Beets

[ChristinaJo]

I have grown some this year and cooked a couple. I roasted them and took their jackets off, seasoned them. I just don't like them.....ugh.
I want to ,but just can't. Have you ever grown a vegetable and just couldn't stand it?

[imp]

Originally Posted by ChristinaJo

I have grown some this year and cooked a couple. I roasted them and took their jackets off, seasoned them. I just don't like them.....ugh.
I want to ,but just can't. Have you ever grown a vegetable and just couldn't stand it?

Oh, yes, I don't like hot radishes, mild are okay, but hot is ick. Cooked turnips also. ick.

I do like beets, but only the baby ones, too big taste too earthy for me.

[MikeInCypress]

And when you go to the restroom after eating a few you think you need to go to the ER!!!!!

mikeInCypress

[kath]

Some beets taste more like dirt than others.Cylindra and Touchstone Gold are 2 varieties that are milder and sweeter to my taste. Also, I think roasting them makes them stronger so I prefer to boil or steam them and serve them with salt and butter.

I've grown lots of vegetables for the fun of it that I don't grow anymore because I really don't like them, including radishes, turnips, okra, celeriac, kohlrabi, yellow beans, artichokes, bok choi and many other greens.

[luigiwu]

Try making pickled honey beets!!

[ChristinaJo]

Recipe?

[luigiwu]

http://foodinjars.com/2013/05/guest-...amille-storch/

[berryman]

I used to make beet wine. Talk about either lovin it or hatin it.....no ground in the middle.

[Worth1]

I never ate a beet I didn't like.
My mother used to make pickled beets by the boat load just for me.
I can eat them raw right out of the ground or in any other way.

Worth

[Jeannine Anne]

Roasting gives them a deeper flavor, try washing but don't peel, then boil until soft. then peel, if you still want them sweeter look up a recipefor Harvard beets.

Be careful if you pickle them, there are a great many recipes out there, some just say to cover them in vinegar.

I make my own "perfumed vinegar" it is sweet and spicy without the acrid taste that just vinegar gives. If you don't find what takes your fancy on the net get back to me and I will post mine. It is a very old recipe from Yorkshire in the Uk, My Mum did beets with it. I am very very fussy about my pickling vinegar.

I really don't like the honey one posted sorry Luigi, but onions and beets together is a no no for me. I love onons but not in beets..acrid again.

XX Jeannine

[luigiwu]

I would LOVE your perfumed vinegar recipe, Jeannine Anne!
I leave the onions out myself. I've found that using Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother in it (and not the clear stuff) makes all the difference in the taste of the brine for me...

[kath]

If you like really sweet pickled beets, my MIL's recipe calls for:

- Put equal parts water, white vinegar and sugar into a saucepan- amount depends on how many jars of beets you are canning. Add whole cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick to taste in a saucepan.

- Simmer on low while until spices infuse the liquid- at least 1/2 hour; remove spices.

- Meanwhile, boil, peel, slice beets; let them heat up in the liquid and then place in sterile jars or process as you desire.

[Jeannine Anne]

Ok.. I make a lot at a time as I pickle quite a lot of beets. I prefer to use Malt Vinegar but I rarely see it in a gallon anymore and it is expensive buying it in small bottles so I use apple cider if I can't get the malt.

Mixed Pickling spice you will find in the spice rack at your supermarket it usually comes in 2 sizes.

2 litres of Malt Vinegar
1 litre of water
! 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of white sugar'
150 gram packet of pickling spice..

or with a 110 gr packet of pickling spice use 1/2 litres vinegar,3/4 litres water, 1 cup+2tbps of each of the sugars.


Put all of the above in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour.. you cab tatse it at this point to see if you want it sweeter but I find this is just right.

Well strain it through muslin and but in large bottle..it will keep forever.

When you do the beets.. twist of the greenery, don't cut and don't cut the root either, they will bleed and you will lose flavor and color.

Cook them whole, simmer till soft.. don't over cook or they will break apart.

Put the pan in the sink and run cold water into it till the beets are cool enough to handle but are still hot, then still while there is water among them, slide off the skins, the water helps. Slice or dice them straight into sterilized jars, I slice mine, if they are babies leave whole. Heat enough vinegar to cover them, bring it to a boil and pour over beets. Put on lids and caps , and water bath for 10 minutes.

You might want to wear rubber gloves otherwise you will have red hands for a week.

You can adjust the sugar to suit yourself but this is exactly as I like it. Half brown and half white gives it a sweetness but also add flavor from the brown.

The perfumed vinegar can be used for many things. I do pickled red cabbage in it, small onions . shallots and even hard boiled eggs sometimes.. now that is real Yorkshire Pub Grub, slightly different way of doing those so let me know if you need to do it.

I use a similar vinegar when I make my English Green Tomato chutney too.

XX Jeannine

[KarenO]

oh one of my favourite vegetables, nothing like fresh from the garden baby beets and greens everyone is different
KarenO

[luigiwu]

Thank you Jeannine Anne! And how about that recipe for the green chutney? What do you do with the chutney? I always have a problem with green tomatoes at the end!