We pulled out the last of our beetroot patch a while ago and apart from gloriously roasting them or making my divine chocolate beetroot cake; I’ve decided to make a relish with the remaining small bulbed beetroot and to pickle the rest; ensuring that my family can enjoy our beetroot until the next spring harvest. This relish is super yummy and certainly won’t last long in our house! We’ve been having it with grilled and roasted meats and in our sandwiches.

This relish recipe comes from the Australian Women’s Weekly magazine.

Ingredients

• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 4 brown onions (800g), sliced thinly
• 1 1/2 cups (330g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) cider vinegar
• 3 fresh beetroot (600g), peeled and grated
• 1 tsp coarse cooking salt (kosher salt)
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Before you start making the relish or pickling; you need to sterilise your preserving jars (use recycled jam jars if you have them). Clean the jars and their lids in hot soapy water, rinse them thoroughly and let them dry for a bit.

Preheat your oven to 150 C. Place your jars on a clean baking tray and sterilise them in the oven for at least 30 minutes. You can do this while you’re making the relish. Keep them in the warm oven until you’re ready to use them.

To prepare your beetroot without making your kitchen look like a bloodied crime scene; I like to peel my beetroot in a sink full of water. Cut them into cubes and then grate them. I used a food processor to grate my beetroot, but if you have to grate it by hand, maybe wear some gloves, as the beetroot will stain your hands for a few days.

In a large saucepan, sauté the sliced onion in the olive oil until they are nicely caramelised. Add in the rest of the ingredients and gently stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the relish to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for around 30 minutes, or until the liquid has almost disappeared and your relish is nice and thick.

Spoon the hot relish into the sterilised jars and twist on the lids tightly. Remember not to touch the inside of your jars or the lids as this will un sterilise them. Leave them to cool before storing them. I managed to fill five 375 ml jars.

Pickled Beetroot

With the remaining larger bulbs, I decided to pickle them. Our family likes having beetroot with our homemade hamburgers, or in my beetroot, feta and chickpea salad or my beetroot, feta and basil pesto tart. This recipe comes from taste.com.au.

Ingredients

• 2 large (500g) beetroot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 1/2 tsp salt