Fruit of Her Hands

Summer Preserving

Elois Spinks

Dear Girls,

I am sure those of you who planted a garden are enjoying harvesting and serving all those fresh vegetables. (Who doesn’t enjoy eating those sweet English peas straight from the garden or popping a cherry tomato in your mouth?) But what about all the fruit you can’t hold at the moment? Do you let it lie in waste in the garden or…?

Remember how Jesus had the disciples gather up the unused food? So let’s gather up the extra and preserve it. This is one way we can serve our families and save money.

Let’s start out by making some beet pickles. I have always enjoyed making them. My favorite part is after the beets have been cooked, and the peeling comes off so easily, leaving that beautiful glossy beet.

Come with me now to the garden. Please bring a paring knife and large bucket. As you pull up the beets, cut off the tops leaving a 2” stem. (The leafy tops can be cooked as greens also, if you like.) If you cut off too much of the stem or cut the root, much of the red juices will bleed out of the vegetable, leaving it pale. I like to keep the dirt out of the kitchen so let’s scrub the beets outside.

Following is my husband’s grandmother’s special pickle beet recipe, along with a favorite raspberry sauce recipe.

Enjoy the summer and happy canning!

Beet Pickles

Fill water bath cooker or stock pot 3/4 full with clean beets. Fill with hot water, covering beets. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until peeling comes off when scraped with a knife.

While beets are cooking, wash 11 pint jars or 7 quarts. Place lids in pan of water to heat.

After beets are cooked, reserve:

• 6 c. beet water

Add to it:

• 3 c. vinegar
• 2 c. sugar

Heat to boiling.

Discard the remainder of water off the beets. Fill sink with cold water and place hot beets in to cool. Break off roots and stems and rub off peeling. Leave small beets whole, cut larger ones in chunks and place in hot jars. Cover with hot vinegar-sugar solution to 1/2” of jar top. To each jar add:

• bits of cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves

Seal with hot lids and metal rings. Process in hot-water bath (190 °) for 15 minutes. Season for two weeks before eating. Delicious served with roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, and English peas.

Raspberry Sauce

In very large bowl set aside:

• 16 c. fruit

Cook:

• 6 c. additional fruit (mash to release color)
• 6 c. water

Mix together:

• 4 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. Clear Jel A

Dissolve in:

• 3 c. cold water

Pour into fruit-water mixture. Bring to a boil.

Add:

• 6 T. lemon juice

Boil 1 minute. Fold sauce into large bowl of berries. Fill jars to 1/2” of top. Place hot lid on and screw on metal ring. Place on rack in water bath kettle, half full of hot water. Add more hot water to cover jars at least 1/2” above top surface. Cover canner and heat on high until it reaches 180-190 degrees. Set timer for 15 minutes. Remove with a jar lifter and place on dry towel. Cool, label and store.

Variations: For marionberry, blackberry or boysenberries, crush all berries and and add:

• 1 more c. sugar
• 1 c. honey

Also heap up that cup of Clear Jel A. Process in hot-water bath 15 minutes.

Very delicious on waffles and pancakes or over cake.

Hints

• Place big beets in bottom, small ones on top for more even cooking.
• After filling jars, wipe rim with a clean cloth. No particle must be there or it won’t seal.
• Run finger along rim of each jar to check for nicks—discard those or magic mark with X on the bottom to save for storing dried foods.
• Set jars an inch apart for cooling on dry, thick bath towels. A wet surface may cause jars to break.
• Freeze water in 1- or 2-cup containers to have on hand for cooling vegetables.
• Clear Jel A may be purchased from Nichols Nursery, Albany, OR. Phone: 1-541-928-9280 or e-mail: (nichols@gardennursery.com). Several ladies can order 25 pounds together and share! As a side note: we didn’t care for Instant Clear Jel—it was more cloudy-looking, not clear like Clear Jel A.
• Use the basket of a large lettuce spinner for easy washing and draining of most berries. Do not, however use for raspberries. They are so fragile it is better to carefully wash and look through.
• Magnetic wand—to pull lids out of hot water. Should be available at most special kitchen supply stores.