Beetroot

[liuzhou]

It's not what I wanted. I wanted fresh - one of my favourite  vegetables. But I've learned here in China to make the best of any surprises that turns up. I can buy it fresh, but only online which involves a three day wait, minimum. I wanted it today! Yesterday, the local overpriced, state owned, department store's imported food section had this.

 

 

I bought it as an emergency stand-in, and I know what I'll do with it, but it has got me wondering.

How do other people use pickled beetroot? Any interesting suggestions?

P.S. Just ordered some fresh. The seller is in Shanghai which is far away. And the minimum order was for 2.5 kg. Expect beet overkill from me in the next week!

Edited May 20, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Well our Aussie members like it on burgers and other places. I just use it as a side pickled item. Almost always some home made in fridge. Your Bavarian one is a heart tug for me.

[FeChef]

Red beet eggs.

[Bernie]

yep a hamburger with the "lot" usually includes beetroot (plus bacon, onions, lettuce, cheese, tomato, egg salt & pepper and BBQ sauce and maybe pineapple). Its oversized on a softish sesame seed hamburger bun.

 

The idea is that you would be traveling in a car in your board shots and white teashirt and you were ALWAYS guaranteed to drop the beetroot out as you took a bite and it drops nicely onto your teashirt. Everyone then knows you are a messy eater and will tease you mercilessly.

The BBG sauce is bad enough to coat your face and drip on your shirt but the beetroot just adds that little bit more "DOH!!!!!!"😁

 

But Beetroot does actually add nicely to a salad sandwich. Fresh beetroot slices goes well on its own in a sandwich made with fresh hot toast, but depends on what yours is pickled in. If its strong vinegar then not so nice but if the vinegar is mild it will work.

[liuzhou]

27 minutes ago, FeChef said:

Red beet eggs.

 

I wouldn't make them with pickled slices. I do make them with fresh beets, but haven't done for a while.

[liuzhou]

7 minutes ago, Bernie said:

depends on what yours is pickled in

 

Spirit vinegar.

 

[Anna N]

Open-faced sandwich toppers. I particularly like them with braunschweiger. 

[chromedome]

In Newfoundland it's common to see them diced and added to potato salad, turning the whole thing shocking pink. Not that I advocate for this, mind you, but it's at least... interesting, the first time. Traditionally you'd see it served with regular "white" potato salad and another one flavored with yellow mustard (which, again, I don't necessarily advocate) as part of a cold plate with the leftovers from a holiday meal or similarly large spread.

 

One of my aunts made her third one green, rather than yellow, so they'd correspond to the old-school Newfoundland flag of pink, white and green (said to represent, respectively, England's rose, Scotland's thistle and Ireland's shamrock). I don't remember for sure what she "greened" it with, but suspect it was cooked-and-mashed peas.

[lemniscate]

Barszcz.   

[heidih]

18 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Barszcz.   

 

18 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Barszcz.   

You wouldn't make that with commercially pickled beets would you? And these have other flavors added as well.

 

The eggs though are meant to be a pickly product so the liquid in the jar works though not enough for more than a couple eggs.

[lemniscate]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

 

You wouldn't make that with commercially pickled beets would you? And these have other flavors added as well.

 

The eggs though are meant to be a pickly product so the liquid in the jar works though not enough for more than a couple eggs.

Yes,  All the  beet soup I grew up with was made with jarred Harvard beets and jarred pickled beets and jarred baby beets.   Hardly ever fresh beets, in fact I have no memories of it being made with  fresh beets.  The soup base was beef neckbones and the rest was jarred.  This is American style, Hamtramck style Polish grandma style.  It was creamed with sour cream/flour mixture.  You could add more vinegar and sour cream to your bowl at the table.

[liuzhou]

I finally ate some of the beetroot from that jar. Not impressed. No discernable pickle (vinegar) flavour and little beetroot flavour. All I got was sweetness.

[Anna N]

13 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

I finally ate some of the beetroot from that jar. Not impressed. No discernable pickle (vinegar) flavour and little beetroot flavour. All I got was sweetness.

There’s a funny thing about beets. Although it seems you can  can them or jar them, they have a limited shelflife. I bought canned beets from my  local  variety store and they were almost white having bled while sitting on the shelf I’m assuming.  They might’ve been there for a year or century. It was before cans were stamped with Best by dates. So I just wonder if they had lost all their flavour by the time you bought them. It’s just a thought. 

[liuzhou]

16 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I just wonder if they had lost all their flavour by the time you bought them.

 

Manufacture date is given as 15th November 2019; best before date is given as 15th November 2023. So precise. I'm surprised they don't list what time on the 15th Nov, 2023. And which time zone are these dates based on? Presumably Bavarian Standard Time.

 

I think the lack of vinegar flavour may just be because I'm used to more robust flavours and I think most British pickled beets use malt vinegar rather than the spirit vinegar used here. Spirit vinegar is noted for its range of strength.

Anyway, I live and learn. Won't buy these again and, in the meantime, I've checked the tracking on my delivery of fresh beets and they should be here tomorrow or next day. They are coming from the opposite side of China.

 

Edited May 17, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

41 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I think the lack of vinegar flavour may just be because I'm used to more robust flavours and I think most British pickled beets use malt vinegar rather than the spirit vinegar used here. Spirit vinegar is noted for its range of strength.

I am not familiar with spirit vinegar, however, Mr. Google seems to think it’s the same as white vinegar. Here ordinary white vinegar is 5% acetic acid and pickling vinegar is 7%. Malt vinegar is available here but it is often labelled Fish and Chip vinegar! It is bottled in very small quantities not terribly suitable for pickling use. 
 

When I needed pickled beets and getting fresh ones was going to be a challenge, I would sometimes cheat and use canned (unpickled) beets. They were never quite as good but served the purpose. 
 

I hope your fresh ones arrive and meet your expectations. 
 

 

[AlaMoi]

I do "beets" - a bunch.  whenever I find a decent batch of beets with tops....

 

remove top

wash

trim top&bottom of beet

boil in (by volume)

50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water

1/2 cup white granulated sugar.

 

when fork tender, allow to cool, hand strip the skin.

reserve the liquid.

yes, you're gonna get purple.  it washes&wears off.

 

refrigerate, slice.

 

beats the pants&undies off caned/jarred versions.

[heidih]

I agree fresh and canned are miles apart though I keep a can in the pantry for emergencies. I prefer to microwave with just a dribble of water versus boil. 

[AlaMoi]

the boil route has the advantage of doing the pickle along with the cook.

[heidih]

I misread. Makes sense.

[Katie Meadow]

About pre-cooking: who likes to roast the beets and who likes to boil? Or microwave, as @heidihdoes? I've never boiled or microwaved fresh beets. Do you peel the beets first?

 

What about pickling golden beets instead of red? Are they less flavorful? I'm not putting hard boiled eggs in, so color isn't a factor. I tried beet pickled eggs and found that by the time they were colored the eggs seemed rubbery. Pretty, though.

[kayb]

God help me. I have TRIED to like beets. I've pickled 'em. I've boiled 'em. I've steamed 'em. I've eaten them in salads, in terrines, in all sorts of preparations with meat and sides.

 

They taste like dirt.

 

I will note I have not tried to make borscht. I'll give that one good try, then I'm writing beets off.

 

BTW, I have a child who won't eat purple hulled peas because they taste like dirt. So, I guess we're all different.

 

[liuzhou]

13 hours ago, Anna N said:

Mr. Google seems to think it’s the same as white vinegar. Here ordinary white vinegar is 5% acetic acid and pickling vinegar is 7%. Malt vinegar is available here but it is often labelled Fish and Chip vinegar! It is bottled in very small quantities not terribly suitable for pickling use. 

 

Yes, spirit vinegar is what is known in Canada as white vinegar and distilled vinegar in the US  It goes a lot higher than 7% acetic acid, though. Here is an example at 24%!

Malt vinegar is the tradtional accompaniment to fish and chips in the UK, but not to my liking. I'm strange - I don't like any vinegar on my fish and chips. Lemon juice, please.

I really enjoy Chinese rice vinegars. White, red and black all have their different uses. I just think the vinegar used in those beet slices is way too mild for my taste. Others may well disagree.

[liuzhou]

The fresh beetroot I ordered online has just arrived. Wow! These are big beets!

 

 

The one at the top centre weighs 540 grams. That's 1 lb 3 oz!

 

Edited May 19, 2021 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Hope they are big and sweet and not woody.

[Captain]

Perfect match with beef and goats cheese.