Jeannine, my grandmother was from Melton Mowbray and she made the most amazing pork pie, she also made head cheese and jellied tongue, those two I didn't care for but the M.M. pork pie was something else, a slice of that with some hot mustard, yum, I did eat tripe when I was young but somewhere down the road I went off it, possible after going in the kitchen when it was cooking LOL.
Although back in the 40's my grandfather owned one of the larger grocery/dry goods store in town, they had a large garden and they grew most of what they ate. They had peach, apricot, apple, cherry and plum trees, one was a damson (the best plum jam ever). They grew raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, red and black currants and they also had a walnut tree, gran made her own pickled walnuts. They kept chickens as well, all this was on a double city sized lot.
For Christmas there always was her famous plum pudding with brandy sauce, gran was a teetotaler, but when it came to her plum pudding and mince meat , well that was a different matter LOL.
Back on subject, beets, love them and have just planted a row of Detroit Dark Red, haven't grown them in years, why I don't know as beets are another favorite vegetable of ours. Years ago I had trouble growing beets until I had our soil analyzed, lack of potash was the problem, once that was rectified no more problems.
Annette
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