Pepper Jelly

My peppers are abundent in the garden right now, so it's pepper jelly time. Made one batch a few days ago. I already have enough peppers for another batch. You can find the recipe for this jelly in an older post. The only change I made is that I used four colors of peppers instead of one. This is a super simple recipe that I love. I grow peppers every year just to make this jelly. Best way to eat this jelly is to top a Ritz cracker with cream cheese, then with some pepper jelly. Yum, my family loves it.

So good!!!

     More Goodness From The Garden,
                              Busy Canning
This week I've been busy making pickled beets. First I gathered the beets from my garden, then I soaked them in water, rinsed and repeat to get them nice and clean. Then I sorted them by size. Boiled small whole beets for about 30 minutes. The larger beets get boiled for 50 minutes. The larger ones get sliced and the smaller ones are left whole, for baby beets. Thinly slice some sweet onion, to be added in with the beets during the last 15 minute simmer time. I love these beets, my husband does not like plain beets, but enjoys them pickled.

Pickled Beets

                7 pounds of beets 2 to 2 1/2 inch diameter

                4 cups apple cider vinegar (5 % acid)

                3 cups sugar 

                2 cups water

                4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

                12 whole cloves

                1 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt

                4 medium onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Trim the tops off of the beets leaving short piece of the stem to prevent bleeding of color. Sort by size.

Cook similar sizes together with boiling water and cook until tender (30 to 50 minutes)

Carefully drain hot liquid. Allow to cool.

Using plastic kitchen gloves, trim off roots and stems, and slip off skins (this is the fun part) Slice larger beets into 1/4-inch slices. Leave small baby beets whole.

Combine vinegar, salt sugar, and water. Place the spices into a cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture.

Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove spice bag and discard.

Fill hot jars with beets and onions, leaving 1/2-inch head space. I put the small whole beets into pint jars (baby beets) and the sliced beets into quart jars. Add hot vinegar solution to beets in jars. Adjust lids and process in hot water bath for 30 minutes. Use this method for pints or quarts.

Must be clean

Sliced and ready for canning

Come winter these will taste delicious