I've now got Beetroot... now what!?

[Hollie the Wollie]

What do you recommend I should do with my Beetroot?

I know it is popular to pickle... I'm not sure how I do this. Any suggestions would be fab!

[hiyatim]

im so glad you asked ...

im thinking of harvesting all my first crop as im sure they are stuck at the size they are now. i want to pickle mine sliced but ive heard if you do it wrong they bleed and you lose the flavour

[airconednightmare]

soup

[lisa4star]

I do not like chutney but you must try beetroot chutney. It's yum. It's so easy - just beetroot, apple, onion, salt, sugar and vinegar.

It's great with cheese and cold meat.

I could post my recipe if you fancy making it.

[hiyatim]

sounds yummy, although i dont like apple in things , anyway i could put carrot in or somethin like that

[lisa4star]

The apple just goes to mush and you don't actually taste it but it must add something. I've made it the past 4 years and have to get lots of little jars because everybody wants some. Definitely a recipe I wouldn't change.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Ooh Lisa that sounds great... could you pass on the recipe?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Tim, don't worry about the apple because as Lisa said you don't actually taste it. I use bramley apple as a base for making jams as it's high in pectin and helps set low pectin fruit jams. I much prefer it to jamming sugar.

[Lesley Jay]

Lisa you must post that delicious sounding chutney recipe please!!


I love beetroot just boiled, cooled and then sliced between two slices of bread and butter with lashings of salt and pepper.

[hiyatim]

lesley can u tell me how you go about boiling, ive heard if you cut it in the wrong place before boiling you can spoil it. i assumed you would just cut the top and bottom peal the skin and put it in a pan like a spud but ive been told u boil it with leaves/roots on?

thanks

[Hollie the Wollie]

I may be wrong but I was told to boil it in the skin and with a couple of inches of the stalk in tact!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Tim, you don't cut beetroot at all before boiling and you need to be careful not to pierce the skin as the beetroot colour can bleed out into the pan. The leaves should be 'screwed off' or 'twisted off' not cut off to avoid bleeding. You need to leave about two inches of stalk on the beetroot, so hold the 2 inch worth of stalks in one hand and the rest of the stalks and leaves in the other and 'screw' the stalks off as if you were wringing out a cloth. Don't cut the tap root off at all and carefully wash all the soil off the beetroot. Then chuck it in a pan of water and boil for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. The easy way to skin the beetroot after it is cooked and cooled is to stab a beetroot with a fork (in one hand), put it on a plate, then using the fork to keep the beetroot in place, take a knife, top and tail the root and the skin will just slide off with the edge of the knife. No red hands! Enjoy!

Quite right Hollie!!

[lisa4star]

I will post the chutney recipe tomorrow but I've thought of another great recipe - roast the beetroot whole and slice (large beets) and lay around a large plate. Dip soft goats cheese in egg and then toasted home made bread crumbs and bake in an oven. Serve with watercress (I think) and a dressing with oil, thyme, not sure what else is in it but I will post this too, it's yum.

Baby beets are nice roasted whole in balsamic vinegar and served with carpaccio, watercress, Parmesan shavings and horseradish dressing (Jamie Oliver recipe). Made this a lot and goes down well.

[hiyatim]

i never cease to amaze myself with my ignorance

id have been gutted if id grew it and destroyed it hehe

once ive done all the above, let it cool, sliced it up, do i simply put it in a jar of white vinegar to pickle? how long until its ready to eat?

thanks

[Hollie the Wollie]

Can I use the beets straight from the ground or do they need storing somewhere first? Sorry to sound dumb!

[WhiteWolf]

Bortsch!!!

[lisa4star]

Originally Posted by Hollie the Wollie

Can I use the beets straight from the ground or do they need storing somewhere first? Sorry to sound dumb!

Hi Hollie,

Yeah u can use it straight from the ground. No need for storing.

The leaves are good in salad too.

[Lesley Jay]

Yes Hollie, just use the beetroots straight from the ground - there's no need to store them first! - Snap Lisa!!

Tim, Sarsons make a ready spiced pickling vinegar which makes life easier and save the jar for making your own pickled onions! You will need to sterilse the jam jars first by giving them a good wash and then lay them down on the racks in the oven at 100c for about 20 minutes. Let them cool, then add the sliced beetroots and cover with the spiced vinegar. Using hot vinegar extends the shelf life. So you need to fill the jars while they are still warm from the oven. Cover with vinegar proof lids that have a plastic coating inside straightaway and wait a few weeks before eating and enjoying!

Ocado: Sarson's Pickling Malt Vinegar (Product Information)

[Hollie the Wollie]

Brilliant! I cant wait! Hurry up with that Chutney recipe Lisa, I am hoping to make it tomorrow

Oh, just a quick Q - I have sterile clean jars, can I just put the lids on when they are full or do I need to leave a gap and add one of the wax discs and a film lid instead?!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Hollie, to be safe sterilise the jars again just as you are going to use them. With the lids check inside and see if there is a plastic coating. If there is then these will be perfect for pickles and chutneys that contain vinegar. If there isn't a plastic coating then save these for jams and use a wax disc on the top of the jam. A simple rule is either put the lids on when your jams or chutneys are red hot, straight from the pan, or you must wait until the contents of the jars cool down completely before putting on the lids. I always put the lids on when the jam is red hot and don't leave a gap as this can cause problems in storage. I got a right surprise the first time I made jam because as it starts to cool the safety button goes down and the jars make a 'popping' noise.