Beetroot is a root vegetable with an earthy, sweet flavour. It can be red, white, pink, yellow or orange depending on the variety. You can eat beetroot raw by grating it into salads, or it can be boiled, roasted, steamed or pickled. The roots, stalks and leaves are all edible. Young leaves can be eaten raw in salad or cooked and used like spinach. The stalks can be pickled or fried.
Choose a sunny spot, and sow beetroot seeds regularly from spring to mid-summer for continuous harvests from early summer to mid-autumn. Soak the seeds in warm water for 30 minutes before sowing to encourage germination. Sow the seeds into damp, shallow drills that are 30 centimetres apart and cover with soil.
Thin out the beetroot seedings once established to allow larger roots to grow. Weed and water seedlings regularly. Once beetroot is established, it doesn’t require much watering. This is because, excessive watering can cause too much leafy growth, at the expense of root growth.
Beetroot can be harvested when the size of a golf ball or a cricket ball. Small sized beetroot is usually ready after 7 weeks, while full-sized beetroot is ready to harvest after 12 weeks. To harvested the beetroot, grab the foliage firmly and pull. Brush off the dirt and wash in cold water before using.
Beetroot sown from June onwards can be harvested in autumn and stored for use in winter. Be careful when harvesting to avoid damaging the beetroot roots, then brush off the soil and cut off the leaves. Place the beetroot in a container of dry sand or potting compost in a garage or shed. The beetroot should store well for a few months.
How to pickle beetroot:
- 500g beetroot (washed and trimmed)
- 200g caster sugar
- 450ml white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- Bring a large pan of cold water to the boil, add the beetroot, and simmer for 30 minutes until the beetroot is tender to the tip of a table knife.
- Drain and leave to cool slightly. Rub off the skins with your fingers and cut each beetroot in half or into quarters.
- Place all of the pickling vinegar ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.
- Pack the beetroot into a large sterilised jar, then pour over the pickling vinegar. Seal and leave in a cool cupboard for 2 weeks before eating.
- Once opened, store in the fridge and eaten within 8 to 12 weeks.
- When all the beetroot has been eaten, the pickling vinegar can be used as a salad dressing by mixing it with some oil.
Beetroot stems can be pickled too. Wash and trim the beet stems, then pack into a jar and pour over your pickling vinegar. Store for 2 weeks before opening. Pickled beetroot roots and stems can be eaten with salads, meats, cheese or on their own.