To Prepare Beetroot for cooking:
- Pull the Beetroot when they are on the small side, as they have a better taste & texture. The ideal size is that of a golf ball up to a cricket ball size.
- Twist off the leaves leaving 2″ of stalk.
- Leave the roots on.
- Wash the beetroot in cold water
beetroot
The Beetroot is now ready for cooking. If you cut the leaves too close to the beet, or if you cut the roots, the beetroot will ‘bleed’ and all the red colour could be lost from the beetroot. So just twist the leaves off, wash the whole beetroot, with roots & stubs of leaf stalks attached
To cook the beetroot:
- Put the un-cut beetroots into a saucepan
- Cover with cold water
- Bring to the boil
- Once boiling put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer gently for 1 hours, or 1.5 hours if beetroot is very big
- Leave to cool
- Remove from water and gently scrape the skin off with fingers
- Serve sliced or cubed
- Some people like the beetroot to be covered in vinegar
Hot or Cold? Beetroot is a versatile vegetable which can be eaten hot or cold.
Beetroot takes longer than some vegetables to cook, before it is tender.
Beetroot may be:
- Roasted whole wrapped in foil at 200 degrees c for about 45minutes
- Roasted whole in casserole dish, tossed in olive oil & herbs for 1-2 hours at 180 degrees C
beetroot boiled & skinned
- Boiled whole in a saucepan – cover with water and bring to the boil, then cover with a lid & leave to simmer for 1 hour. The skins will come off easily once cooked
sliced beetroot
- Pickled – try this great FarmingFriends recipe for pickled beetroot.
- Jellied – Peel & cube 2lb of boiled beetroot. Dissolve 1 raspberry jelly in 1/2 pint water + 1/2 pint white vinegar. Pour over the beetroot and leave to set in a jar. This is good with salads & cold meat.
- Grated – and eaten raw in a salad.
There are many different recipes using Beetroot, including:
- beetroot hummus
- beetroot soup
- beetroot chutney
- chocolate and beetroot cake
- caramelised beetroot:
Caramelised Beetroot Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 large beetroot
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
Method
1. Peel and cut up the beetroot into about 8 pieces.
2. Boil the water.
3. Place beetroot in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove beetroot from water and chop up into thin strips.
5. Heat olive oil in frying pan.
6. Add beetroot strips and fry.
7. Then add sugar and balsamic vinegar and fry for 10 minutes.
Long, cylindrical beetroot is easy to slice and fits into a jar well.
Alto F1 Hybrid is
- an example of cylindrical shaped beetroot
- uniform – producing the same size slices
- very sweet
- does not have unsightly rings in the flesh
- space saving, because it grows downwards instead of width-wise – so good for small gardens
- easy to store over winter
long beetroot
Beetroot is simple to cook and well worth growing.