Beet Harvest

"The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest."
Psalm 85:12 (NIV)

Last Year's Beets

 

I have never liked beets. Never ever. My mom never made them and my only interaction with them was most likely at an elderly relative's house. I really can't recall when I ate one as a child, but I can tell you I honestly believed I hated them.

Then last year, Randy returned from hunting in West Virginia raving about some homegrown pickled beets he'd eaten. I wasn't convinced, but Randy being Randy, he planted some to see if we could grow them in Louisiana. Sure enough, they grew just fine. We didn't plant enough to do anything with, so I picked up more at the store and Randy canned them. I was prepared to hate them. Really. I though he'd be eating those beets all by himself and wondered why he'd bothered with them at all.

And then I ate one. It was sweet. It was sour. It tasted like cinnamon apples.  I fell in love. Head over heels in love with beets.

So we planted more. Lots more. Too many more. We had to thin them out and transplant some. There were still too many, so some of them didn't grow larger than a marble. Some of them, however, grew to a respectable size, and this year we didn't have to supplement from the store. We put up 9 pints today and still have some in the garden for another 4 or so later on. 

This Year's Beet Harvest

I realize that probably isn't a large quantity to farmers and die hard gardeners, but it's great for us. It shows we learned from last year. It shows we were persistent. It shows we were open to new ideas.

Mostly, it shows that God is faithful in His promises. Our land yielded it's harvest.

How could this work in my life? What if I opened myself up to new ideas and let God do His thing? What kind of harvest could I yield? As I work on the fruits of the Spirit, I'm going to be mindful of approaching old things in new ways...kindness rather than indifference. Understanding rather than anger. Patience instead of irritation. I'm going to expect an abundant harvest, too, because He is always faithful in His promises.

                          Pickled Beets                            

Boil 3 lbs of fresh beets (washed, with about 1 inch of root end still attached) for 25 to 30 minutes until fork tender.



 Let them cool. Slip skins off. (Use gloves to prevent stains on hands) Slice them or quarter them to fit into sterilized pint jars.

Make pickling brine:  In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 cups water, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tsp each of whole allspice and whole cloves, and 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon. 

Using a canning funnel, place 2 pieces of quartered sweet onions in the bottom of each jar. Then fill each jar with beets, pushing down slightly to eliminate air space. Fill each with brine, leaving 1/2 inch head space.Wipe jars with a damp paper towel and add caps and bands. Place gently into a hot water bath, covering jars with at least one inch of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Carefully remove jars and place on kitchen towel to cool. Be sure each jar seals - the caps will be sucked into toward the jar and won't buckle when pressed. Store in a cool place and wait 6 weeks before opening.

Pickled Beets