Pickled Beetroot Preserve & Foraging Fox Beetroot Ketchup

We have to admit to being beetroot fans around here, and I’m going to talk about two different beetrooty things today.

1 – The Beetroot Ketchup sample sent by the Foraging Fox.

2 – What I’ve done with the beetroot from our plot this year.

1 – Beetroot Ketchup

Foraging Fox sent us some beetroot ketchup to try, which was a no brainer as far as middler is concerned.  He’s not much into tomato ketchup, but he sure does love his beetroot.

The ketchup is made from naturally sweet beetroot, with apples and spices making up the distinctive taste.  I have to say, that I’d find this amazing in a home-made potato salad or coleslaw, for an extra taste kick, but our sample got used up so quickly, that I didn’t have time to make anything else with it.

2 – My Pickled Beetroot Recipe

We prefer it in sweet vinegar from the shops, and this was my first go at preserving some for using later, as we had so much from the plot.

I’m not 100% sure how long this will actually keep for, but at the rate my middle child goes with his beetroot, I can’t imagine it being around for too long.  There have been occasions where a jar has only lasted a day with him.

Pickled Beetroot Preserve

Lesley Smith

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Course Preserve

Cuisine Preserve

Ingredients

  

• 3 kg Beetroot
• 1 Litre White Vinegar
• 400 g Caster Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• Sterilised Jars

Instructions

 

• Put rinsed beetroot (with skin on) into a big preserve pan and simmer for between 30 - 40 minutes, or until the skins on the beetroot can shed by rubbing your fingers across them. To do this, I have to take a beetroot from the pot, and run it under the tap, cooking it enough to try taking the skin off.
  
  
• While the beetroot is simmering, put your vinegar and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. At the beginning, the vinegar solution will look cloudy. Add in a salt, and also ensure the jars are sterilised for use. When the vinegar mix clears, it's ready for use. Take it off the boil.
  
  
• When the beetroot are ready, peel off the outer skins and slice the beetroot, then add it to the pan of white vinegar. Some people use the beetroot cooking water for jarring up, but I didn't like the look of it, and I wanted to allow the sweetened vinegar to work its magic.
  
  
• Fill your jars and leave the vinegar solution to soak in with the beetroot overnight. Then, enjoy your pickled beetroot.