Our beets haven’t done any good for the last two or three years.
Granny and Pap never grew beets when I was growing up even though they liked them. After we started gardening we grew beets. For many years we had a great beet harvest.
I think I figured out why our beets fell off—we started planting them too early.
Someone left a comment that their husband said to tell me we should plant beets when the dogwood trees are in bloom. I thought well that’s the perfect way to remember if it works.
This year we planted our beets when the dogwood trees were in bloom and it looks like they are going to make. Most of the plants are several inches tall and I can’t wait for the first mess of fresh roasted beets.
ROASTED BEETS
Beets
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Peel and chop fresh beets. Toss with olive oil and turn out onto baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until tender.
TP
—Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
The girls like roasted beets too, but when they were younger they weren’t so crazy about them. They’d tell me “Momma they taste like dirt.” I’d always tell them I know they do but I still love them 🙂
Beet greens are so pretty! They are also very tasty and can be eaten in a salad or cooked like other greens.
You can find mine and Jim’s cookbook here.
Last night’s video: Walking & Talking With Granny and Her Latest Crochet Creations.
Tipper
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Love reading your posts. Your love and appreciation of things Appalachian is refreshing. My son brings me fresh beets which I bake and also steam the leaves & posts. sometimes I make a jar of refrigerator pickled beats with some sliced onions (so easy) which can be kept in frig to use for up to 6 weeks. As nec I pull more baked beets from the freezer and make another batch or use as a snack or side dish It’s all is so yummy. My kids hated beets when young & I told them their taste buds just weren’t mature enough yet but they would be. THEY ALL LIKE/LOVE BEETS NOW. GOD BLESS YOU & YOUR FAMILY. Grannie has a forgotten but beautiful talent.
Tipper,
It was great to see. Granny!! She looks beautiful and healthy. Her crotchet is beautiful and colorful.Do thoughtfully to do this for her family. Yes, I agree with you, she should crochet different items and sell. I would definitely buy them. I keep praying for Granny and everyone in Wilson and Pressley. H,
I love beets! My brother grew them in his garden after mama and daddy were gone. He made the best pickled beets that I have ever eaten. I don’t know where he got the recipe from but every year, he canned so many jars that he had folks offer to pay him if he would can them some. I remember one of my uncles always got his beets from my brother. He didn’t like to charge anyone, but my uncle insisted because he also said he’d never had pickled beets that were that good. I wish I had the recipe because when he died it was never found.
It was wonderful seeing Granny last night. She looks amazing! Loved seeing all the crocheting that she’s been working on. I think it’s so special how she makes things for her family. They will be treasured for years to come. I enjoyed the walk around, seeing her garden and her flowers. I remember walking mama around her yard, looking at her flowers also. It brought back so many warm memories. Granny is a walking miracle!! God is so good!! Still praying for her and for Corie for a safe delivery.
Mom used to grow beets but she never roasted any that I can remember. Some of the beets were huge and daddy would peel and eat them raw with salt. I never grow beets and can’t recall ever buying any except a small jar of pickled beets from the store about once a year that usually goes bad before I can finish them.
I enjoyed seeing Granny and her wonderful crocheting. It’s wonderful to see her loving her garden. Wishing her many blessings!
My beets are doing great so far. I’m a bit surprised because I used seeds from 2 years ago. Longevity is one of the things I love about heirloom veggies. I can’t wait to use their leaves. I make them as I do spinach. That said, if the center stem is thick or heavy, I pull the greens away from it before cooking. When I was able to eat garlic I would put a just a bit with some butter and salt into the bowl of hot greens. I’m now allergic to garlic, but the hot greens, butter and salt are still a treat. I even enjoy slicing up the beets when they’re cold and adding a sprinkle of salt. Nuthin’ better than what’s simple! Enjoy your beet crop, Tipper. I know it’ll be successful.
Never had roasted beets but will have to try them. It did my heart good to see Granny out checking on her garden and showing us her crochet projects.
If beets taste like dirt then I guess I like dirt!
Back when I could eat,
a salad was not complete,
without the taste of beet.
Pickled that is!
What a wonderful treat to see Granny outside looking so beautiful and loving the warmth of the sunshine as she sit a spell on her porch:) I always thought my Aunt was the Queen of Crochet but after I saw the granny square jackets Granny made for the three Indian princess, I declared Granny the Queen of Crochet. You can clearly see all those beautiful little great-grandchildren’s sweaters she has made for Christmas. Oh my goodness, how talented Granny is!
My Daddy has those Oak Hydrangeas at his old place in NE MS. They are beautiful. I have the blue hydrangea like Granny and I also have the old-timey P.G. Hydrangea which grows tall and the flowers cascade over in almost a cone shape cream white and by fall has a slight pinkish cast to it. It is beautiful too. I love them all.
I hope you find your vest pattern, Granny. It’s a great day when I’m not hunting for something:) I try to think of what I was doing when I last saw it. Sometimes I retrace my steps. So many times, I find I had it in my hand and being distracted to something else I find it where I laid it down to take care of something else.
It was so nice to see Granny. Such a sweet lady. We do not have luck growing beets here. They look ok for a while then die. Maybe we are too wet. Hope everyone is doing well. Anna from Arkansas.
I watched you talk with Granny, and I just love how important her flowers and garden are to her. When we grow up with planting and harvesting, I do believe it ingrains in us a love for all nature offers. Then we don’t crave that constant need to shop or get out into worldly distractions. The simple life is just a really good way to live. I got a lot of joy when I grew beets, even though I do not eat them. I pickled them up for family who loved beets. Word of warning if deer are a problem. Deer absolutely love those tender beet leaves, and are the reason I quit growing them. It is as if they draw the deer to your garden.
It was so wonderful to watch your video last night and see your beautiful guest! I continue to pray God’s blessings over granny and your family.
I too like roasted beets, but I also like them pickled. I don’t peel mine before roasting. I wash my beets good, trim off tops and roots, toss them in olive oil and wrap them in foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake till tender usually 45-60 minutes. Once they cool I just slide the skins off them. I highly recommend wearing food safe gloves when removing the skin, unless you want red hands for a while. Baking beets with their skin on keeps them so moist and taste sweeter. Afterwards I might enjoy a few to eat, but mostly I slice them up to pickle them to can. That way I can enjoy them at a much later date. I’m excited my beets seem to be doing well too. I missed not having any last year. Yours looks really good Tipper! I’ve never ate the leaves even though I did know they are. I’m gonna have to try some in my salad to see if I like them too.
Have never had roasted beets – only pickled. I like them that way. Seems to me they are not an especially loved vegetable even among gardeners. They are pretty plants.
Thanks, have not tried roasted, must do. We usually get the canned sliced and pickled. Nothing beats the beet sliced and pickled. A must on a burger 🙂
I don’t eat beets period, even though they are suppose to be good for you. Tipper, I would like for you to pass this along to Chatter, I can not get enough of listening to her sing I Don’t Know About Tomorrow, I keep playing it over and over. I have already been listening to her sing it this morning.
Randy-I will tell her! So glad you like it 🙂
I don’t like beets, but I do like pickled eggs made from the juice. My mother used to grow and can beets. She would make pickled eggs from the pickled beet juice. I have made them once or twice over the years because I’m the only person who eats them. Mom used to use the beet leaves and cook them too. I enjoyed them but the beets I just couldn’t stand to eat.
I’m living vicariously through your beets. I love beets but do not care for those I can buy at the grocery store. Nothing better than a beet pulled straight from the ground. I, too, want to thank you for the video yesterday with Granny. She’s beautiful as always and sounding better. That white, red, green, and blue jacket she crocheted is gorgeous! Love to you all and happy beeting! Prayers for Corey.
Mommy said all her days beets were good to build your blood. I can’t testify one way or another on this, but they are delicious! I like putting boiled eggs in the beet juice to get pickled eggs and they are good too! I’m glad your beets have come around. This year I waited til the end of May to plant most things and my success rate so far is pretty amazing! Your sign is the dogwood and mine is when the top of the mountain starts to leaf out. Whatever works I guess. Your beets are PURTY, girl!!!
Love roasted beets and pickled beets. They are still a favorite of my grown daughter and I always warn her that they will stain her clothes, (even though she’s 24 and probably knows that).
She also was the chicks that told me she didn’t like spinach because it tasted” green.”
my beets grew so good last year, they didn’t even come up this year. I am just over in Murphy
I love beets roasted with butternut squash or sweet potatoes. I like that earthy taste mixed with the sweet. I’ve never had good luck with beets at all but we’re still trying to build up our clay soil so that’s probably why. The other thing I’ve had a hard time with the last 3 years is our Cherokee purples. When we lived a county over we always had a great harvest and I loved them on a mater sandwich just like Matt but since we moved here I’ve got maybe one small tomato in 3 summers. I planted one again this year and all my others look good but my Cherokee is puny and shrively looking. I’m not sure what the problem is but I may have to give them up. We also tried German Johnson and one called Abe Lincoln for the first time those are looking good so far.
I love beets! I should try growing them now that I’ve moved down here.
My mom and I were the only ones that would eat them, so she always had another veg for the rest of the family. I would go so far as to say they are my favorite vegetable. When mom had had her fill of them, I’d pull the bowl to my plate and finish off the rest of them.
I have never grown or cooked fresh beets. I need to try your recipe because we do like beets. I often open a can and put them in a bowl with vinegar. We use them to eat as a side dish or chopped up in salads. It was so nice to see your Mama on your video last evening. Her crochet projects are all just beautiful…and she’s just as sweet as ever. I have watched all the latest videos from your channel and from the Pressley girls too. I am so excited for your reading each Friday..love the book!
I was so happy watching Granny and you outside walking around her home and garden! I praise God Gor answered prayers and will continue to hold her in prayer. She has made so many beautiful crocheted gifts for the upcoming Christmas❤
I continue to hold Core in prayer for an easy and safe delivery. I’m also holding all of you in prayer. God bless you and yours.❤❤
I absolutely love beets! I plan on growing them and I will definitely try this recipe! I have to check my winter growing schedule to see if they can be grown in the fall here in Florida.