Pickled Beets and Slow-Cooker Steamed Greens
Two weeks I picked a few of my favorite beets for the county fair. They were the perfect size for showing- about 1 1/2″ in diameter or the size of a ping-pong ball. I let them grow a little bigger and picked the rest today.
My parents never had to fight me to eat vegetables. In fact, cooked beets from a can was one of my favorite foods! It wasn’t until my internship at Living History Farms that I fell in love with pickled beets. I’ve been stocking up at farmer’s markets ever since. This year was my first crop big enough to make my own batch.
I followed this recipe to make 4 pints. After trimming, my beets weighed about 4 lbs, which yielded 4 pints. The recipe calls for enough beets to fill 3 quarts (6 pints) but the brine was just enough to cover my 4 pints.
I set the greens aside in my slow cooker while I was busy with my stovetop. I trimmed the stems from the leaves, washed the leaves well, and piled them in my large slow cooker. I added 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. They cooked on “Low” for 3 hours until wilted. Radish, turnip, and beet greens are all edible and delicious! They can be used as a substitute for kale or spinach in most cooked recipes.
I am resisting the urge to pop the jars open for a taste-test. It destroys the point of canning, which is to preserve food. Also, pickles are always better if they have sat for awhile.