beet & corn salsa

 its been a while

but i have a good excuse

i have been elbow deep in tomatoes & end of summer goodness from the garden

this time of year you will find me in the kitchen canning summer's bounty to enjoy all winter long

nothing beats opening a jar of salsa in the middle of winter ...or sauce, jam, pickles

and savouring the tastes of summer

a  few steam burns on the knuckles and scalding water down leg (apparently i did not learn my lesson from canning strawberry jam) is a small price to pay for a ticket back to summer when i need it most - in the middle of a new england winter

being able to preserve summers bounty, in my book is priceless

sometimes i'm strange

other times i'm pretty normal

this salsa is borderline - some think it is genius, others look at me like i've gone mad

beets make this salsa a really pretty shade of magenta

- which for the record is my favourite crayola crayon

beets, blueberry balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, peppers & onion make the base of this salsa

justin, who could not stand beets liked this salsa

they are pretty sly, almost like a wedding crasher who actually pulls off being uncle roys cousin

see the thing about beets - they turn everything magenta

your hands.....cutting board....kitchen towels.....your white cabinets

but don't let that deter you from trying this recipe out- it is a great way to use those beets that are arriving in your fall csa's by the bunches

 this picture pretty much confirms the fact that i do not use nearly as much hand lotion as i should

Beet & Corn Salsa

makes 6 pint jars

you will need:

• 6 pint jars with bands & lids sterilized
• to sterilize- go here
• 6 cups tomato - cored & peeled if desired
• to peel tomatoes submerge in boiling water for 2 - 5 minutes and plunge into cold water, once cool to handle peel skins from tomatoes
• 3 large green peppers seeded & chopped
• 2 red onions dices
• 4 hot peppers - seeded to lessen the heat, keeps seeds for a hotter salsa
• 3/4 cup blueberry balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 3 ears of corn- shucked and cut off the cob
• 2 medium beets, peeled & cubed

assembly:

• place all ingredients in a large non-reactive stock or soup pot
• cook over medium high heat until consistency is reached about 10-15 minutes
• mean while prepare water bath  - see here for a step by step guide to canning
• you may choose not to process the salsa in a water bath- if so the salsa will keep up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator
• continue to keep salsa at a low boil
• ladle salsa into jars leaving about a 1/2 head space
• wipe rim clean and top with lid, secure with band until finger tight
• process in water bath for 15 minutes at a low boil, leave jars in bath for an additional 5 minutes
• remove and allow to cool on a wire rack - press down on the top of the lid, if there is no give/movement the jars have processed correctly

enjoy!

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