BOTTLED BEETROOT

Winter beetroot is packed with flavour and lends itself perfectly to bottling. Gently spiced with warming aromatics and finished with a tangy-sweet pickling liquor, it's a delicious pantry staple to enjoy with salads, sandwiches, cold meats or a good cheeseboard.

Makes: 3–4 medium jars

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 1–1¼ hours

Skill: Easy

Ingredients

1–1.5kg medium beetroot, tops trimmed to about 2cm

Lightly salted water, for cooking

Pickling Liquid

1 cup reserved beetroot cooking liquid

1 cup water

1 cup malt vinegar or red wine vinegar

½ cup sugar, or to taste

1 Tbsp salt

3 whole allspice berries or 1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of caraway seeds

Method

Wash the beetroot well, leaving about 2cm of the stalks attached and the roots intact. This helps prevent the colour from bleeding during cooking.

Place the beetroot into a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 45–75 minutes, depending on their size, until a knife slides easily into the centre.

Drain the beetroot, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Once cool enough to handle, rub away the skins using your hands or a paper towel. Trim away the stalks and roots, then leave whole or slice into even rounds or wedges, depending on your preference and the size of your jars.

Meanwhile, combine the reserved beetroot cooking liquid, water, vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice or cinnamon, and the caraway seeds in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Pack the beetroot into hot, sterilised jars. Pour over the hot pickling liquid, ensuring the beetroot is completely submerged. Remove any air bubbles if necessary, then seal immediately.

Allow the jars to cool completely before storing in a cool, dark place. For the best flavour, leave the beetroot too mature for at least 2 weeks before opening.