The problem isn’t the beetroot…

Beetroot often arrives in the box whole and in quantity, and quite often ends up waiting for a decision. It gets cooked all at once, goes into a dish and then is repeated in the same way over the following days. That is usually when it starts to feel like too much, not because it is a difficult vegetable, but because it is rarely thought through in terms of proportion or combination.

The most common mistake is simple: using too much beetroot, in the same way, in the same dish. When it enters as the only base, without contrast or balance, the flavour quickly becomes heavy.

Beetroot works better when it stops being the absolute protagonist and becomes part of a structure. It needs acidity to cut through the sweetness, fat to round out the flavour, and other ingredients that take some weight off it.

Another frequent mistake is always cooking it in the same way. Beetroot boiled only in water concentrates sweetness without gaining depth. Beetroot that is always roasted, without contrast, tends to overwhelm. The problem is not the method, it is the repetition.

In winter, beetroot works best when:

• It is used in smaller quantities,
• It is combined with neutral or acidic ingredients,
  
• Its texture changes across different dishes.

Adjusting the proportion also matters. Beetroot does not need to take up half the plate to be noticed. Very often, less beetroot creates more balance and makes the dish more appealing.

Part of the issue is not only how beetroot is cooked, but also how it is stored afterwards. So how should you store beetroot to prevent it from spoiling or becoming overly intense in flavour?

The way beetroot is stored also influences the final experience. When raw, it should be kept whole, unwashed, in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Excess moisture speeds up deterioration and intensifies the flavour in a less pleasant way. If it comes with leaves attached, remove them straight away, as they continue to draw energy from the root.