How do I cook beetroot?

[Beth]

help please!

I have grown some beetroot in the garden :clap2: but now I have no idea what to do with it :doh: my husband loves it but not pickled, just cooked

so how do I cook it and then store it please :)

I know you have to be careful or you et covered in red juice :lol:

[Sparrow]

Ive just found this on the ivillage website Beth -



Treat them as you would spinach…

<Always cook beetroot whole. Never top and tail, chop or peel before cooking. This prevents the red dye from ‘leeching’ out, which not only stains, it impairs flavour. Trim off the stalks at least an inch above the beetroot, and wash gently in cold water without breaking the skin. Bake, boil or microwave. Baking is probably best for flavour: wrap individually in foil and bake in a slow oven (150C/300F/gas mark 2) for 1–3 hours, depending on size. Boiling may still take up to an hour or more, again depending on size. The microwave is speediest and the most practical when you only have a few to cook. Place whole in a bowl with 2 tbsp water, cover and microwave for around 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through. The beetroot are generally done when the skin sc rapes easily away. Serve hot or cold… Beetroot is incredibly versatile. It adds colour and flavour to salads and goes particularly well with cooked apple, fresh orange, horseradish or chopped mint. In her book Eat Your Greens Sophie Grigson cites her favourite as a simple Beetroot and Walnut Salad: cubed or sliced beetroot tossed with toasted walnuts, vinaigrette, and sprinkled with chopped parsley or chives. For a stunning colourful mash, combine equal amounts of pur&#233;ed or grated cooked beetroot with floury mashed potatoes, a generous dollop of butter, soured cream and seasoning. Alternatively, try it in a traditional ‘borscht’ soup or simply serve hot as a vegetable with soured cream or cr&#232;me fra&#238;che, black pepper and a few sprigs of parsley.
A revitalising power juice. Juice together 1 medium beetroot, 1-2 apples and 2-3 medium carrots (no need to cook the beetroot first). This is a great booster when you are run-down after an illness.
NB Don’t panic if your urine turns pink after consuming a lot of beetroot. It’s harmless and you’ll soon return to normal when your intake falls.


Personally I always boil it!! Then slice it when its cool and store it in the fridge! Theres nothing like fresh beetroot! I love it!

[Beth]

Thanks ever so much sparrow :yes: that looks easier than I thought, phew! :D

I think i will boil it then :)

that reminds me of an indcidant at work, as I got in one day an ambulance was pulling away, with a resident, I asked what was wrong and they said the chap had blood in his urine, I burst out laughing as I knew for a fact that this chap had actually eaten a whole jar of beetroot the previous night as a bedtime snack :D :D

[mazza]

That's v interesting as I hate pickled beetroot, but I like the little shreds you get of it in some salads...

So, if it's red, does it mean it's been cooked then or can it be eaten raw? I know that sounds like a daft question, but the stuff I've had in salad is like the texture of raw carrot which is so different to the slimey pickled stuff or bpoiled stuff we used to get at school with a lettuce leaf!...so how do i get beetroot that's not slimey? Does boiling always make it slimey/slippery??

:lol:

[Doktor Jon]

I'm not all that when it comes to cooking, but if anyone mentions beetroot, I immediately think of soup.

You can grate or chop the beetroot (in a food processor), add chopped onion, lemon juice, and if you serve the finished soup cold, include a generous dollop of soured cream, quartered slices of cucumber, and some finely chopped chives to finish it off.

Now that I'm talking about food, I've suddenly got the post midnight munchies :rolleyes:

[Beth]

maybe you can part boil it so it is red but not slimey? :unsure:

it seemed to work :lol: although I was surprised at how stinky it was when I was boiling it :lol: its now sliced and in the fridge ready to eat, will let you know if he liked it :lol:

[Isis]

Hiya

You have to boil/bake or whatever the Beetroot, you cannot eat it raw, if you don't want it "slimy" just boil peel it, the skin should come off v easy and leave to cool, and then slice it whatever way you want it when it is cold.

Oh and when testing to make sure it is cooked use a "cocktail stick" not a knife or folk, because if you use them then it will "bleed" into the water.

Sorry guys but I love Pickled Beetroot and have since the age of about 2, love it. I pickled some of NN allotment beetroot the other week and the beets were hugh, so nice big slices for me. oh yum. :eatin:

Also like pickling my own onions as well, but the smell is awful I can smell onions in my house for days no matter how many windows I leave open, but the taste is lovely, espically if you add pickerling spice gives them a nice hard strong taste. :eatin: