I had been meaning to canning for a while. My doubt was not that the process intimidated me as much as trying to manage it along with filming a video and taking photos. Even the simplest recipe becomes complex once you add the “food blog” factor.
When my friends at Whole Foods Market asked for a recipe, this was the perfect time to start! I modified a recipe I received from my friend Michael and the book he lent me, Preservation Kitchen. The funny thing is, I put Michael on Instagram because of, well, the food photos. Go figure.
I want to make an important note here. I tried to fill these jars enough so please don’t do what I do in this scenario. Be sure to see the note below about proper headroom.
- 3 pounds golden beets
- 2 cups of red wine vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
- 1 Glass of Red Wines
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- 4 sprigs of rosemary
1. Canning has many moving parts. But something that can really take the pressure off is the order in which you do things. Save a lot of time. To get started, let’s fill your pot, equipped with a canning rack, with water. Then bring it to a simmer.
2. While the water is heating up, let’s get to work. Roast the 3 pounds of golden beets (with a little olive oil and sea salt) covered, bake at 400 degrees for one hour until just tender. Take them out of the oven and once they are cold, remove the skin. Then cut beets into 1/4-inch wedges and weigh 2 1/2 pounds for pickling; eat the rest. #name name
3. While the beets are roasting, prepare the brine. In a small saucepan add the following: 2 cups red wine vinegar (5% acidity), 1 cup red wine, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup honey (sorry vegans!), 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Bring it to a boil, and then keep it warm.
4. The water must be ready to prepare the jars. Place 4 pint jars on the canning rack. Leave the jars there until you’re ready to fill them, but don’t let the water get over a simmer. Keeping jars warm prevents them from breaking when you fill them with hot liquids. Why does that sound dirty?
5. Take a small bowl and fill it with some hot water from the pot with the jars. Allow to cool slightly and then add the jar lids. This will soften the rubber on the caps and improve the seal. Also, you should not reuse the caps, as this can lead to insecure seals.
6. While the lids are heating up, remove the jars from the pot. Before canning with the beets and brine, add the following to each jar: 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 sprig of rosemary.
7. Now pack the jars with the beets and fill with brine, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. As you’ll notice in the final photos, I didn’t get this quite right. If there is too much air space between the food and the lid, discoloration may occur on the top of the product. #Do what I say
8. Seal the jars with a heated lid. When you screw on the canning ring, you’ll want it to be snug but not too tight. Don’t be like the Hulk.
9. Now let’s process the jars. Add them back to the pot, placing them on the canning rack. Add enough water so that the jars are covered by at least half the water. Bring to a boil and then start the timer. Let them process for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let them cool for a few minutes in the bathtub before removing.
10. Remove with a jar lifter, being careful not to tip the jars, then set them out on a counter to cool completely. You’ll know they’re sealed when the top pops off and you can no longer press the notch. But you can remove the ring from the jar and check the seal yourself, you should be able to hold the jar by the lid.
NOTE: For longer storage, store without the rings…this prevents rusting.