Beetroot

[lottielady]

I have just harvested my first beets ever and really am not sure what to do with them. Does anyone have any methods of using fresh or preserving, any help would be gratefully received
Many thanks

[Hazel at the Hill]

1 scrub, boil whole for 20 - 40 mins (depends on size). Leave to cool a bit(so you don't burn your fingers!) and peel off skin. Slice and serve as a veg.
2 peel baby beet (potato peeler - will look like you have stabbed someone!) grate and add to salad
3 juice - with carrot juice and topped up with lemonade is FAB
4 pickle, but I don't know how to do that. Anyway I have childhood memories of pickled beetroot which VERY NEARLY put me off growing them

[terrier]

You can eat Beetroot either cooked or raw. For raw beetroot, peel and grate onto a salad, it's lovely and crunchy.Beetroot and sorrel is wonderful. For cooking, twist off stalk (don't cut it) and boil until tender then rub off remaining skin. One of my favs is Borsch although there's lots of recipies around and you will have to try some to see which ones you like. You can also pickle Beetroot, but to me that just spoils a lovely vegetable and we never have enough left over to pickle.

[Hazel at the Hill]

You can also pickle Beetroot, but to me that just spoils a lovely vegetable and we never have enough left over to pickle.

Glad it's not just me, Terrier!

[lottielady]

i can cook anything else but beetroot is one of those things that we all have memories of as kids in really strong vinegar.
Thanks for the ideas, try them out on the kids later this week!!!

[Sue]

Oh dear
I love pickled beetroot, I grow loads now just to pickle it for the winter to have in salads. Mind you I love anything with vinegar in it.
When I have loads of it, I use it to make beetroot cake which I really like. (Posted the recipe on here last year) Seasonally it fits well, you can eat beetroot cake, then courgette cake and then in the squash season, muffins. (you can make 56 muffins from one butternut squash!).
Sue

[HappyMouffe]

They're very nice roasted -we had them along with roast beef, roast pots and mixed veg - our first proper meal with most of it coming from the lottie (beef excepted!). I roasted them in their skins, with the potatoes, for around 45 mins (depends on size - these were quite small).

[lottielady]

Have now roasted with oil and loads of fresh herbs and then seasoned and squeezed lemon juice over they were fab

[lynda66]

i'm only allowed to grow beetroot if i pickle lots, cos son would eat it with everything given a chance lol ...... he refuses to eat it un-pickled.

[Tam]

3lb cooked beetroot - diced very small
1lb onions, chopped
2 tsp salt
1lb apples
1lb white sugar
1pt spiced white vinegar.

Cook the onions for a short time in some of the vinegar. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir thoroughly and boil until thick. Pour into hot jars (I put mine through the dishwasher and then keep warm in the bottom oven of the Aga).


If you want an alternative quick fix, I just boil mine in their skins until tender, slough the skins off and then slice into a dish. Cover with a 50:50 mix of white wine vinegar and water whilst the beetroot is still warm, add around a tablespoon of sugar and some seasoning - you could experiment with this and use caraway seeds, cumin seeds or just black pepper according to taste.

This first alternative makes a super tasting chutney/pickle that often gets eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon.