SC - Re: Pickled egg recipes -- BEETS?

[Christina M. Krupp]

Greetings!

I've been observing this flurry of pickled-egg recipes with interest. Most
of the recipes offered recently include beet root or beet juice. 

My understanding is that beet greens were eaten in period, but the root of
the period beet was an unremarkable thing. The glorious ruby root that we
are all familiar with, and the sugar-beet root which is a different
variant, were post-period developments. 

Beet juice makes an excellent food-coloring agent, giving shades of dark
red that are unavailable from other natural sources. If beets were
available in the Middle Ages, wouldn't we see beet juice listed among
other medieval food colorings such as saunders, saffron, and parlsey
juice? It seems notable in its absence. 

I am very fond of cooked beet-roots and I'd love to be able to use them at
feasts with a clear conscience. Can anybody offer evidence of their use in
medieval recipes?

Thanks!

- -- Marieke




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