The large, late beets store well, meaning they are available until early spring.
No matter what meat or fish you serve alongside (duck or lamb is very good) it can't fail to look, as well as taste, magnificent.
Long rooted varieties, whose seeds are still available to grow, are said to be even sweeter and more strongly flavoured.
Try pureeing cooked beetroot and stirring it into an equal quantity of buttery mashed potato.
Choose firm, unwrinkled beetroot with lush sprays of green, pink stemmed, leaves still attached.
Beetroot come in yellow, white, and pink and white striped as well as deep red.
The large, late beets store well, meaning they are available until early spring.
If the skin of the beetroot has been damaged in any way, seal the damaged part with a little flour and water paste. Place each beetroot in a piece of buttered greaseproof paper and enclose it completely. Bake in a moderate oven, 180°C, Gas 4, for 1 hour (for young beetroots) or for up to 2 hours for older beetroots
For the best flavour, cook beetroot in the oven rather than boiling it. Timings vary according to the size of beetroot, but about 2 hours at Gas 4 (180C) 350F should be right (more for larger vegetables or at a lower temperature). Lay the roots in a roasting tin and cover closely with tin foil.
