (honestly...I can't remember what else was added) to put in the bottles with the beets.
Making sure the heat is just right.
Wiping off the bottles...preparing for the lids.
Waiting for the bottles to finish boiling.
All finished. 110 pints total.
Don't they look good? They taste amazing and...makes for a very happy hubby at my house!
Wow! That pretty much sums it up. I love pickled beets too, so yummy! I am going to have to find out how you bottle your jalapenio and hot pepper mix. We have had soooo many this year we can't keep up with them and give them away like crazy!
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