Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi
I found on the allotment table this morning a long cylindrical beetroot, about the size of a premature baby! I've never seen them this size. Apart from grating it to use in a cake, any other ideas, is it likely to be woody when it's as big as this?
Sue

Have you got a juicer, Sue? That would work well with carrot juice and lemonade, I reckon.

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Tues 02/09/2008......beans and beans and beans......

You're clearly going to have to cut it - a small baby just won't fit in a saucepan (for good reason!) - but the root will bleed badly if you boil it once cut. How about cutting it to see how woody the centre is, and then roasting or microwaving it in wedges if it is any good? This might be a bit less messy, at least.

Hi
I will be experimenting with the "baby" on Friday, will inspect the centre, hope nobody comes to the door when I'm in the middle of operations, hands caked in gore etc...
Sue

Hi Sue,

I roasted some big ones on Sunday, cut them into wedges and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinager. Great!!

Mandy

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No mater when time you set out, you always get there at the same time

Sounds lovely - I fancy pickling mine - should I boil them or roast them for this?

Beetroot soup(borsch)

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

i cut mine into chunks, drizzle a bit of olive oil and stick them in the hot oven of the aga for half an hour or so...

I have just pickled my beetroots for the fist time! They tasted amazing! So much more flavour than shop bought pickles. It was easy too - a good long boil with skins on, then when cool the skins just fall away in your fingers (very red fingers!) and plonk into jars with distilled malt vinegar which is as cheap as chips to buy. Cracking.