I find that if I don't pickle my beets, I get more use out of them in my various menu items. Don't get me wrong, pickled beets are super yummy, but I don't generally make the types of recipes that require a pickled beet meal stretcher. So, we canned ours straight, which required the pressure canner. It takes longer, but I never have any left by the end of the year.
Once you've cut off the tops to 2" or so, blanch your cleaned beets in boiling water for 20 minutes. This allows the peals to slip off more easily.
Cool in an ice bath till you can hold them comfortably, then peal and dice your beats into 1-2" pieces. Pack chunks in jars.
(Author's note... please don't look at my stained cutting boards... I have new ones on the way!!)
Once your jars are full of beet chunks, fill the jars with boiling water (I cheat and use my electric hot water kettle for this) to 1/4" head space.
Wipe rims, and affix hot sanitized lids and rings.
Load jars into pressure canner.
Process for 30 minutes at 10lbs.
Allow beets to cool completely in a draft free area. Listen for that great popping sound of your hard work sealing in the garden freshness for you to eat all year long. This can take 24-48 hours.
Yummy!
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