In Praise of Beetroot

Chioggia - a beetroot that surprises on the inside.

Beetroot is fantastic. Easy to grow. Fresh, zingy taste. Very good for you. The pigs and chickens love it if you can't keep up with supply. But best of all, it makes your wee go red!

Tuesday 14th August 2012
Overnight rain led to a fine day.

When I was younger I only knew beetroot from a jar and pickled. In fact, it is the only food I've ever enjoyed pickled. Now I realise there's so much more you can do with it.

But let's start by setting things straight about the colour of beetroot. It does not have to be purple. I grow Boltardy and Red Ace, which are purple, but I also grow Chioggia which is pale with concentric purple-red circles. Pretty whacky.
But for something totally different, why not go for one of the golden varieties. They look amazing on the plate, like a beautiful sunset, and they taste deliciously sweet. Sue does not like beetroot, except the golden ones.

I always think that fruit and vegetables with really distinctive tastes and colours probably contain something different to other food and it's probably good for us. Unscientific I know, but it's just a hunch. The alternative is that the distinctive taste indicates that it is poisonous, but over the years humans have tended not to cultivate these things as food!

Left to grow too big, beetroots can go a little woody.
No matter though, the pigs love them too.

Apart from a few problems getting them past the slugs this year, I have never had any problems growing beetroot. They seem pretty much pest and disease free, though they can bolt if conditions are too dry. They can be planted from early in the season to late and store well, even if you don't pickle them.
They can take a while to cook, but I have discovered that beetroot microwaves very well. But you don't even have to cook them. Sliced in a salad they add a wonderful crunch and surprising flavour. Avoid the purple ones and the rest of your food won't turn purple either.
Go a little further and beetroot becomes surprisingly versatile. Obviously there's borscht, that popular Eastern European cold beetroot soup, but I've also made beetroot and chocolate cake and Hugh F-W's beetroot and walnut hummus. I fed the cake to someone who doesn't even like beetroot and they never even noticed it!

Left to grow too big, beetroots can turn a little woody but that's no matter when the chickens and pigs love them too. I reckon there could be a niche market in purple pork!
In fact, the pigs love them so much that they do their best to pick one up and sneak away from the others!

"Hopefully they won't see me here.
By the way, how does this colour lipstick look on me?"

Who knows, this year I may even try pickling some or a change!