Confession time - Beetroot

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nfh1, Jan 22, 4:55am
I have never had beetroot except from a tin.I keep reading about salads and roasting it so thought I would have a go.

Do I peel it?If I am putting it in a salad do I cook it first?If so how?And more importantly - will I get red hands?Many thanks.

timetable, Jan 22, 4:59am
you can roast them as is - just scrub clean first... just sprinkle with a wee bit of olive oil, rock salt and maybe a bit of rosemary... it's cooked when the knife goes through without any hassel... then wear a pair of kitchen gloves and just - when cool - gently rub the skin and it will slide right off no hass.. then chop into whatever size pieces ya want and enjoy!!

margyr, Jan 22, 5:01am
when i peeled some raw lately my hands did not get stained. When I used to help Mum boil it and then peel it my hands were always stained. I also tried them roasted as others kept saying how nice they were, although I ate them I would not roast them again. To cook first just wash them and boil in salted water till soft like a potato when cool just sort of rub them between your hands and the skin peels off.

nfh1, Jan 22, 5:01am
thank you timetable - sounds lovely.I keep seeing them in the Vege Shop but have not been brave enough to buy any yet.

Thank you maygyr - I did not realise I could boil them as well - I saw them in a salad and they looked so pretty.

timetable, Jan 22, 5:11am
and if you want to boil them then you can still use them as a hot veg by adding some cooked apple and a little butter with some raw sugar and a grate of nutmeg then mash the whole lot together and it makes a lovely hot veg... if you want to you can also preserve them - happy to give you a recipe if you want one...

elliehen, Jan 22, 5:12am
Wear an apron.When you slip the skins off, you will inevitably spray yourself with beetroot juice ;)

You can also grate them raw for salads...

Edited to add a shy blush icon for nfh1.

buzzy110, Jan 22, 5:18am
don't peel or cut off the ends when you boil or all the colour will leach away (so I've been told and I've never put it to the test). As margyr says, the skins just rub off after they are cooked. Cook till soft, like a potato.

To keep for a week or so, slice and put into malt vinegar. Some people add sugar and other stuff, but were were always just the malt vinegar people.

To eat raw in salads, peel (if big cut a ring around the skin to where you think you'll eat and peel down to that) and grate. Put on an apron if you don't want red spots all over your clothes.

I just sprinkle on my salads raw and then put dressing over the whole lot.

The roasted is yum but I have always peeled mine first because if they are going into a baked veg medley, they have to be cut to size anyway (chunks) so may as well peel at the same time.

I use a mortar and pestle to grind up fresh rosemary with sea salt and garlic and ginger. Then I add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and grind it in a bit more. Then I put the whole lot into the baking dish with the chunked up veg and rub it all together with my hands. Bake. I don't know how long to do this in an ordinary oven, but maybe 3/4hr at 180C, test and keep going till the hard bits aren't yet tender inside.

nfh1, Jan 22, 5:22am
Yes please timetable, that would be rally kind.

LOL ellihen - I need the blush for some of the questions I have asked on here!

nfh1, Jan 22, 5:23am
Thank you buzzy - I can see we are going to have beetroot every night now!It will make a change from all the sweetcorn.

gardie, Jan 22, 5:26am
We had beetroot tonight - just cooked it whole in boiling salted water then rubbed off skins, cut into chunks and mixed with some mayo and chopped chives.Served warm - yum.

elliehen, Jan 22, 5:30am
Have got a taste for beetroot now and have some fresh from my neighbour's garden.

gardie, I'll go and do just what you've done :)

nfh1, Jan 22, 5:44am
Gosh it is really versatile, I had no idea you could do so much with it - bit like potatoes I suppose.

margyr, Jan 22, 5:52am
I have a cousin who is in her 50's and she has never, ever tried beetroot, because her Mum did not like it they never had it as children, I cannot get over though that as an adult she has never tried it.

nfh1, Jan 22, 5:56am
I am 54 - are we related do you think!

timetable, Jan 22, 5:58am
Beetroot preserves: Scrub your beetroot leaving the tops and tails on and then put in pot, cover with water, brill to the boil and cook till you can put a knife clean through the beet without it feeling hard or woody... then put the beetrooot into the sink - saving the cooking water at the mo - and when cool enough to touch gently slide the skins off - i agree with others wear gloves and an apron lol.
while you are doing the beets have your preserving jars in the oven at 100 deg for at least 20 min prior to use - wash them before you put them in the oven.
slice your beetroot and put into a bowl and then heat in another pot 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of strained cooking water and 4 cups of vinager - white or malt. let it boil for about 3 - 4 min to make sure that all the sugar is dissolved and then leave on simmer.doing one jar at a time put it on a board and pack in your sliced beetroot and then pour in enough of your beetroot preserving mix to go right up to the top of the jar and just a slightly overflow and watch for air bubbles.then put your metal round seal on and screw band nice on nice and tightly.continue with each jar till all your beetroot is bottled.as the jar cools down the seal should sink in and you can retighten your screw band cos they do losen a bit as the jar cools.if you have jars that don't have the seal sinking in then just pop them into the oven for about 20 min and they should seal ok after that.enjoy!!

nfh1, Jan 22, 6:09am
Thank you so much - I have some sparkly new preserving jars which that could go in.

timetable, Jan 22, 6:12am
nfh - all the best and have fun!!i hope that my instructions are ok lol and i have not confused you at all... i find it hard to write it down - i am kind of a show ya how to do it person lol.. just yell if you need to clarify anything - its cool to be able to share what we know lol i have learnt so many awesome things off this part of message board - some really cool recipe's and household hints and idea's...

timetable, Jan 22, 6:13am
hey kiddo no silly questions!!we are all learning through life aye... you can eat it straight away if you want too but i usually leave it for a week or two to let the flavour get in.. what you could do is keep some aside in a bowl in the fridge and lol then you can eat it the next day!!give it a night sitting in the preserving liquid to let the flavour get in...

nfh1, Jan 22, 7:15am
Thank you so much timetable - your instructions are wonderful, I have carefully saved them.I am going to have a go and fill my new jars.I am trying to use new ingredients, tend to keep eating the same things.

I have learnt lots on here - even tried a pavlova thanks to step by step instructions.

gojojo2, Jan 22, 9:42am
Good on you! These threads are amazing. I found 2 jars of beetroot that I cooked a year ago lurking in the back of my fridge - still yummy as I had preserved them. What pavlova have you got? I love the one from food in a minute with boiling water

nfh1, Jan 22, 9:56am
I used one that 245sam posted - I don't think I actually whisked it for long enough - I need to get a mixer on a stand, but it was lovely.It was not very pretty but by the time I had put cream and fruit on it, you would not know!I made lemon honey with the yolks so a very productive afternoon!

I am going to try a different method/recipe each time and see how I get on.I meant to take a photo but it had been eaten before I had time to do that!

gojojo2, Jan 22, 10:00am
245sam - sorry but I can't find your pav recipe. Can you re post on this thread?

nfh1, Jan 22, 10:24am
I will post it for you - just let me find it!

timetable, Jan 23, 2:58am
lol i sooooooooooooooo can't make a proper pav so have made rolled pav's for years - never fail and are brill as a quick standby in the frezzer!!i find they are great to take to wherever when ya gotta take a plate of something... that and sponges - they frezze well too and are also brill for the good old standby trifle lol my age is showing... this is a great place to visit - i love recipes have been blessed so often by idea's. hints and recipes... take care and enjoy creating.... i have just finished putting together our menu's through till end of feb... mmmmmmmmmm new recipes for us also and making the most of the umpteen recipe books that line our kitchen bookcase lol!!!my addiction is finaly turning to the 'good side' lol!!

majurti, Jan 23, 4:05am
Was inspired to use the beetroot we had in the garden after reading this thread last night. Steamed beetroot and potatoes (I used Maori potatoes), cut them into cubes then mixed together mayo,seeded mustard,orange rind, red onion and parsley. It was really nice and will definitely make it again.