Onion and Beetroot Relish

Ready yourself for beetroot chaos in the kitchen! This Onion and Beetroot Relish is worth the effort.

Like many recipes, often it’s the tried and true that are consistent and have pantry ingredients that are readily available in most homes. Of all the Beetroot Relish recipes I’ve found, they are only slight deviations from Digby Law’s very own Beetroot Relish, as printed in his Pickle and Chutney Cookbook. Law (1936-1987) was considered a pioneer with New Zealand fruit and vegetables – not only a writer but broadcaster and consultant. He knew his stuff!

Adapting the Recipe

Adaptions of his recipe found online have included:

• adding apple while reducing the sugar
• adding ground spices directly to the mix instead of tying up pickling spice in muslin
• brown sugar instead of white sugar
• backing off the quantity of onions
• swapping out malt vinegar for white, red wine, apple cider or balsamic vinegar (or a combination of all of them)
• using red onion instead of the traditional ‘brown’ onion
• throwing in some dried fruit or citrus zest.

As creatives in the kitchen many find that recipes are there as a guide and much fun and experimentation can be had adding our own spin…and why not! Preserving is fun and there are few real rules to follow.

For this recipe however, I’ve just adjusted the level of sugar required. In Law’s original recipe he suggested 700g of sugar for 1kg of beetroot, but to me that’s pretty sweet – more like a jam than a relish. However, there is a need for a sweet ingredient as beetroot is earthy, so the combination of the two brings balance.

Preparing the Beetroot

The messiest part of the whole recipe is peeling and grating the raw beetroot. If you haven’t got an apron, may I suggest you wear kitchen gloves and an old t-shirt! You may also want to be ready with a jar of baking soda to fix any stains that are most likely to appear on the kitchen bench!

The recipe calls for raw beetroot, so grab the vegetable peeler and prepare to make a mess! You can then mince the beetroot (if you are lucky enough to have a mincer), grate the beetroot, or cut it into chunks and blitz it in a food processor to your desired texture.

Why do I call it Onion and Beetroot Relish, not like the original?

The original Digby Law recipe was simply a ‘Beetroot Relish’ that happened to have heaps of onion in it! I felt it may be a more accurate describer to call it ‘Onion and Beetroot Relish’ so you had realistic expectations upon consuming it! When I made it, the beetroot wasn’t very vibrant (I had used a Chioggia ‘Candy Cane’ beetroot) and, paired with the malt vinegar, it resembled more of a caramelised onion relish than a vibrant red.

What do you eat with Beetroot Relish?

Law himself suggests: ‘Marvelous spread on thin brown bread or cracker biscuits, or served with cold meats.’

I agree! It’s definitely a delicious addition to a cheese platter, an easy way to make a dip (combine relish with sour cream or cream cheese to taste), or enjoy it dolloped on fish or chicken. I’ve used it on a pizza base, onto a baked potato and have used it just as I would a Caramelised Onion Relish.

Onion and Beetroot Relish

Makes: approx 1 litre

Ingredients

• 1kg raw beetroot
• 500g onions
• malt vinegar, (allow 2 litres)
• 500g or 2.5 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp pickling spice (in a muslin bag)
• 2 Tbsp cornflour

Method

1. Prepare the beetroot: peel, then mince or grate the flesh using a hand grater.
2. Finely chop the onions.
3. Place the beetroot and onion in a large saucepan, then cover with vinegar, add sugar, salt and pickling spices. Stir well.
4. Bring the contents to the boil, then simmer for approx 30 minutes until the beetroot is cooked.
5. Remove and discard the pickling spice. Remove a few tablespoons of liquid then mix with the cornflour to make a smooth a paste, then return back to the large saucepan. This will help thicken the relish.
6. Bring back to the boil for a few minutes until the relish has thickened to your liking.
7. Spoon into hot, clean sterilised jars and seal.