Beetroot is in season from May to October in the UK. Beetroot evolved from wild seabeet which is a native of coastlines from India to Britain. The familiar rounded root variety was developed around the sixteenth century and gained widespread popularity in Europe a couple of hundred years later.Fresh beetroot has much to commend it in terms of flavour (sweet, slightly earthy), texture (smooth and velvety) and colour (dark red/purple, or an appealingly lurid pink when combined with cream or yoghurt).
Beetroot has higher sugar content than most vegetables. It is rich in vitamin C, fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folic acid. The leafy tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, iron and calcium.
Cut off the leaves and store in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge. The leaves should be used within a day or two but the root will keep for a couple of weeks.
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