carrots and onions and beets! Oh My!! ( spuds too )

[Trinigal]

I bought the 10lb bag of beets, too. Which is going to be the lot for the two of us. At least my husband likes beets. Thanks for the great ideas. I'm going to try the cold water bath, making borscht and to try freezing them whole.

[walkonby]

I peel the beets, toss them in oil (to keep the moisture in) and season and and roast them. They will get caramelized edges just like sweet potato fries. Serve a pile of diced roast beets with tzatziki and a spinach and feta pie or spanakopita. The dill works great with both the spinach and the beets because of the earthy element in both of them. This is my #1 use for beets.

I've decided the best way to eat beet greens/swiss chard is sauteed in oil, with curry powder and raisins.

I cut cubes of butternut squash, carrots, onion (golf ball sized chunks) and toss them in oil and roast them. Scrape the roasted veg and all the oil into a pot, add chicken stock and have at 'er with an immersion blender. Add a bit of fat (a tablespoon of butter or cashew butter, 1/4 cup of cream or coconut milk or sour cream or yogurt...or something crazy like peanut butter and hot sauce for peanut satay roast veg soup.)

It is cool enough nights to run the oven now.

DH is crazy for mini potatoes which are $2 for 5 lb. He boils them in salted water, lets them cool, cuts them up and fries them. He won't eat any of that ^^^ so we are kind of each doing our own thing

I get excited about these things:

Attachment 257477

Kabocha or buttercup type squashes. They are fantastic roasted, and I also curry them with yellow Thai curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce. I add chicken thighs or pork shoulder blade, green beans into the mix sometimes. Serve with jasmine rice.

A big one can be 4 lbs and with some places offering them on "special" for $1.29, well do the math, that's a freaking $5+ squash. You want to find a Food Basics or something with a mixed squash bin at < $.49/lb and then you are only looking at $2. I think they are worth it because they have a nice dense sweet string-free flesh that cooks up firm like pumpkin. They are perfect for a soup, stew or curry where you want cubes and they make a string-free dense puree.

French onion soup: saute several large onions over low heat in butter forever, I mean for 45 minutes, until they are caramelized. Portion into bowls on saucers. Make up onion soup mix in pan with required water and 1 tablespoon sherry. Pour over onions, add (low-seasoning) croutons and Kraft Shredded cheese, Swiss cheese variety, Food Basics this week for $4.99/300g.

You can get some pretty interesting seasoned (dipping) vinegar from a Chinese grocery or the T&T section of yer Loblaws for cheap. I have had some pretty wild pickled beets made with this stuff. It's called black vinegar or chinkiang vinegar

Attachment 257480

Wiki says it has "a rich, mellow, malty, woody, and smoky flavor". It made a neat beet. I also use this stuff like balsamic vinegar with beet greens: saute in oil and season with black vinegar. A bottle is 550ml and about a buck.

And with cheap celery, cabbage, carrots and onions...that just cries out "mall stirfry", you know the kind of mix you get at Manchu Wok at the mall. Raw, the same things are coleslaw.

Cheap cauliflower for dipping.

That's pretty well where we're at, and yes I AM excited.

Thanks lecale for the great recipes. I buy all of those fantastic shaped squash veggies often ( Turban one I have found a bit dry at times ) but mostly we just bake and eat them as is. The cost I could not agree more with you. I never ever buy for the regular high prices per lb. because these suckers can weigh a lot. I PM them always wherever cheaper ( as you said .49 is better per lb. ) A friend of mine suggested that I chop and add my beet greens to my borscht soup, but no green tops with these ones in the bag.

[ninna]

I'm a sucker for those good deals too.

I bought 20 lbs of carrots, 20 lbs of potatoes, 10 lbs of onions and 40 lbs of beets...and DH decided the deals were SO good that he picked up an additional 10lbs each of the carrots, onions, and potatoes plus another 20lbs of beets on top of what I got.

I am up to my eyeballs in beets!!

I have only ever canned once (made salsa)...and that was about 20+ years ago. I remember it being an all-day ordeal...and now I am reminded of why I chose to zip by Costco and buy the two-pack quart jars of pickled beets for 8,99 ever since. LOL

It took me 4 hours to do up 10lbs of pickled beets and to process them. My kitchen was a total disaster zone and I burned my arm real good on the boiling water on the first day. Day two of canning went much better (got in the groove and became slightly more efficient than the first time). Kitchen was less of a disaster and I didn't burn my arm but the whole darned place was so steamy that it literally caused all the ink to run on my big washable calendar that hangs on the wall. "hey...are you busy on Sept 29th?" hell if I know...I can't freakin' see it anymore. It looks like the set for a washable marker horror movie now. Big streaks of blue and red all down the calendar. Ugh. That calendar is how I keep my life straight!!!

I boiled and froze another 10 lbs of beets. So that has done away with 30 lbs.

I've got 25 lbs left to deal with (we used 5 lbs already in different meals).

My pee is permanently orange from all the beets I've been eating because I've been monkeying around with these things for 3 days. Gawd. If I had to do a urine test right now, the people in the lab would be somewhat bewildered, I'm sure.

I think I am probably going to freeze the rest. I'm not sure I have in in me to can another 10lbs regardless of how much I LOVE pickled beets.

But here's a question maybe some one can answer: how long after canning them can you open and eat the beets you pickled? (I know the jars have to sit for 24 hours undisturbed after canning process...but how long after that is it ok to try them??)

I ask because I followed two different recipes and I'm eager to try each batch to figure out which one I like better so I know which recipe to keep...and...if I do summon the strength and will to attempt canning a third time, I will know which recipe I want to use!!!

Anyone know??

[jasperandchar]

great prices for sure and smart to get ahead of the game with your freezing them for later use

[lecale]

.

[ninna]

At least a week, some say two, full flavour in 1 month? You need at least a week.

bummer. I am dying to try them NOW!!!

[walkonby]

ninna we have not even tried our pickled beets yet ( I jarred and water bathed 4 lbs of beets around the first of Sept. .....when the 2 lb bags were NOT on sale, silly me )
I did give one jar away to my sis, hoping she will phone and gush that they taste awesome and then we'll know!
Oh btw....that post about how many of those carrots, onions, beets and spuds you bought had me shocked!! I only have about 1/4 bag of the original 10 lbs of beets left.
I think I am making another borscht soup with them ( can you believe the first batch is all gone? ) some of that 10 lb bag was made into soup, some par boiled, slipped skins off and froze them all whole.
( like you we have very colourful urine....ha ha ha )

[ninna]

ninna we have not even tried our pickled beets yet ( I jarred and water bathed 4 lbs of beets around the first of Sept. .....when the 2 lb bags were NOT on sale, silly me )
I did give one jar away to my sis, hoping she will phone and gush that they taste awesome and then we'll know!
Oh btw....that post about how many of those carrots, onions, beets and spuds you bought had me shocked!! I only have about 1/4 bag of the original 10 lbs of beets left.
I think I am making another borscht soup with them ( can you believe the first batch is all gone? ) some of that 10 lb bag was made into soup, some par boiled, slipped skins off and froze them all whole.
( like you we have very colourful urine....ha ha ha )

It's how I roll, I guess. Fruits and vegetables are only in season for so long here so I usually try to take advantage of the cheap eats when they are a-plenty. I froze a boatload of blueberries in August. Apple season is here too and I will take advantage of that--although, applesauce is super cheap at Costco and I've already decided I can't be bothered with the nonsense of canning applesauce when you can buy 4 jars for 5 bucks. But I will make up some apple pies and freeze them up for later.

It's a little bit like feast or famine doing it that way. I will not buy beets until they come on sale again this time next year. (and having bought 60 freakin pounds of them, why would I? lol)

Actually, at the rate I have been cooking and processing beets, I will probably not want to see beets until next year.

The potatoes and carrots will get used up. I eat a tonne of carrots raw so I don't worry about that. The only thing is the onions. A 10lb bag would last me a long while so why DH bought another one is beyond me.

As for the beets, it took one 10-lb bag to create 10 X 500ml jars of pickled beets so at this point I've got 20 jars of pickled beets. The jars seem kind of small and knowing me (god, I cannot resist the pickled beet!!), we will plow through those like no one's business. That would mean eating one jar of beets every 2-3 weeks in order to finish them by this time next year. I suspect I could do down another 10lb bag in cans and we would still finish them off either from eating and/or sharing with DH's family etc.

Maybe I should branch out and try this borscht soup everyone has been talking about. Is it good? I've never tried it.

[walkonby]

ninna I cannot understand why I love the borscht soup so much. There is something about all the mix of veggies and fresh herbs in it plus the sweet taste from the beets of course. I peppered this batch just right so it had a kick. I never thought I could forgo the dollop of sour cream that traditionally gets added when served, but once I started using Plain Greek Yogurt ( 0 % fat) I never looked back.
There are a ton of recipes on line, give it a whirl girl!! ha ha

[Andit]

Sheesh, I thought I was the only one nutty enough to be cooking all these beets. Not exactly canning for me, I'm pickling them and sticking them in jars in the fridge - never had a problem with them lasting 6 or more months (space is at a premium in my tiny studio, fridge is the best place for them ). I still have half the bag to go - not up to cooking 10lbs of beets at once, I have the utmost of respect for anyone who tackles one bag let alone more.

I did get 10lbs of potatoes as well - made up 2 big batches of potatoes paprikas that freezes well, so 6 frozen dinners on days I'm not up to cooking. Luckily for me, my local NF ran out of stock, so no temptation to haul anything else home (and leave me too tired to cook ).

Just curious, what recipe is everyone using for the pickled beets. Here's what I did with my Mom's recipe:

Pickled Beets:
Add:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar (didn't bother, beets were sweet enough)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (forgot to add them, still tasted good)
1 teaspoon horseradish (I like things spicy so I doubled this)
6 teaspoons water
salt
pepper

into a 2 cup mason jar.
Fill with sliced beets (cut to whatever size you like - I diced mine and made it into more of a chutney).
Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.
Will last in the fridge for up to 6 months.

[walkonby]

Andit did you cook the beets first or place them in the jars raw? I cannot remember who's You Tube video I used now but HOT DAMN mine taste good! I just opened a jar ( they were done on Aug 30th ) but I know I boiled them first, then peeled and sliced etc before the hot water bath. I hope some day my kids love beets, right now uh uh. No way.

[YOU AND ME]

Next week at Maxi 1 day sale 20lbs of potatoes $2.00 AMAZING

[Andit]

Andit did you cook the beets first or place them in the jars raw? I cannot remember who's You Tube video I used now but HOT DAMN mine taste good! I just opened a jar ( they were done on Aug 30th ) but I know I boiled them first, then peeled and sliced etc before the hot water bath. I hope some day my kids love beets, right now uh uh. No way.

Oops, yes, beets were cooked first. And the peels were given to the resident garbage disposal to dispose of (goofball Lily dog thinks the peels are the bestest doggy treats in the whole wide world, dontchaknow ).

I might try my hand at beet cookies for her this weekend. We'll see.

[Natalka]

Luckily, Extra Foods had 10 pounders on sale this week - potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, rutabagas. We got two bags of potatoes, and one each of onions and beets.
Forgot to say the price = 2/$6

My recipe for refrigerated pickled beets:

Syrup: for two quart jars

2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup pickling salt tied in cheesecloth

Boil syrup together for four minutes, then remove spice bag.
Pour over cooked beets in jars, and seal.

I cut the beets into medium chunks.

[lecale]

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