Your comments and tips

16 Sep 09, Mandy (Australia - tropical climate)

I was given some beetroot from a garden but forgot it and it went soft. I cut off the tops as they had started to sprout and placed them in a dish of water. Is it possible to grow a beetroot this way or must I use seeds? Thanks for any advice :)

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15 Sep 09, Alison (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Linda - I think the clue is not to plant out too deeply. As they get close to harvest, move the dirt away from the bulb and if it is about 2-3 cms diameter, I'd pick them. Young is best. Another cooking tip is to scrub them - don't peel - wrap in alfoil and bake until tender (a knife goes in & out easily). Use the alfoil to rub off the skin and save yours from weeks of beetroot stain then I chop into wedges and try balsamic and olive oil or a bit of garlic, chives and butter. Subtle flavours so as not to detract from the beautiful beet!

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12 Sep 09, Kelly (Australia - temperate climate)

Beetroot is fabulous. I love boiling until tender. Peel when cool, cut into wedges, toss with white balslamic vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper. For a salad toss with mixed salad greens and crumbled feta cheese.

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12 Sep 09, Linda (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, First time beetroot grower would like to know how will I know when the beetroot is ready to pull out of ground and how do I cook it please.

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01 Aug 09, MuddyKnees (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Only recently started cooking the leaves.. wow! where have I been all these years? Up until now I've had trouble getting the gold and the white variety to germinate.. But I've raised all their seed well this winter in a mini-hot (warm?) house.. I earlier thought the seed was at fault.. Going to try the newspaper pre-test next time as suggested. Thing is, the leaves from the gold variety are the BEST of all the beetroot types I've tried, not that the others are not great.. Do yourself a treat and buy a pack of New Gippsland Seeds Beetroot Mix (1092) which will have both of these and all their others in it.. I'm finding beet tops well worth leaving the plants in for a good time.. how long I haven't determined yet.

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25 Jul 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Paulie - Yes you can grow beetroot in pots, but they need to be BIG pots. Beetroots definitely prefer the garden. Tania - I find the same problem some years - I think it could be too much nitrogen and not enough potassium. You could try fertilizing with a fruit/flower type fertilizer with higher potassium. Or maybe more patience - my beetroot take a long time for the root to grow.

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23 Jul 09, Paulie (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi guys. first time veggie patch grower here. great fun so far. does anyone know, can you do beetroot in pots?

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26 Jun 09, Tania (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi. I grew beetroots last year and the bottoms were quite small. Am trying again this year and the leaves look big healthy, but again not much underneath. What am I doing wrong?

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19 Jun 09, Trevor Heywood (Australia - temperate climate)

I cook fresh beetroot in a large stock-pot with a few bay leaves and sometimes an unpeeled dutch shallot: If you have an abundance of leaf or don't care for it, leave them on when you cook and don't cut the rat's tail off as it causes bleeding. After half an hour's boiling, remove the tops less 1 inch of stalk and continue cooking. Then, use gloves to slip the skins and tails off when cool - the stalk bump comes off easily too. There is no need to interfere more than this when preparing the root for the table.

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16 Jun 09, Helen (Australia - temperate climate)

Great recipe for Beetroot.Dice cooked beetroot and put in an oven proof dish with lid. Add equal amount of Goats Cheese and sprinkle with Thyme and black pepper then stir. Put in oven for about thirty minutes. Delicious. We have it at least twice weekly with our main.It goes well and dinner party guests change their opinion about the humble Beetroot

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