Harvard beets ??

[creekside-angie]

Has any one ever canned harvard beets? I have bought them in a jar at the store, but all the recipes that I can find are for freezing. Isn't it basicaly a pickle beet with some type of thickener? I canned regular pickle beets this week-end,is there a way to make them into the harvard style before serving? We really like them for special occasions.
Any ideas would really be helpful, :)

Thanks,
creekside-angie

[CarolAnn]

Angie,
Everything I could find about canning Harvard Beets said that you must thicken them AFTER canning, as it's not safe to can the thickened beets. Here's a direct cut-and-paste from a canning site:

There are a few different recipes for canning pickled beets. If you want Harvard beets, you will need to thicken them AFTER your open the jars to serve them, since thickening before canning is unsafe.

Here is one recipe:

Pickled Red Beets

Use small beets whole. Cut larger beets into wedges or 1-inch chunks, or 1/4-inch thick slices.

6 quarts fresh red beets - cooked until fork tender.
4 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1 tsp. (or to taste) canning salt (non-iodized salt)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

To cook fresh beets - For tender, freshly picked beets - wash, rinse and drain until all traces of garden soil are removed. Use a small vegetable brush if needed. (Peel larger beets with a thick, tough skin.) Place beets in large heavy boiler or stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; remove beets from pan; set beets aside. Add remaining ingredients to hot beet juice and cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, Partially fill a boiling water bath canner with hot water; Set aside.

Pack cooked beets into hot canning jars (Use pint or quart jars; wide mouth jars work best here). Pour hot beet juice mixture into each jar, leaving 1/4" headspace. Run a thin spatula or non-metallic utensil through each jar to remove air bubbles. Add additional liquid to jars if needed. Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel. Place a new lid on each jar, followed by a screw band. Screw bands tightly onto jars. Place filled jars in rack in a water bath canner. Add additional hot water to canner to cover jars. Jars should be completely immersed...tops of jars should be at least 1" below water level. Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.(begin timing as soon as water begins to boil). Remove jars from canner; Place jars on a towel covered kitchen counter or table. After jars have cooled for several hours, test seals. Lid should have an indentation in center that stays down when pressed.

~~~
and:
PICKLED BEETS

7 lbs if 2- to 2-1/2 inch diameter beets
4 cups vinegar (5%)
1 1/2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
4 to 6 onions (2- to 2-1/2 inch diameter), if desired

YIELD: About 8 pints

PROCEDURE: Trim off beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem
and roots to prevent bleeding of color. Wash thoroughly.
Sort for size. Cover similar sizes together with boiling
water and cook until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes).
CAUTION: Drain and discard liquid. Cool beets. Trim
off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into 1/4-
inch slices. Peel and thinly slice onions. Combine
vinegar, salt, sugar, and fresh water. Put spices in
cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a
boil. Add beets and onions. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove
spice bag. Fill jars with beets and onions, leaving 1/2-
inch headspace. Add hot vinegar solution, allowing 1/2-
inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Recommended process time for PICKLED BEETS in a boiling-
water canner pints 30 minutes, quarts 35 minutes.

~~~
My own recipe for Harvard Beets just calls for regular fresh beets, not pickled. The "pickling" is in the flavorings in the sauce: cook 12 small beets with tops and roots trimmed back to 2" of each. Make sure skins are left on and undamaged to retain beet color. Rinse under cold water.

In 4qt pan over medium heat, in 1" boiling, salted water, heat the whole beets to boiling. Reduce to low heat & simmer 30-60 minutes, until fork tender. Drain & cool. Remove skins & stems & slice the beets.

Combine 1/4 C sugar, 2tsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 C vinegar & 1 Tbsp butter in a sauce pan & heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring slowly until it boils. Reduce heat to low and stir in beets. Cook just until heated through, stirring occasionally. Yields 3 cups.

YALE beets - use 1/4 C orange juice & 1 tbsp lemon juice instead of vinegar. Add 1 tbsp grated orange peel while cooking the sauce.

You may need to add more water to the beets if they take longer to cook - and that time depends on how small & tender they are.

[Deberosa]

That's the same thing I thought Carol Ann, Harvard beets are made out of pickled beets after canning.

[creekside-angie]

Thank you for the recipes.
Now that we finailly got some rain the rest of my beets may start growing. I want to try your Harvard beet recipe, Carol Ann it sounds really good ;D !

[mtwildflower]

I make Harvard Beets with a canned or fresh beet cooked until fork tender, then I add vinegar and corn starch to the juice. I love them that way!