Ingredients: a bushel of beets (without tops) weighs an average of 52 pounds and yields 15 to 20 quarts; an average of 3 pounds per quart
- Per canner load of 7 quarts an average of 21 pounds is needed
- Per canner load of 9 pints an average of 13-½ pounds is needed
Quality of ingredients: beets with a diameter of 1-2 inches are preferred for whole packs (beets larger than 3 inches in diameter are often too fibrous)
Directions: trim off beet tops, leaving an inch of stem and roots to reduce bleeding of color. Scrub well. Cover with boiling water. Boil until skins slip off easily; about 15-25 minutes depending on the size. Cool, remove skins, and trim off stems and roots. Leave baby beets whole. Cut medium or large beets into ½-inch cubes or slices. Halve or quarter very large slices. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill hot jars with hot beets and fresh hot water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process.
Recommended Canner Type: Pressure canner
| Beets in a dial-gauge pressure canner | ||||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0-2,000 ft | 2,001-4,000 ft | 4,001-6,000 ft | 6,001-8,000 ft |
| Hot | Pints | 30 min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb |
| Quarts | 35 min | 11 lb | 12 lb | 13 lb | 14 lb | |
| Beets in a weighted-gauge pressure canner | ||||||
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time | 0-1,000 ft | Above 1,000 ft | ||
| Hot | Pints | 30 min | 10 lb | 15 lb | ||
| Quarts | 35 min | 10 lb | 15 lb | |||