Kiwis seem to have a special affinity with it - particularly in a burger. I even found a tasty looking recipe for beetroot and chocolate cupcakes. Personally, I like to add grated beetroot to a summer salad or roast them with other winter veges.
There's no denying it's an incredibly versatile vegetable to have in your pantry. So you'd be crazy not to plant it. Especially when you can whip it up into any number of tasty snacks like the simple beetroot hummus I've included a recipe for at the end of this article. Perfect for kids to snack on with carrot sticks or pita bread.
So grab some beetroot seedlings from your local Bunnings, The Warehouse or supermarket.
Better still, head to our online shop and get the seedlings delivered straight to your door. Purchase six or more items and get free delivery to a non-rural address or just $4 to a rural address.
Once you've got your beetroot seedlings, it's simply a matter of working out where to plant them. Beetroot like well-drained, friable (breaks apart in your hands) soil.
They grow well next to brassicas, like broccoli and cauliflower, which take longer to mature and spread out. This means you can plant beetroot in the spaces in between your brassicas, and harvest them before the brassicas start needing the extra room.
Alternatively, they grow great in pots. Wherever you plant, simply dig a little 3cm deep hole, place the seedling in the hole and fill in with soil.
They like moisture as they start to develop so keep them well watered.
In around 10 to 12 weeks they should be ready. The great thing about beetroot is they can be eaten at any size, just dig them up and enjoy.
Now, for that tasty beetroot hummus I've been bragging about. Trim, wash and half two beetroot and place in a kitchen whiz. Add a tin of white beans (butter beans), half a block of feta and mix. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, white vinegar and lemon juice until you like the taste. Serve with vegetable sticks of pita crisps. Voila!