beet greens ~

Tis the season ... the garden harvesting is finally upon us.  Yesterday I was putting up beet greens.  Did you know that you can cut off the leaves of the beet plant and get two harvests of greens before you actually have to dig up the beets for harvest?

My outside washing station... a pair of saw horses with a board across ...  four tubs ... three with water ... one for the clean greens.

The leaves get put into the first tub for sorting out the withered or dried undesirables.  A swish and a swirl to get off the dirt ... into the next tub ... for another scrub ... into the third tub of water for a final washing ... just in case there's a little more dirt ... nobody wants to eat gritty greens :)

After the final washing ...

   Now it's off to the boiling pot of salt water sitting out on the deck.   I don't like doing this in the house because it makes too much heat and steam.  I use my turkey cooker for this process.

A five minute blanch in boiling water ...

Then into a tub of ice water to stop the cooking ...

Drain in the colanders ....

Pack into freezer bags ...

One more thing off the checklist of many.  In a few days I'll be doing the same with some swiss chard and with the bok choy.   I love eating them just as is ... or with a little pat of butter and salt and pepper.  Dear Hubby likes them with a splash of vinegar.   mmm... healthy eats.  I can't wait until it's 40 below and I'm cooking these up in a big ol' kettle of Italian wedding soup... my favorite way of eating them.

Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel