Depending on the variety, some can get pretty big and not be woody. Best to get some and see.

I'd get them out of the ground before they freeze though!

Deanna

No way to know without cutting into some of them. There are always some smaller good ones no matter when they were planted.

Even with a woody core you can core them and pickle the rest. beets that big you'd want to quarter or chunk anyway before pickling.

Or you can can them plain and let the pressure canning take care of the core for you. Use them to make Harvard Beets this winter or pickle them after opening the jar or let him eat them plain since he seems to like them that way too.

Dave

Thanks - didn't know you could core beets, DH said his mom used to pickle in chunks. I did see in USDA guide how to pressure can plain (I'd have to ask Dad if he wants them that way since he asked about pickled). They'd be like the canned (in cans, not jars) sliced beets from the store? We like those with just a little salt.

I had to look up Harvard beets - looks like some kind of thickened sauce (flour or cornstarch), I didn't think that was safe and NCHFP didn't have a tested recipe. I'm not sure anyone would like those though, I like pickled beets, roasted beets (with EVOO) and salted canned beets, I don't think my dad even uses butter on his fresh beets and he won't try them roasted, they must be boiled.

This post was edited by ajsmama on Sun, Oct 27, 13 at 15:59

Harvard Beets are made after the jar/can is opened usually (some commercial available) and are a sweet n' sour flavor. Some made with vinegar - we use orange juice instead - and in a thickened sweetened sauce. Excellent if you have never tried them.

If he is cooking them and eating them boiled then opening a jar of canned ones and heating them up would be the same, just faster.

As for pickling them in quarters or big chunks, that is the most common way since you want a relatively uniform size in the jar. There is no rule that only whole beets may be pickled. :)

Dave

I always pressure can mine plain. The pickled recipes for canning are way too sweet for my taste buds.

Your Dad might like this recipe (not for canning, but they keep very well in the fridge). My 92 year old dad adores these - he says they taste like his mother's did.

Pickled Beets
From The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1944 edition. TheyâÂÂre not too sweet because sugar was rationed back then.

2 cups cooked or canned beets, drained (save the juice) - I use a quart of home canned beets
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves, powdered ( I cut this down to 1/4 teaspoon if I'm using Penzey's spices)
1/2 cut clove garlic
6 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup water (I use the juice from the beets)

Slice the beets (if they're not already) and place in a bowl (I put them back in a jar - note below). In another bowl, measure mustard, sugar, salt, cloves and garlic. Add vinegar and water (or beet juice) gradually while stirring. When the mixture is smooth, pour over the beets. Put in the refrigerator to chill; then remove the garlic, and serve with meat or fish.

I usually double the pickling brine with spices and put the beets from the quart jar into a larger jar - I have a few larger pickle jars that I saved or you can use a half-gallon canning jar.

My pickled beet recipe is very simple, Peel beets by heating and 'slipping' the skins, cut out any bad spots. Cut beets into to small chunks or slices (your preference) nothing over 1/2"-1". Make brine, equal parts cider vinegar and sugar. Heat brine til sugar dissolves. Fill jars with beets, pour brine into the jars over the beets. BWB for 30 minutes, pints or quarts. Your brine needs to be HOT, not boiling, but your beets should be hot, but at least warm/hot.

This is a combination between my 2 grandmothers, 1 liked it sweeter, and the other liked more vinegar taste.

Have used it for years, any extra brine, I BWB for 30 minutes and it's ready for the next time. I actually make more than needed early in the year and it's ready to go.

OK, I'll see about pressure canning them, he did ask for pickled but I don't know if that's just b/c he didn't think I could do them any other way. He does like bread and butter pickles so he might like sweet pickled beets. I have some made (but not processed) earlier in the summer that I have to give him to free up room in my fridge. So I don't think either of us have room for refrigerated beets - they'll have to be canned.

Since I'm not the one opening the jars, I don't know if I'll be able to make Harvard beets for him - not likely he'd try them. He likes things a certain way, and that's it, he's not open to trying something new as far as cooking (we nearly had a fight on my birthday b/c my mom bought filet mignon and I was telling him to cook all of them them rare to medium, not his usual well-done, I didn't want anyone eating $17/lb shoe leather!). I'll mention it to him (I did get him to try heirloom tomatoes and now he likes them!) but not holding my breath.

We like onions, cinnamon and cloves in ours like the NCHFP pickled beets recipe.

Dave