Beetroot and Balsamic Relish

I haven’t made this relish for ages.  For a while there, it was something everyone received for Christmas, but I have moved on to olives and sweet things in recent years.  That said, this is a delicious little accompaniment to cold meats, perfect on the table on Christmas Day with turkey and ham and great for sandwiches too.  The recipe does turn out a bit too liquidy and although I’ve tried leaving it on the stove a bit longer to cook off, it doesn’t seem to make that much difference.  So, just bottle up the solids and add a small amount of the liquid, the remainder can be used as a delicious dressing for a roast veg or green salad.  This really is great for gifts, just make sure you have good quality sealing jars as beetroot leakages can get a bit messy.

Ingredients

750g beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

2 cups good quality balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

3tsp yellow mustard seeds

2½ cups granulated sugar

2 cloves

5cm piece of orange rind

salt and pepper

Method

Put all ingredients in a large deep frying pan or jam pan and place over medium heat, cover and bring to the boil.  Cook for 30 minutes or until the beetroot is soft and the liquid has reduced and thickened slightly.

Spoon into hot sterilised jars and seal.  Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Makes 5 cups