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PICKLED BEETS 

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs whole small beets

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon whole allspice

3 inches stick cinnamon

6 whole cloves

Wash beets, leaving on roots and 1 inch of tops.  Cover beets with boiling water.  Simmer 25 minutes.  Drain, Slip off skins and trim beets.

In a large kettle, combine vinegar, water, sugar and spices.  Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

Pack the hot beets into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Cover the beets with the boiling pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Make sure that the tops of the jars are clean.  Place canning lids and rings on jars and tighten down.  Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes for half pints.  This recipe makes approximately 3 half pints.  For large beets, wash and remove tops and cook as directed.  Slip off skins and cube. 

This pickling juice can be used on cooked beets without processing.  Just store in the refridgerator.  The pickling will take a few days to soak into the beets.

FREEZER COLE SLAW

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium size head of cabbage (shredded)

1 large carrot (grated)

1 medium green pepper (chopped)

1 teaspoon table salt

---Brine mixture

1 1/2 cup vinegar (cider vinegar works best)

1/4 cup water

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon celery salt (or 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and 1/2 teaspoon salt)

Wash and prepare the vegetables and combine in a large bowl (plastic or glass is better).  Mix in the salt and let stand for at least 1 hour.

Prepare the brine by mixing all ingredients in a sauce pan.   Bring to a boil and allow to cool. 

Drain the juices from the cabbage mixture and place in freezer containers allowing enough head space for expansion (about 1/2 inch).  Ladel the cooled brine over the cabbage until the cabbage is covered by the brine.  Seal the lids tightly on the freezer containers and freeze.

TOSSED FRUIT SALAD (my family's favorite tossed salad) 

Ingredients:

1 medium head of iceburg lettuce

2 or 3 small red apples (red delicious, gala, or other dark red sweet apple)

1 or 2 bananas

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Mayonaise

Core and wash the head of lettuce and set aside until it is thoroughly drained.  Tear the lettuce into a large glass bowl(metal bowls have a tendancy to react with the acids in the fruits and makes the salad taste funny).  Wash, core and cut the apples into bite size pieces (do not peel the apples. This makes your salad colorful).  Peel and cut the bananas into bite size pieces.  Add these to the lettuce.  Sprinkle the sugar over the lettuce and fruit in the bowl.  Stir in enough mayonaise to coat the lettuce.  You will want to prepare this just before serving as the fruit will make the salad watery if it sits too long.