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Hi All,

I am going to pickle beetroot for the first time and am looking for HELP!

Ideally I would like to use balsamic vineger but can not find any receipes for this only 'roasted with balsamic' which is great.

Any wise grapes out there with ideas??

Ta much, M

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Baby beetroot in balsamic vinegar with a fondue of red onion by - Alain Passard
(11 September 2006 08:34)

INGREDIENTS
(serves two)

1 red onion, finely diced
24 baby beetroots
Salt
60g salted butter
2tbs aged balsamic vinegar
Pinch of parsley, finely chopped
1tbs whipping cream



METHOD
Stew the red onion in 30g of butter until softened.


Boil the baby beetroot in salted water. Roll in half the salted butter and the balsamic vinegar.

Place some red onion in the middle of a plate. Place the beetroot on top.

Heat cream. Add parsley. Liquidise. Pass through a fine sieve. Pour a cordon of hot, parsley-ed cream around the onion and beetroot.

Alain Passard


Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper

2 raw beetroots
1 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 cinamon stick
2 star anise
A few cloves and peppercone
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
Shallots (optional)
Ginger (optional)
Brown sugar

How to cook beetroot
Wash the raw beetroots gently to remove dirt. Leave the skin on and boil them in water til cooked. To check whether they are done, pierce them with a fork. Tender beetroots means you can remove them from heat and are ready to eat or pickle. Never cut uncooked beetroots if you intend to boil them. The red cell, or pigment known as betalins, will leak. Betalin is most stable in PH 4.0 to 5.0, which makes beetroot good in vinegar.

Preparing beetroot for pickling
The skin of cooked beetroots can be peeled off very easily. Once the skin is removed, you can half them and cut them into 5mm slices as shown in the photo. Try a couple at this point if you have not taste them before. Cooked beetroots are sweet and can also be made into soup, mix with potatoes and pasta.

Leave the rest aside while you prepare the spiced vinegar. To prevent staining, cut on porcelain or glass.

How to spice vinegar
Place the vinegar in a saucepan and bring it to simmering point. Turn the heat down, put in the spices and let them infuse in the vinegar for 30 minutes. Add brown sugar according to your own preference of sweetness. Stir in beetroot slices and cook in very low heat for another 20 minutes or so. Leave it to cool to absorb the flavour.

Storing the pickled beetroot
Clean the non-corrosive jars that you will be using to keep the beetroot in hot water to which has been added a small drop of washing up liquid. Rinse under a clean running tap and leave to stand on some clean kitchen paper towel, tops down. When well drained, place in oven, set on the lowest setting, turn off oven after 30 minutes and let cool in oven before use.

Pack beets tightly into the cold jars, pour in vinegar, making sure that ½ inch of vinegar covers beets. Cover tightly and label. Keep pickled beetroot in the fridge.

How to serve beetroot
Pickled beetroots goes well in salads and sandwiches. They are also good accompaniment for Roast Pork Loin. Try them with vanilla ice cream or yogurt too!

Never used balsamic vinegar to pickle beetroot before, sounds interesting if a tad expensive. Usually make my own pickling vinegar with white vinegar and various spices, but this year used Sarsons Pickling Vinegar (cheap from A***a) to good effect. Tad harsh for straight pickles, but great for chutneys.

RL
A**A had balsalmic vinegar in the other week seemed very cheap< dont know if it still there will have a look tomorrow.

I really will have to try this one. Himself heartily dislikes beetroot in all its forms but I have 2 short rows looking for a fate. I feel balsamic calling me. Going to A**A tomorrow PaulW. I'll see what they have.

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Thanks PaulW,

They sound brill, I will stock up on balsamic tonight and get pickling

Mandy

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

I used to pickle shopbought 'raw' beetroot with white vinegar and a few spices (of your own choice) and it always worked just fine. I've also used sarsons when feeling lazy and that was good too, if not quite as tasty as adding your own spices.

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