I don’t remember eating beets
when I was a kid.
Maybe they don’t grow well
in the humid heat of Zone 7.
Now, it’s one of the staples
of my pantry. We eat them
pickled,
roasted,
just out of the boiling water and sliced,
as a side dish,
on a salad.
Remember the discovery!
I was experimenting with pickled beets
and sliced off the rough edges,
popped them into my mouth.
Yum.
Ate a bunch.
Next day, thought I was dying.
No tummy ache,
just the mistake
of looking into the toilet
when I flushed.
This year, though,
after a couple of dry years,
a friend asked if I wanted beets.
She planted two rows,
and did they grow!
Two bushels.
Maybe three.
I’ve canned,
Frozen.
Pickled.
Now I’m giving them away.
Wait!
What if next year is another dry one?
Maybe another canner full,
a few more jars,
one more day boiling water,
slipping skins,
slicing off the rough edges
and popping them into my mouth.
Apocalypse Farm 