Pickled Beetroot

 It's no secret that I have had a crush on the simple beetroot for the last twelve months. Its been a regular in the shopping trolley and consumed (almost) daily. I juice, I grate, I roast and last week, I pickled!

I used a recipe I found in my beloved Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Book (Ireland's version of our Maggie Beer!). This recipe is simple and has the perfect balance of being both sweet and sour-  a perfect addition to the home made hamburger or a refreshing side dish to any summer meal!

Darina's Pickled Beetroot
450g Cooked beetroot (see below)
225g sugar
450ml water
225ml white wine vinegar

Dissolve the sugar in water and bring to the boil. Add the vinegar, and allow to simmer for a few more minutes. Steralise some jars. Place sliced or whole beets in jars, pour over the pickle juice and leave to cool. This recipe isn't designed to be kept away in the pantry for months- It needs to be stored in the fridge and eaten within a few weeks. The upside is, it's so delicious, it probably won't last that long anyway! (Makes approx one large jar)

To cook beetroot- Carefully wash off any dirt on outside of beets. Place in pot and cover with cold water. Add a sprinkle of salt and sugar and bring to boil. Leave simmering for 1-2 hours (depending on size of beets), or until you can put a skewer in them and it comes out easily. Drain, and allow to cool. Once cool, keep whole, or slice thinly.