Pickled, roasted, steamed or raw, versatile beetroot adds an earthy, sweet flavour and unmistakable vibrant purple colour to many dishes. Fresh stalks can be used in salads too. Although it keeps for quite a while, tonnes of beetroot are thrown away every year by UK households. Read on for our tips and tricks to enjoy it for longer.
If buying fresh beetroot, cut off the stalks to store separately as these deteriorate more quickly – you can use them up in this clever beetroot and chickpea fritter recipe where they're used to make a tangy beetroot relish.
Store the whole beetroot in the fridge. Pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beetroot will keep (unopened) for several months in the fridge.
Older, slightly shrivelled beetroot can be revived by placing in a bowl of iced water for a few minutes.
Beetroot can also be frozen, though it needs to be cooked first: roast or boil until tender, then freeze uncovered.
Once defrosted, add the cooked wedges to stews and bakes. Supplement your Sunday roast or enjoy a warming midweek dinner with this hearty vegetarian toad-in-the-hole that pairs a trio of root veg and a delicious stuffing in a light, herby batter.
Put together a speedy lunch and use up raw beetroot by by adding your leftover beets to roasted root veg wraps. Simply scrub or peel the beetroot and cut into wedges. Toss with olive oil and thyme, then roast alongside chopped carrot, swede and cauliflower. Pile into wraps with humous, crispy chickpeas and feta.
The raw root vegetable can also be used to make delicious – and healthy – winter salads. Try it in an earthy seville orange and feta combination or use it to make an alternative to rice, which provides a carb-free base for this punchy beetroot dish.
If you’ve got some leftover cooked beetroot in the fridge, use it to add moistness to a decadent beetroot and chocolate cake. Simply blitz the cooked beetroot to a purée before adding to the cake mixture for a totally irresistible afternoon tea accompaniment.
For more baking inspiration with beetroot, take a look at these pretty vegan meringue kisses or our fudgy surprise chocolate brownies recipe.
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