Boiling.
Allow 2 to 4 oz (60 to 120g) per person as a side dish or with roasts and
stews. Clean by gently scrubbing, cut away most of the tail and cut the top
across just below where the leaves sprout but not into the flesh. Do not skin. Boil enough water so
that they are just covered and put the roots in. Do not use any salt. Bring back
to the boil and cook for 30 (small), 45 (medium) or up to 60 or more minutes for the
largest. The white varieties cook 10 to 20% faster than the red. Test for
tenderness using a sharp pointed knife, if it sinks well in fairly easily, they
are cooked. Drain, rinse with cold water for a short time to cool the outer
layers. Skin by rubbing away the outer layer, cut into wedges and serve. They
are just as good if served cold, so do not be worried if you have some left
over. With experience, you can adjust the cooking time to suit the texture that
you prefer. We like them to be almost, but not quite, soft. Leftovers can be
pickled if need be (see below).
Roasting.
Preparation should be as for boiling. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast
the whole root for a similar time as for boiling at around 180șC, making sure
that you test at regular intervals. Discard the skin when cooked. The texture of
the roast vegetable is slightly softer and smoother than when boiled.
Pickling.
Wash the roots being careful not to break the skins. Trim the tops to remove any
leaf residue but do not cut back into the flesh. Cut off the root to leave a
tiny "tail". Place in sufficient boiling salted water to cover
the roots properly. Bring back to the boil and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5
hrs depending on the size. When fully cooked, a knife should sink into the flesh
easily. An alternative is to cook at 15lb pressure in a pressure cooker using
the manufacturers instructions. Allow
to cool, skin and trim. Cut the main root into rounds about 1/8" (3mm) -
1/4" (6mm) thick depending on your preference. If the rounds are very
large, cut each one into 4 pieces so as to get them into the storage container
easily.
If the pickled beetroot is to be used within a week or so (and stored in a
fridge during that time), the rounds can simply be packed into a jar and covered
with cold malt or pickling vinegar. If they are to be stored for a long time
they should be packed (not too tightly) into proper pickling or bottling jars
and covered with boiling vinegar and sealed immediately. Modern jam jars that
create a vacuum seal can be used but make sure that the lid is clean, the seal
is good and that the vacuum has been created (the central dimple should be
depressed.)
With all pickling and preserving, cleanliness is important so make sure that
the jars are very clean before use. When bulk pickling, we have held our jars at
120 degrees C. in the oven for 30 minutes after washing, just to be sure.