5 tips for cooking mouth-watering beetroot

1. Roast:

Small to medium beets can be roasted whole, or cut into quarters. Boil for 15-20 minutes, drain and place in a roasting tin. Lightly coat with oil and seasoning and roast at 180C/360F/Gas 4 for 40-45 minutes (timing will vary depending on the size of the beets).

2. Boil:

Put beetroot in a pan of water, bring to the boil and heat for 40-45 minutes. Beetroot is quite high in sodium so you don’t need to season.

3. Bake:

Preheat oven to 170C/325F/ Gas 3. Put the whole beets into a baking dish, cover with foil and cook for 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the beets). Leave until cool enough to handle, and remove the skins - they should slip off fairly easily.

4. Raw:

Raw beetroot can be peeled and grated to add a sweet flavour and great colour to salads, or try juicing it with other vegetables such as carrots and celery. Use gloves or a plastic sandwich bag to hold beetroot when grating it to avoid pink fingers!

5. Clean it up:

If you avoid it because of the pink stains it can leave, simply rub your hand with lemon juice and salt before washing with soap and water. On fabrics, rub a slice of raw pear on the stain before washing in a biological powder. Use a bleach solution for cutting boards and containers.

Have a try with these beetroot recipies here or learn how to grow your own beetroot here