[scabs]

Well, a baby's head, maybe. A guy on the allotment gave it to me and I thought it would be far too woody, but he reckons it will be fine pickled.

I was going to chop it into smallish cubes and follow Val's recipe, but maybe add some peppercorns, a bayleaf, cloves etc..?

Any thoughts?

Never done any pickling before, can you tell?

[mashauk]

Depends on whether you like them sweet or not, which I do, so I just boil or roast them whole after washing them, don't peel or the colour leeches out, then slice it and put it in with malt vinegar and sugar, yum. They are also lovely roasted.

[scabs]

I love beetroot and I fancied doing something a little special! 

[scabs]

Done! 

Smells marvellous and I can't wait to try some.

I roasted the beetroot and made a white wine vinegar mix with a tablespoon of black peppercorns, ten cloves, a bay leaf and 100g sugar.

Because of the size, I did peel it (the skin was pretty darn tough) and cubed, rather than sliced it.

Mmmmmm.... beetroot.

[Ourveggiepatch]

Just a quick tip for dealing with beetroot, we boil ours whole - dont peel then when cooked peel that way they don't bleed retaining all their colour and flavour.

We just slice them so you get nice round flat pieces and pickle with sugar and malt vinager.

Make sure your jars are steralised well, we soak in boiling water then dry in an ovan at about 260c I would bake higher if my ovan got hotter, keep in ovan for about 15 mins and allow to cool naturally - don't cool by putting scorching hot jars in cold water they will explode.

when cool, put your slices in the jar, tapping the jar on the worktop when you think its full as you will get another few slices in.  pour  in the vinager and sugar, put a bit of cling film over the top and then screw on the lid as tight as you can.

OVP

[scabs]

Yup, all sterilized, cheers!

Because of its size, I actually baked it for 2 hours and then peeled it as it was cooling. I couldn't slice - they wouldn't fit in the jars! 

Blooming tasty - even without standing for a couple of weeks!

I will be doing it your way for the ones on the allotment, though I'll do these sweet with no spices.

[Parsnip]

If you love your beetroot scabs, I thoroughly recommend trying  Beetroot chutney.. it really is awesome.

I'll be making some using vals recipe when I harvest mine..I can't wait..yum yum yum.

[scabs]

I saw that!  It's on the list!

We went to a farm over in Barnsley a week or two back and picked up a jar of beetroot and horseradish chutney - magnificent.

[Parsnip]

Don't mention the H word to me...  

That sounds scrummy actually, I might add a bit of it to some of mine..

I like the beetroot chutney that much I have it on my salads, on top of jackets spuds with cheese, crackers and cheese, on cold chicken......(it's gorgeous in a sarni with some spring onion and chicken) it goes like snow off a ditch.

I bought a jar of the baxters one, but it isn't ( like most things) a patch on the homemade stuff.

Luckily for me hubby doesn't like it...

[scabs]

I bow to the master.