Good eating but not fishing

It's late Spring and the garden crops are coming in so fishing has been put on hold for a while. This past week I spent some time pulling beets, washing them, boiling them, and then canning, pickling and freezing them. I had to jump off the beets for a few days as the snapbeans were due to be picked which was delayed an extra day by the rain. We canned some beets fresh and some of them pickled. I still have a pan full in the fridge which I will handle today. Yesterday I was up at 2 AM working on the beans which I had picked the evening before. By the time Linda got up they were already cut up and blanched and ready for pressure canning. I had 40 pounds of beans to process which yielded 21 quarts jars plus some left over which we shared with our 2 sons.

The beets, small jars fresh canned quarts jars pickled.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...7F6C2E67-1.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...9AE41A8676.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...D58A7E93D8.jpg

Snap beans drying after washing
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...2145627B62.jpg

21 quarts ready to store or eat
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...67753B89C3.jpg

Man pawpaw, I am not much on beets (Laikyn likes them) but those snap beans sure do look GOOD!!!

Looking good Gene....now I know where to go if I run out of food

Dwayne, you really haven't tasted good beets until you've eaten them fresh. There is no comparison between fresh and the ones you get in cans.

"G" there always room at the table for a couple more.

"gene"

Nice! Thanks for the pictures.

"There is no comparison between fresh and the ones you get in cans." is true for just about everything I have found. I can even tell a difference between fresh produce at the grocery and what I get from the garden.

I've got to agree with ya.
"gene"

I agree with Randy too pawpaw! I don't buy fish at a restaurant for the same reason. It's hard to sell someone on restaurant "fresh fish" when I grew up with a pond in my back yard and we caught our own "fresh fish". Many of you on here have done the same, I am sure.

Wow Gene....reminds me of the days when I grew up.....we grew and mother canned everything....the pickeled beets were one of my favorites.....still get them in the store now and then but no comparison to fresh as you say.....

Those beans look great. I really need to try pressure canning but I'm a little fearful. LOL

PawPaw, I'll take 4 quarts of pickled beets and a case of them beans:biggrin. Love your canning pictures and story's. Makes me remember Mom and Grandmother when I was a kid.

Ann their is nothing to fear. Linda and I have been doing it for years and years and we're still alive today. As a bonus we haven't blown up the house or killed anyone with the produce.
"gene"

They look good, and the pictures look good too. Bet they taste better than they look. Bet?

Now that is real home cooking. You and Linda enjoy your work. We will enjoy looking at the pictures and produce and if time permits after the gardening pictures of the fish also. Keep on having fun, Ferdi n Mrs. Ferdi

Gene, you made Bruce's mouth drool........I have never eaten pickled beets like that, but I'm sure they're great.......they sure look "purty"...and the greens yummmmmm....tell Linda "hi" for me

Man there was a lady in north Louisiana that would can her beets with red hot candy wooooh boy them cinnamon beets were on time

LOve them fresh beets. little bit of butter and its a meal.

looks good, love beets

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BuckeyeKdog

LOve them fresh beets. little bit of butter and its a meal.

---

and don't forget the ice tea, cornbread & fried okra to go with it.......

Love looking at the garden/canning pictures. My beans are all of 3 inches tall at this point. Just come thru a week long rainy stretch. If the suns ever comes out our garden is gonna really take off.

looking good PPG!!!!!

Every year as a child.....can, can, can! You have done a lot of work! It all pays off

nice post Gene....

I wish I had the time I love pickled beets we used to can them with sliced onions when I was a kid

Those pics sure brought back memories of when I was a kid and helped in the garden. A lot of days I would cut the okra and start picking peas and beans while my parents were at work. Daddy said do it and he expected it to be done. Now days if you even tell a kid to cut the grass you can just about figure it will still need to be done when you get home.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BoarBuster

Those pics sure brought back memories of when I was a kid and helped in the garden. A lot of days I would cut the okra and start picking peas and beans while my parents were at work. Daddy said do it and he expected it to be done. Now days if you even tell a kid to cut the grass you can just about figure it will still need to be done when you get home.

---

You know who's fault that is? Ours.

Mr Jene, can you still get the gold Ball lids there? All we can find here anymore are silver. They are thinner and tomato juice, sauerkraut, anything with a high acid or salt content will eat through the lids ,sometimes, in less than a month. I found some flat plastic lids with reusable seals to fight the problem. I never had the gold lids fail in less than 2 years.

Stormcloud, some of those lids are probably a few seasons old. Every year we buy a bunch and never use all of them. They get put aside and used soomer or later. We haven't found any lids rusted out but will check on my older beans left over from last year.

Are the plastic ones you found Tattler lids, I've heard some very good results from them. You have to be careful to center them on the top of the jars and be careful when removing them, but other than that people who have used them, like them.

"gene"

Hey PPG, which pickled beet recipe do you use? Ball, Kerr or something else?

That looks like some good eating.

Mr Jene, the plastic lids are Tattlers. The only drawback I've seen with them is, you have to be sure to tighten them down a little more than the Kerr or Ball. Don't know how that would work in a pressure cooker or hot water bath. I have reused some of them one time and haven't broken any of them yet. May have wished I hadn't said that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stormcloud

You know who's fault that is? Ours.

---

I blame some of the trouble today on the supreme court and Madliene O'Hare for removing prayer from school. If the kid didn't want to take part sit down,shut up and let those that want to take part do so. The other person I find fault with is Dr Spock and his saying when your child acts out put them in a time out chair. I see no punishment when you just make them sit down an be quite. Perhaps a switch on their rearend and them some time in a timeout chair will get a lot better result and a lot quicker. Heard just the otherday about a fellow that was fined $200.00 and given a yrs probation for making his son walk a mile because he would not explain some trouble at school. Told my wife I would have told that judge it was worth it. I do believe if the judge didn't like that answer he/she sure wasn't going to like my other response. If you don't like the way I punished him he's yours you raise him.

Redge, This is what we do. Note: using the beet water make the beets much darker after canning.

PICKLED BEETS

For each quart of beets to be pickled

1 Cup of sugar
1 Cup of beet water (water the beets were boiled in)
1/2 White vinegar
1 Tablespoon of pickling spices (McCormick)
1/2 teaspoon of pickling salt
Boiled beets

Thanks PPG! I'll try that out.