Pickled Beetroot....

[Nicky]

I ran out of stored beetroot this week so I tried some that I'd pickled.
It brought trears to my eyes..... too much or too strong vinegar.
I'd boiled them then sliced them when they were cold and put them in jars with pickling vinegar. I guess that's not the way to pickle beetroot.
Does anyone have recipies for pickling beetroot or other allotment veg so I can get it right next year.

[shirlthegirl43]

The recipe I have is as follows:

1. Weigh the beetroot and wash them carefully, taking care not to damage the skins. Wrap them in foil and bake in the oven at 180C (350F) gas mark 4 for 2 to 3 hours, depending on size, until tender.

2. Leave the beetroot to cool, then skin and thinly slice them. Pack the slices into jars and cover with cold Spiced Vinegar.

3. Cover the jars immediately with airtight, vinegar-proof tops. For longer keeping, dice the beetroot, pack loosely, cover with boiling vinegar and seal.

Haven't tried the recipe as I haven't grown any beetroot yet, so I can't actually recommend it - however, all the recipes I have used from the book are great so hopefully this will be okay too.

good luck!

[Anita Plot]

So it isn't only me then. I thought I had bu**ered it up.

I will be intersted to see what replies you get.

[Sue]

Nicky
I folowed the method outlined by StGirl only I used small whole beetroot. Just used the last of the crop and they were fine so don't know what went wrong, hope it works next time.
Sue

[Benacre]

Why pickle it? you can pick it fresh all year, well til about Feb then between Feb and the first harvest stored roots in sharp sand.
Benacre

[sewer rat]

I love beetroot, both fresh and pickled. I pickled about 20 jars,( to put on my pieces for work) and did nothing special at all - cooked beetroot as normal, sliced and put in sterilised jars, filled with pickling vinegar (Sarsons white), sealed and stuck on a shelf. Just opened last jar yesterday - scrummy!

[Alice]

Hello Nicky, I don't think you did anything wrong. I think you've got used to eating fresh beetroot and just don't like pickled stuff. Can't stand it myself. Harsh stuff beside the lovely, gentle flavour of fresh beetroot. Look at what Benacre says. Maybe you can find a way to have it fresh all the year round - or just eat it in season. For me, that's the joy of GYO.

[rustylady]

PLEASE DON'T USE CHEAP VINEGAR!!! If you're going to pickle beetroot (or any other veg) don't cut corners. Use good quality vinegar, either ready spiced - Sarsons - or use your own spices. I always add a little sugar too, and this takes away the harsh bite of the vinegar. Pickling is a good way of preserving veg, and I love pickled onions, + red cabbage, + gherkins, + almost any other veg you can think of

[Poledragon]

Did you use hot or cold vinegar over your beetroot? Apparently hot vinegar gives a stronger taste than cold - I used hot this year and have to admit it's strong but I like it like that.

Will have to experiment next year with hot vs cold vinegar. Although I do have some shallots left that I could pickle, just do a jar of each...