Chioggia beetroot!

[Snadger]

Boiled some chioggia beetroot for pickling but instead of concentric rings of red and white its went solely PINK!

Now its pickled it resembles one of those Specimen jars with some form of pickled 'life form' in it....................very unappetizing!

Come on then.....what did I do wrong?

[bazzaboy]

Now its pickled it resembles one of those Specimen jars with some form of pickled 'life form' in it....................

LOL... sounds perfect for serving up on Halloween!

But don't think you did anything wrong, Snadger - Margaret Briggs (so keen on beetroot she writes books about it!) records (p. 86) that "Chioggia (or Bulls eye or candy striped beet) is an Heirloom Italian variety from the 1840s, orange-pink outer skin with a distinctive striped pattern... Pattern fades to pink when cooked, but is good for salad."

So sounds as if that's what happens.... b.

Ref.: Margaret Briggs, BEETROOT – The Vitality Plant & Its Medicinal Benefits, Abbeydale Press, 2007,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BEETROOT-Vit...4292487&sr=1-1

[zazen999]

I found the colour stays a bit more when you roast it rather than boil it - perhaps all that jigging around in the water shakes the colour round too much.

[di]

I've been steaming mine(the kiddies absolutely love it),although the circles still fade to pink,they at least stay as circles.
Because it doesn't bleed like other beetroot,you can slice it before cooking.I don't particularly like pickled beetroot,but can see no reason why you can't steam for pickling as opposed to boiling?

[Alison]

Mine has stayed as circles when roasted, really nice it is too

[Pumpkin Becki]

I found the colour stays a bit more when you roast it rather than boil it - perhaps all that jigging around in the water shakes the colour round too much.

Like when a red sock gets into the white shirts wash

[vegnut]

I was told that if you cook them young, they turn less pink. Lovely sweet variety though. Gonna sow more next year.