You and your students may be familiar with the observation that colour leaks out of beetroot when it is cooked. Many cookbooks suggest that beetroot should be cooked with their outer skins on, and with a minimum amount trimmed from the top (by the leaves) and tail (by the taproot) to reduce the release of beet colour leaking into the water.

This procedure lends itself to detailed evaluation, and provides an opportunity to discuss how you would like students to write up a practical.
Cutting the cores to size and placing in water baths takes only a few minutes. During the thirty minutes heating (or chilling) time, you can discuss writing up or evaluating the procedure.
If you have access to only one colorimeter, one group could gather quantitative results while the others gather subjective, qualitative information. The number of beetroot cores used will depend on the number of water baths available.
Students can work individually or in pairs. To save time, reduce the number of temperatures used and collate results to provide repeats at each temperature.

Beetroot cores, cut with a size 4 cork borer and soaked in distilled water overnight (Note 1)
Thermometers, 1 for each water bath
Kettle, to provide boiling water for the water baths
Ice bath (a beaker of water surrounded by ice)
Scalpel, 1, or sharp vegetable knife
Tile, 1
Forceps or mounted needles to ‘handle’ beetroot cores
Ruler, up to 15 cm, 1
Distilled water, in wash bottle
Measuring cylinder, 10 cm3, 1
Test tubes, 1 for each temperature of water bath
Paper towels
Marker pen
Access to several water baths set at a range of temperatures, or beakers containing water at different temperatures (Note 3)

Always carry cutting tools in a small tray. Cut away from you. Replace the cutting tool in the tray when not in use.
Read our standard health & safety guidance
1 Beetroot must be raw, not