Canning The Beets For Storage
Beets are root vegetables that are available during the spring and fall. You can either grow them in your kitchen backyard or buy them from the market. But they will not be available throughout the year because they are seasonal vegetables.
The beet plants do not require much attention while growing, so you can grow them easily in your gardens. You must have thought of storing beets for longer because they are not available around the year. So what can you do? How to store beets for longer?
Beets can be preserved by canning. This will not only keep them for longer but also means you have a ready supply of beets in your kitchen all through the year. They can be preserved whole, cut, or cubed, depending on the size of the beets.
Beetroots are a wonderful addition to your meals, especially salads, and dressings. Beets can be consumed both raw and cooked. They can also be canned both raw and cooked. Canned beets are a useful alternative in the kitchen because they are healthy and tasty at the same time.
How To Choose Beets For Canning?
Beets are available in a lot of varieties: red beets, yellow or gold beets, and white beets are the most popular among all of them. While these three types are suitable for canning, there are other varieties of beets that cannot be canned.
However, if you choose the mentioned varieties of beets for canning, there are still certain factors that need to be taken care of. Most importantly, choose fresh and small beets for canning. This is because it will be easier to store smaller beets in the jars. Avoid beets that are cracked, soft, bruised, shriveled, or have dry leaves.
How to know if the beet is fresh or not? To choose the right beets for canning, check the leaves. If they are fresh, the beet ought to be fresh. And if they are dry and shrunk, the beet will not be fresh enough for storage. Softer and tender beets are the best for canning.
What Is The Process For Canning Plain Beets?
Beets can be canned using the pressure canning method at home. The process of canning plain beets is easy, but you need to ensure proper canning guidelines for effective preservation. Check out the step-by-step approach for canning beets at home.
Prepare The Canning Equipment
Prepare your canning equipment and make sure that they are pristine and functional. You will need a pressure canner, pint-sized jars or quart-sized jars, specific jar lids, bands, a jar lifter, and a ladle. You will also need to set up the kitchen area for canning beets.
Thoroughly rinse the canning jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Drain them and keep them aside for drying. At the same time, fill the canner with water and place the canning rack inside. Let the water boil for the recommended process time as stated on the canner.
Prepare The Beets
Keep the water warm, and in the meantime prepare the beets. Take a sharp knife to trim the beet greens, and then place the beets under running water to remove any dirt or soil. Transfer the beets to a large pot of boiling water and let them soak for some time.
You will notice the skin is coming off the beets. Scarpe off the skin and drain the beets to let them dry. If your beets are large in size, you will need to boil them for some more time, so that they are soft enough for canning.
Pressure Canning The Beets
Let the beets dry before camming them. If you have larger beets, cut them into chunks or dice, or halves. If they are smaller in size, you can preserve them whole. You may or may not cut the beets, this depends on your preferences.
Take a ladle or tongs and fill the jars with the beets. Pour hot boiling water into the jars, until the beets are completely submerged in water. In the process, leave a headspace of about 1 inch. This will help to form the pressure and seal the jars.
Close the jars with lids and bands, and place them into the pressure canner. Process the jars in the canner for about 30-35 minutes. This will create pressure inside the jars and seal the jars effectively.
Turn off the heat, remove the jars from the canner, and let them cool naturally. This will take a few hours. Once all of these are done, label and date the jars and place them in a cool and dry place because your beets are ready to be canned.
Tips For Canning The Beets!
Canning is one of the best food preservation methods. Now that you know the process for canning beets, check out the tips mentioned below for an effective approach towards canning beets for longer.
- Beetroot is a root vegetable, therefore it comes in different colors. Red beets are the most widely used. However, the color does not affect the canning process.
- Choose small beets for canning. This is because smaller beets will be easier to preserve as you do not need to cut them.
- Always go for fresh produce because it will be tender and soft. Avoid bruised or cracked beets for canning.
- Beets that are red or purple in color can stain anything. Therefore, wear gloves and keep sufficient towels around while canning the beets.
- If you do not have a pressure canner, you can still preserve the beets in a water bath canner, but then you need to add vinegar to the jars to pickle the beets.
Why Should You Choose Pressure Canning Beets?
Beets are low-acid foods, therefore canning them using the pressure canner method is the best possible way. The pressure canner heats the beets at high temperatures thus killing bacteria and other microorganisms that could otherwise degrade the beets.
While the water bath canner also kills bacteria but is not suitable for canning the beets because they do not apply pressure in the process. The pressure canner exerts a certain amount of pressure on the jars, thus canning the beets effectively.
Also, while pressure canning beets, you can add a pinch of salt to the jars to boost the canning process. This is completely optional, but if you do so, it will not harm the canned beets. Another reason for choosing a pressure canner for beets is that they can hold up to high temperatures well.
How Long Do Canned Beets Last?
Canned beets can last for up to 12-18 months without any texture or flavor alterations when adequate pressure is applied while canning the beets. This means you have a ready supply of fresh beets at your home, whenever you need them.
Summing it up, that was all about canning beets. You can use these canned beets in any recipe or add them to salads and soups. The freshness and flavor will remain intact in cabbed beets. You will rarely notice any difference between canned beets and freshly cooked beets.