? about homecanned pickeld beets

[bornthrifty]

well I am new to canning so forgive me for all my questions...



I found a pickled beets recipe that looked easy so I cold packed my cooked beets poured my hot sauce over them and processed them for 30 mins...




but every other recipe I have seen say to "hot pack", (newer books seem to have more cautious methods?)



do you cold pack pickled beets?

some of the beets are thick 1/4 inch slices, (over 1/4")

and some of my beets appear to be above the liquid in the jar
is that ok, or because of all my mistakes should these go in the refrigerator?



thank you for all of your help : )

 

[patandchickens]

I am not sure what you would call what I do, the beets are usually still fairly warm from being cooked when I dry-pack them in teh jars and pour boiling pickling liquid over them. Like you I slice my pickled beets; I'd be more conservative if I were doing whole small beets as many people do. I pickle mine in such a *strong* liquid (I don't dilute the vinegar much if at all) that I do not think there is much food-safety risk involved; but as a general principle, of course it is always safER to follow the most recent recommendations as opposed to older ones.

It is ok if some of the beets end up with their shoulders above the liquid after you process them; the sticky-out-y part may decline a bit in eating quality but it's not unsafe. Eat the ones that've lost the most liquid (or have the floatiest beets) first, IMHO, but there is nothing *wrong* with them.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[bornthrifty]

thank you so much that clears things up a lot for me,

 

[justusnak]

Thrifty....since your beets are cooked, before you pack them, and with the boiling "pickling juice" 30 minutes is fine! Thats how I do mine...30 minutes...and I pickle between 30 and 60 pints a year. Havent lost one yet! ( beets or eaters of them)

 

[bornthrifty]

T Havent lost one yet! ( beets or eaters of them)

lol