Pickled beetroot with thick ham in crusty rolls and lots of what she called “best butter”, which apparently means not margarine, is one of my favourite memories of my lovely Nan’s snack offerings. She had a real need to feed – I would deliberately go to her house hungry as I knew I wouldn’t escape unfed! One of her other classic combinations was hot sausage rolls with Branston pickle. If you haven’t tried that one, I suggest you do so as soon as you can. It just works.
Anyway, getting back to the beetroot, I loved my Nan’s pickled beetroot but have yet to find a shop bought version that I can bear, they’re always too sugary and I crave the tangy vinegary (yes that is a real word!) variety. Nanny Flo used to make it for me but for some reason it’s really hard to transport as most jam jars, however apparently water tight they are, are not vinegar leak proof. So, early on, I learned to make it myself, using her recipe of course – no point in reinventing the wheel!
Beetroot cooking is not a nice smell. I now tend to buy it pre-cooked and vacuum packed if possible but if you are going to cook it, you need to boil them for about 2 hours in water, let them cool and then peel them carefully. You can cook them in the microwave quite effectively without stinking out the house quite so fully – pierce the skins so they don’t explode and make your kitchen look like a murder site, then cook for about 8 minutes on full power, test to see if they are tender and if not, keep cooking on full power for 2 minute bursts. Pretty much as soon as they start to smell of cooked beetroot, they are done!
Ingredients for pickling:
500ml malt vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole allspice (dried pimenta berries)
1/2 a small onion, thinly sliced
1. Boil together the vinegar, onion and spices.
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.
3. Slice the beetroot and place in sterile jars. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the beetroot slices, making sure it is all covered and then seal the jars tightly.
4. Store in a cool, dry place, probably best in the fridge.
