We pickled our own beetroot last week for the HalloweenFete… As long as your jars & lids are scrupulously clean and sterilised, the beautiful jars should last for ages! Not that our fete jars did however…
Fresh from the garden: beetroot
Recipe source: Alex and Jamie at Cornersmith Café, Marrickville
Equipment:
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Ingredients:
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What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 140C.
- Wash the beets. Trim off the leaves for another use. Weigh the beetroot – you’ll need about 3kg. Peel the beets and add peels to compost.
- Very thinly slice the beets using the blade attachment on the food processor. (You could also use a large knife or a mandolin.)
- Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse well and drain upside down.
- Place all the jars onto an oven tray, right side up, and slide into the oven to sterilize for 15 mins.
- Dry lids with a clean piece of paper towel.
- In a saucepan put vinegar, salt, water, sugar, peppercorns and dill. Gently heat until sugar is dissolved and then slowly bring to the boil.
- Slide the tray of jars out of the oven and then carefully using tongs& an oven mitt, pack the sliced beets in.
- Ladle the hot syrup into a glass jug and then pour over to cover beetroots. Leave a 5mm space at the top.
- Seal immediately and leave to cool. Label when cool.
- Leave to mature for at least a week. The jars should be kept in a cool, dark place and will last at least 6 months if not a year!
- Refrigerate after opening and eat within a month.
Notes:What other vegetables could we pickle? What other preserves could we make? Why do we sterilize the jars?