Sunday, May 29, 2011

Pickled Beets and Garden Peeks

Organic beets, check.  Apron, check.  Petite and adorable canning kit, check.  Here's an overview of my latest adventure in suburban homesteading:

I chose a recipe from Simply in Season for pickled beets:


Grabbed some organic beets, cooked as directed and sliced them:
organic beets
beets cooking

sliced beet beauty
I had just enough to fill two pint canning jars, which I processed in the hot water bath and then left to cool.  The next day the seal was perfect and now these little pickled pretties have joined the Strawberry Lemon Marmalade in my canning successes!



ready to process
canned pickled beets

This weekend we visited a couple of our local farmers markets:  Farmers Market at the J and Old Beach Farmers Market.  We had a great time (and so did our dog, Scarlett!) and scored eggs and bacon from Full Quiver Farm; Beer Brats from Weeping Radish; red potatoes, May peas, crowder peas, peaches and blueberries from Cullipher Farms; lettuce from New Earth Farm; white grits from Wade's Mill and pimento goat cheese from Goats R Us; vegan biscotti from Beach Biscotti; chocolate crumb cake from Perked Up Cafe; and the hubby enjoyed a breakfast of fresh coffee and cheese biscuit.  It's important to us to spend every dollar we can locally or regionally, supporting small farmers, agriculture, and families.
some of our market finds

We continue to harvest greens, onions, herbs, and strawberries from our garden.  So many other good things are growing in the warm sun.  Yesterday we noticed the first tomatoes beginning to turn... I can't wait!
beginning to ripen
cherry tomatoes ripening

Been meditating on this verse today, giving God the troubles of this world for His wise plan to work out, working my own earth in quiet prayer.  Blessings to you!

The Lord will mediate between nations
      and will settle international disputes.
   They will hammer their swords into plowshares
      and their spears into pruning hooks.
   Nation will no longer fight against nation,
      nor train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:4
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5 comments:

  1. kaceyMay 29, 2011 at 6:36 PM

    Congrats on the canning success! Must be great knowing you'll be able to enjoy the harvest of summer for months to come. Haven't yet added canning to the repertoire- may have to invest in a miniature set!

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  2. Flannel Jammies FarmMay 30, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    Thanks, Kacey! The home canning starter kit is perfect for getting your feet wet... it was a gift from my daughter to nurture my inner farm wife!

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  3. CaitMay 30, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    Thanks for your kind words over on our blog (with the sheep!). I am always amazed that people find our blog out there from so many different places! I will definitely be trying my hand at picked beets this summer - our first time canning (while still in the city) last fall gave us 17 quarts of tomatoes which lasted about half way through the winter. Definitely something we'll be doing a lot of now that we're on the farm. I will have to come back and read a bit more on your blog in the evening - for now the cheese kitchen construction continues!

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  4. Flannel Jammies FarmMay 30, 2011 at 5:34 PM

    Oh, Cait, how nice of you to visit! I'm so excited to see the progress on your cheese kitchen!

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  5. Lindsey @ The HerbangardenerJune 13, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    I have that same cookbook! I must try doing pickled beets! Thanks for the idea :) And I am so envious of your garden and how far along it is...wow! Enjoy all that homegrown goodness!

    Cheers to you!
    Lindsey

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