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Chioggia Beetroot - Pickling/Cooking

8000wildflowers8000wildflowers Posts: 278
in Fruit & veg
Hi all

I grew Chioggia beetroot for the first time this year, hoping the amazing ring colours inside would add a great lift to salads.

But after cooking it looks awful, a pale pink or white, I may as well have stuck to regular beetroot. Wasn’t over-sold on the taste either. 

Pickling recipes found online suggest you still need to boil or roast it first but also note that this removes the colour (possibly slightly less if you add lemon juice). I’m not keen on eating it raw, it’s a bit tough but that would preserve the rings. 

Anyone have experience / suggestions / tested-recipes on how to best use this beetroot whilst keeping the rings of colour?

I’m wondering why I bothered with this variety..
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,840
    I've had it sliced paper thin in salads and it's fine as long as you don't let them get much bugger than a golf ball.  Once they start heading for tennis ball size they will be tougher.

    I loathe pickled beetroot but love it as soup, curried (Madhur Jaffery recipe with onions and cumin), baked with butter beans and horseradish, spiralised raw in salads.

    Try scrubbing the whole beetroot and then trimming top and tail and baking whole in the oven with some garlic, sea salt and olive oil.  This recipe is good too - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3192/honeyroast-beetroot  and there are plenty more beetroot recipes on that site tho not all will show off the stripes.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    I agree ... golf ball size, raw and sliced paper thin ... absolutely delicious ... I do the same with the golden beet Boldor that we've grown this year ... so sweet and fresh ... delicious.  chops

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • 8000wildflowers8000wildflowers Posts: 278
    Ok, I might have to try it raw! 
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    I have grown this twice (not sure why I bothered the second time) and was very unimpressed with the flavour and versatility. Back to Boltardy for me.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    Try the golden one "Boldor" ... delicious  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Thank you @Dovefromabove, I do like a change but having tried several different varieties and been disappointed, I gave up. That one is now on 'the list' of stuff I must try!
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    edited August 2018
    We've had it raw sliced thinly, also shredded as well as cut into little wedges ... we've also baked them in their skins, then peeled and eaten them just as they are ... I've eaten very few things more delicious than that.  Just make sure you pull them when they're halfway between golf and tennis ball size.

    Oh, and the leaves are great in a stir fry too.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    They sound just the job! Not much for stir fry but I do like baked and also grated raw with carrot in salads. I have to admit mine rarely get bigger than golf ball size 'cos I just can't wait  :)  bit like peas and cherry tomatoes - all gardener's perks.
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    edited August 2018

         

    The last two sliced thinly on the mandolin to have with a cold gammon and salad for supper :smile:

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,840
    edited August 2018
    I grew a yellow fleshed variety once but didn't like it - too earthy and lacking the usual sweetness of red beetroot.   I grew choggia twice in Belgium but it was less productive than normal red globe or Boltardy.   

    The last few years I couldn't get any to germinate so ended up with plugs from a GC and they did very well so I've carried on buying plugs here.   So far so good and it's proving delish when simply spiralised on its own with a bit of salad dressing or in a coleslaw with red cabbage and purple carrots.

    I suspect a mandolin is a step too far to me as I can grate my thumb on an ordinary grater!
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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