ABOUT BEETS

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Because both beet roots and tops are low-acid vegetables, care must be taken when canning them.

Canning Beets

Cook roots for 15-25 minutes, until skins slip off easily. (Uncooked beets will bleed when cut; cooked ones won't.) Slice or cube the vegetable as desired, and pack the pieces into jars to within 1" of the tops. Add boiling water to within I" of jar tops, making sure water covers the beets during processing. If desired, add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint and I teaspoon per quart. Put on lids and screw bands as manufacturer directs. Process jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes for pints and 35 minutes for quarts.

Pickling Beets

Cook and remove skins from 4 dozen small beets. Combine 2 cups sugar, 3 1/2 CUPS vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt in a saucepan. Tie up 2 sticks cinnamon, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1 teaspoon allspice and 1 thinly sliced lemon in a cheesecloth bag, and add to saucepan. Heat to boiling, and boil 5 minutes. Pack beets into jars to within 1/4" of tops, and cover with the boiling syrup. Put on lids and screw bands according to directions, and process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Makes about 6 pints.

Freezing Beets

Cook beets in boiling water to cover (25-30 will yield 1 pint of frozen greens. minutes for small beets; 45-50 minutes for large ones). Peel and cool promptly, and slice if necessary. Pack into containers, seal, label, and freeze.

Canning Beet Greens

Select leaves from young plants, and rinse well. Discard insect-eaten or injured leaves, and trim off stems and large midribs. Place about 2 1/2 pounds of greens in a cheesecloth bag, and steam until well wilted. Pack in jars to within 1/2" of tops. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt for pints and I teaspoon for quarts. Cover with boiling water, and process at 10 pounds of pressure for 45 minutes for pints and 70 minutes for quarts.

Freezing Beet Greens

Select and prepare leaves as above, and blanch 2 minutes in boiling water or 3 minutes in steam, stirring to prevent leaves from matting together. Cool, pat dry, and freeze. One to 1 1/2 pounds of fresh leaves.

SUSAN SAYS

MOTHER'S GARDENER, SUSAN SIDES, passes on some good advice:

Have you ever noticed how certain plants seem to germinate better when the seeds are generously sown? Beets definitely prefer a thick planting. Of course, they must be thinned eventually-unless you take the advice of market gardener Shepherd Ogden and do your planting in bunches. To do this, sow two to three seeds per cell in a multicelled tray, then transplant the seedling clumps six inches apart.

I'm sold. Last year's trials with this method fostered excellent germination and reduced the chore of thinning beets to zero.

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