Saturday, September 12, 2015

Pickled Beets and Apple Sauce

     At this time of year our thoughts turn to canning and preserving. I went to the local farmers'market the other day and picked up beets and apples to begin to make our winter store of pickled beets and apple sauce. 


     As it happens we had apples left over from the first batch of apple sauce, and since I had the oven on for something else, Miriam decided to make some of her mouth-wateringly delicious apple strudel muffins. You see the result below and I am sure that you are salivating just looking at the pictures.



     There are many reasons why being married to Miriam is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Her muffins rank highly in this assessment!
     We both love pickled beets, and so do the kids, since a jar or two can go out the door with them when they visit, and we prefer the little beets which we pickle whole. They are really succulent and never tough or fibrous which can sometimes be the case with full size beets.



     Once they have had a couple of weeks to age satisfactorily they are delicious beyond reason and a sandwich without a couple on the side of the plate just wouldn't be right.
     The local farmers'market is a joy to visit any time but in the fall when all the fruits and vegetables are being harvested it holds a special appeal not found at other times of the year. Even if I don't need to buy anything I enjoy a couple of hours at the market just to revel in the colours. There is a huge variety of fresh produce, all mouth-wateringly good and freshly picked.
     The following pictures speak for themselves and need no further comment from me. Rest assured, however, that we will be taking full advantage of this bounty, and there are many more jars to be filled before we are through. Pickles and baby corn may be the next candidates, in addition to a couple more batches of beets. It involves a little work, obviously, but Miriam and I do it together, chatting away all the time as we work in the kitchen, and before you know it another batch is ready for storage. I am sure that one day we will be unable to do this but we intend to carry on with this tradition for as long as our bodies permit. The results are more than worth the effort we put in to it.













































David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

12 comments:

  1. What an amazing array of produce, David! Miriam's muffins look to be the most attractive, however!

    Now here's the challenge. I insist that you try the speciality that I mentioned to you whilst you were here, and that is peanut butter and beetroot on toast. Spread the toast with peanut butter (or if you're like me, a light spreading of ordinary butter first!), sprinkle with salt, then cover with a single layer if thinly sliced beetroot. I swear that it's a marriage made in heaven. I await your verdict!

    Best wishes to you both - - - - Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And there's much more to see at the market, Richard - and it's five minutes from our house.

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    2. Hi again Richard: You do this with cooked beets or pickled beets?

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  2. Very nice shots David!!
    All food looks very well. Nice to make shots of all.

    Greetings, Marco

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  3. Hello David, Fantastic this harvest of fruits and vegetables. The photos are so inviting to take a bite of alls that healthy food. (And make sure you do not eat it without washing first, there might have been a frog in the nabourhood. ;) )
    The muffins your wife Miriam made look great and I am sure they taste like they look.
    Regards, Roos

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  4. What a wonderful photos and what it all looks delicious.
    Especially the cupcake's mmmmmm.
    Greetings Tinie

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  5. That's what I like to see and to eat. Why on earth do folk fill themselves with junk food when there's so much wonderful fresh produce around?

    Now you've given the game away as to the reason you married Miriam, we need her side of the story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would take several days for her to expound on all my virtues!

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  6. The vegetables for vegetarian diet, I love it. Fantastic pictures David.

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  7. A beautiful blog with all these delicious groetnen and fruit.
    It all looks pretty fresh and the water then passes me in the mouth. Not only of all the food that I see on the makrt but also the delicious apple strudel muffins that were created by Miriam. Mjammie ........

    ReplyDelete

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