BEETROOT: FROM PLOT TO PLATE

Martin and Jill Fish share their tips on lifting and storing beetroot so it lasts right through winter, while Jill offers a couple of delicious ways to enjoy this colourful crop in the kitchen

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Beetroot comes in many shapes, colours and sizes, and I grow several types, including the traditional globe beetroot, golden beetroot, which looks and tastes great in salads, and a tall cylindrical type called 'Alto' that is very easy to slice because of its shape.

It's one of my favourite vegetables to grow and to eat. I love the small baby roots in early summer, which are so sweet. By late summer and autumn we are pulling the main crop roots, which are larger but still very tasty. Boiled, roasted or pickled, they all taste wonderful. Jill also uses it in lots more adventurous ways in the kitchen.

To enjoy beetroot through winter and into spring, I lift and store in late autumn before the weather turns too wet and cold. Although the large roots are fairly hardy, in very cold winters the frost can damage the fleshy roots, and I've also had problems with slug damage and rodents nibbling.

When to lift the roots will depend on where you live and how cold and wet it is. As a guide, around mid-October is a good time. The plants have stopped growing and are just sitting there. To store, you need a strong box or crate, some old potting compost — I use old compost from my tomato pots — or damp, sharp sand.