Pickled Beetroot and Orange
A great way to preserve both fruit and beetroot, this recipe makes one of the tastiest sides or sandwich fillers (with a big chunk of cheese) that I’ve ever eaten. Made with or without sugar and ready to eat after just 2 hours, it’s a welcome break from courgettes this time of year, but can also work as an accompaniment to many other recipes featured on our website.
For this recipe, I picked a combination of golden and bolt hardy beetroot as neither variety bleeds and stains everything else purple. Feel free to use any variety you like though, as the purple colours the orange beautifully. Speaking of oranges, there is a new skill I’m going to teach you during this recipe; filleting oranges. This might sound silly as oranges have no bones, but when we fillet an orange we remove every segment from it’s skin / membrane. This might sound needlessly complicated but I promise, once you get in the groove it takes no time at all. The key is to use a tomato knife. If you haven’t used one before then they’re like a mini bread knife, designed for ingredients with soft, juicy cells. You might decide you don’t need a special knife for your juicy bits, but trust me, this will make your life a lot easier.
Filleting an Orange
Step 1. Remove the peel using a knife. Cut the top and bottom of the orange off, then stand it on one of the freshly cut flat faces. Cutting top to bottom, remove an inch or so of peel, following the curve of the fruit, then rotate the orange and repeat until all the peel and pith is removed.
Step 2. Slice the orange in half and lay both halves face down on the chopping board. If you cut deep enough when removing the peel and pith you should see where the membrane reaches the surface of the orange. Gently slide the knife along one side of the membrane, taking care not to cut through the orange completely. When you hit the bottom of it, pull the blade back out and cut the other side, lifting the segment away from the membrane. Repeat this for the whole orange, removing pips as you find them.
Tip: If you have nicely cut pieces of orange peel leftover then why not make candied peel? Chop the peel into strips and place in a pan of cold water (just deep enough to cover the peel). Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and repeat, this time simmering for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the water, then add 100g of sugar for every 100ml of water you have left. Return to the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peel and simmer for another 30 minutes until the peel is translucent. Cover and set the pan aside until cool, then remove the peel with a slotted spoon. Let the strips of peel over a cooling rack (above a sheet of baking parchment) to let the excess syrup drip off. If you like you can keep this syrup to use in drinks and baking. Place the cooling rack in the oven on the lowest possible heat and bake for 30 minutes until dry, then toss the peel around in a small tub of sugar. This will stick and coat the peel. Finally, either dip in melted dark chocolate or store in an airtight container (lined with parchment) for 8 weeks in a cool spot.
Now we’re done with eating every last possible bit of orange, let’s crack on with the recipe.
Pickled Beetroot and Orange
4 Beetroot, thinly sliced
1 Orange, filleted
1 Red onion, thinly sliced
A thumb of ginger root, roughly diced
400ml Cider vinegar
30ml Balsamic vinegar
1tbsp Black pepper, cracked
100g Sugar
1 Jar
A mandolin
Step 1.
Measure out the vinegars, chopped ginger root and sugar and crack the black peppercorns. Place them all in a saucepan on a medium temperature and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquor is simmering.
Step 2.
Whilst the liquor cooks, clean and prepare your beetroot by finely slicing them through a mandolin at about 2mm thick. Ideally they should be thin enough to see light through. Fill the jar with the layers of beetroot and finely sliced onion, then fillet the orange (as described above) and pop the delicate segments on top of everything else.
Step 3.
Pour the liquor over the contents of the jar and, if needs be, top up with a bit of water until everything is covered. Fasten the lid and give the whole lot a shake to make sure any added water gets mixed in. Leave aside for 2 hours and move to a fridge once it has cooled. Each as soon as you like after 2 hours and keep in the fridge for a month.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this pickled beetroot however you like, but I love to throw it into cooked food for an added crunch, add it into salads and each it with a tangy yoghurt, cheese, or plant-based alternative.