Canned!

 I love canning! I consider it an art form. Laugh all you want...
And I love beetroot! Second only to chocolate, at times I get weird pangs of beetroot craving just like every now and then I get this unstoppable urge to sing (read: curse) along to Eminem.

When that happens, there is not much I can do but clean, blanch, brine and preserve. 

(...and rap: "It gives me the s...t needed to be the most meanest MC in this world and since birth, I've been cursed with this curse to just curse and just blurt this berserk and bizarre s...t that works...." 

Ah, love me some Em's beat to my beet!!!)

 This time around I decided to stay away from garlic so I canned it with cumin and coriander.
Total success! UnBEETable!!!!

 Ok, beet was a known known, but what about a known unknown? 

You see, I had never pickled kale before so, once I finally did, I went with the failproof

brine and garlic combo (the brine is always 1 part apple vinegar, 2 parts water, boiled with 2 sugar cubes, some salt and pepper).

Steamed the kale making sure it lost none of tis natural crispness. The reason I don't like most mass-produced vegetable preserves is that I find them either overcooked or oversalted. Or both. Arghhhh. This one was perfect. 

Had some for lunch today with half a bowl of hummus and some rye bread...

....and preserved the rest. The jar on the left is garlic-infused, and the one on the right? 

DILL!!!! Dill won the taste test hands down.

You may find the next pickling endeavor a bit dull and boring but bear with me. 

Whatever edge I lacked in choice of vegetables was promptly compensated in action. 

Steaming can be dangerous!

  Once back to a safe room temperature, cauliflower and carrots looked perfect.
Tossed one batch in dill....

....that's the one on the left. The one on the right is generously doused with cumin and coriander.

 I know, I know, it's high time I came up with a new pickling spice mix and I will, soon... I promise!
And yes, of course it's a shame I have not read Dreisler's American Tragedy before. Trying to catch up on all the missed reading, blogging, and living in Belgrade at the same time... IT AIN'T EASY!!!