I started off with the pickled beets and eggs. I wasn't originally going can the beets. I wasn't sure if you could do a water bath and preserve something with eggs in it. So what I did was do a half and half batch. I first had to boil all of the beets for about 35 minutes and then I cooled them off and peeled them. What a mess! They smelled awesome though. I love me some beets. After they were peeled, I sliced them and got them ready to put into their pickling mix. Connor was eating the plain sliced beets before I could even finish cutting them all up. They went into the mix and boiled for 5 minutes and then I threw the eggs in. I was warming the jars up while the beets and eggs were brewing. I filled up two large containers and fished out the eggs and a bunch of the beets and put them in the fridge. The rest of the beets I put into the jars and sealed them all up. I was proud of myself because I remembered all of the steps this time...get the air bubbles out, make sure the top is clean and put the seal down. I got four pints of pickled beets into the water bath and they processed for thirty minutes. I cleaned the kitchen up before I started the pickles.
beets cooking for about 35 minutes
Most of the beets were really easy to peel. I kind of just squished them in my hands and the peel rolled right off.
Sliced and ready to go into pickling mixture.
Beets and eggs cooking before I pulled eggs out into a couple of separate containers.
Now, the pickles. I was still trying to figure out whether to do bread and butter or dill. I saw Eric make bread and butter ones on Gardenfork TV the other days so knew that I wanted to try at least some of those. So, I sliced up a little over half of my cucumbers and 2 large onions. I was an idiot and didn't realize that they were going to have to sit in salt for an hour and a half. So, I got them sliced and layered with salt in a big bowl and then I topped them with ice like the recipe said. I had an hour and a half to kill so I baked some chocolate chip cookies. The kids were annoyed that I made some the other day to take to the party and they didn't get many. I also got the pizza dough started and rising while I was waiting for the cukes to finish their salt process. When it was time, I made the vinegar mixture and brought it to a boil. I tossed the cukes and onions in and they boiled for five minutes and then I filled 7 pints up. I had a couple of problems with the recipe but it was my own fault. I was supposed to put 2 tbsp of mustard seed in and I only had one left and it also called for celery seed, which I didn't have any...but they look pretty good. With the other cukes I was going to slice them into spears and make them into dill pickles. Long story short, I didn't have a pickling mix. After googling how to make my own pickling mixture, I realized that I didn't have three of the spices I needed. So the cukes are back in the fridge and I might attempt them tomorrow if I can get to the store. Tim is going to be making his tomato sauce tomorrow and we are going to can that, so the big pot will still be out and I can make those. Although, let me tell you, I am beat right now.
Layers of sliced cucumbers, onions and salt.
The bowl of cukes and onions sits for an hour and a half under ice.
Because I'm a glutton for punishment and can't take an hour and a half to relax I make cookies while waiting.
Cucumbers and onions cooking in the pickling mixture waiting to go into jars.
FINISHED! 7 pints of bread and butter pickles and 4 pints of pickled beets. Plus two large containers of beets and eggs in fridge. I have to figure out how to keep my kids out of them so they can develop their flavor over a couple of days.
I have to go punch down the pizza dough and let it go through it's second rise and I think I'm going to let Tim make the pizzas tonight. At least there is a Buffalo Bills game on tonight. After dinner I can shower and get my pj's on and enjoy some football. Go Bills. Kill the Redskins.
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