I used to think beets tasted like dirt. But as with many taste sensations classically vilified by children – olives, onions, mushrooms, stinky cheese – I’ve come to love these most intensely purple of vegetables, freaky as they are (some have hairy rat tails, you know).

I lived in Australia for a few years and grew accustomed to having them on burgers (along with egg and pineapple – I know: weird). Slices of slightly sweet, pickled beet add deliciousness to any sandwich. How much do I love thee, beets? Let me count the ways: Borscht is the bomb and so is Russian beet salad. Also, any salad involving beets, goat cheese and walnuts. Roasted beets as a side dish are as comforting as mashed potatoes, only with more vitamins. And the beet goes on.

Here’s a little beet-y thing I canned yesterday that turned out awesomely: beet, cabbage and horseradish relish.

I basically followed a recipe from my New York Times, Craig Claiborne-edited cookbook from 1961, which I seem to have on high rotation lately (I partly based my Coronation grape and walnut conserve and cranberry and toasted walnut conserve on recipes from its pages, with updated instructions on canning with a boiling water bath).

This relish turned out tangy, earthy and slightly sweet, with the faintest bit of heat from the horseradish. Also, it’s very sexy in its fuchsia-ness. Looking forward to smearing it on sandwiches, roast meats and burgers.

Beet, cabbage and horseradish relish

4 cups finely diced or grated peeled beets

4 cups shredded cabbage (I used a combo of green and purple)

1 cup grated horseradish

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups vinegar

3/4 cups sugar

4 tsp salt

One ingredient at a time, process the beets, cabbage and horseradish in the food processor, then mix together in a bowl. Finely chop the onion by hand and add to vegetable mixture. Add salt and stir. Dissolve sugar in vinegar and add to vegetables. Boil for 15 minutes, then pour into hot, clean jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.