Your 2024 Garden

[tripletfeb]

Now there are two things to get soon. Need to restock our pickled beets and need to get some golden beet seed. Very few of the beet seed germinated when I planted them in the fall year before last. That's the first time that has ever happened with beets I planted in well prepared soil. We have never canned carrots before but I think they are on the agenda for canning this coming season too. Never have canned them before. We have froze a few but I think canned might me better for mixing with some cooked stew meat and potatoes.

Now as for speaking of potatoes has anyone ever canned Irish potatoes? If they are in the jar they can't sprout and go bad and it would be easy to thaw out some precooked beef stew and just add potatoes and carrots when time is cut short for a meal prep.

I've never canned potatoes but have canned lots of carrots before. Much prefer canned carrots over frozen, especially in soups or stews. You can add them in at the end, they only need to heat up. Last night, I made a chicken and cauliflower rice casserole and added a can of my beans and carrots to it. No need to worry about the veggies cooking through, they just need heated when coming from canned

 

[NanaK]

I ordered my seeds this week!

 

[Insnesnakos]

I have a drawer full of seed packets I'll try planting them this year

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

I've had pickled beets and they were.... ok. Beets taste like dirt to me. I'd like to try beet greens, and I'd try beets again too... is there a way to lessen the dirt taste?

You should try golden beets.. the dark purple beets actually carry an enzyme that does taste like dirt to some. The golden beets do not.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

I can both potato and carrots. You need to pressure can them. They are simple to can and oh so easy to make stew with. Good luck!

 

[Sally PB]

You should try golden beets.. the dark purple beets actually carry an enzyme that does taste like dirt to some. The golden beets do not.

They are on my shopping list. I want to try both golden beets and beet greens. Talk about a space efficient, healthy crop.

 

[Sally PB]

So far, I love beet greens! Sauted in with fried rice.

 

[CedarLane]

One year when our oldest daughter was about 4 we asked each of our kids what they wanted to plant in the garden that year. When we got to her she screamed "Pickled Beets". Almost 50 years later no jar is safe around her. It would be nice if someone could develop a self pickling strain.

My daughter's favorite! When she was little she'd eat beets prepared just about anyway I'd make them...Harvard beets, cooked with brown butter over them, pickled, etc. Then I guess we didn't have them for a couple of years other than pickled and now she's as quick to eat them as she used to be.

 

[CedarLane]

We much prefer the small whole pickled beets over pickled sliced beets.

I agree! But I can't always get enough this size. What I do is sort by size and can at least a few cans of small whole pickled beet and then mark the lids to serve for company or special occasions.

 

[CedarLane]

We have never canned carrots before but I think they are on the agenda for canning this coming season too. Never have canned them before. We have froze a few but I think canned might me better for mixing with some cooked stew meat and potatoes.

Now as for speaking of potatoes has anyone ever canned Irish potatoes? If they are in the jar they can't sprout and go bad and it would be easy to thaw out some precooked beef stew and just add potatoes and carrots when time is cut short for a meal prep.

I've never canned potatoes but have canned lots of carrots before. Much prefer canned carrots over frozen, especially in soups or stews. You can add them in at the end, they only need to heat up. Last night, I made a chicken and cauliflower rice casserole and added a can of my beans and carrots to it. No need to worry about the veggies cooking through, they just need heated when coming from canned

I can both potato and carrots. You need to pressure can them. They are simple to can and oh so easy to make stew with. Good luck!

I've canned both potatoes and carrots. They are very nice to have on hand.

I also like to can a mixture of potatoes, carrots & celery. I use them in a potato cheddar soup recipe that I have, but also use them for a lot of other quick meals: 1. Add canned beef chunks for a quick soup or 2. Drain and mix with a white sauce or cream of mushroom/chicken/celery soup, add chicken, ground beef, or beef chunks and top with a biscuit or Bisquick topping or pie crust for a quick "pot pie" .... to mention a couple of ideas. Sometimes I need a "quick" meal idea, and I'm trying to use fewer store-bought prepared meals.

After digging out potatoes, we sort out the small well. Those get canned or used first.