Beets

[porcupine]

I blush to admit it, but I've never cooked beets before. Well, until tonight. All I did was clean 'em, slice 'em thin, toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 375 until tender. Very, very tasty. Especially the ones that were very thin and got all crispy, like chips.

So, other than making salads with beets and goat cheese (which is threatening to become trite, no matter how much I love it), what else do y'all do with roasted beets? Or what other beet preparations do you enjoy?

[Escoffier]

I blush to admit it, but I've never cooked beets before. Well, until tonight. All I did was clean 'em, slice 'em thin, toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 375 until tender. Very, very tasty. Especially the ones that were very thin and got all crispy, like chips.

So, other than making salads with beets and goat cheese (which is threatening to become trite, no matter how much I love it), what else do y'all do with roasted beets? Or what other beet preparations do you enjoy?

I'm partial to pickled beets myself...

[ScotteeM]

Sounds delicious, Porcupine! You said you "cleaned" them. As in scrubbed or peeled?

I tend to avoid beets because of the stains, but I love them very much, and your way sounds so easy!

[AlliK]

I just go for the whole, wrapped in foil technique for roasting - then peel and slice afterwards. Good with goat cheese and walnuts on a salad, or with orange slices and chives.

[mdt]

I blush to admit it, but I've never cooked beets before. Well, until tonight. All I did was clean 'em, slice 'em thin, toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 375 until tender. Very, very tasty. Especially the ones that were very thin and got all crispy, like chips.

So, other than making salads with beets and goat cheese (which is threatening to become trite, no matter how much I love it), what else do y'all do with roasted beets? Or what other beet preparations do you enjoy?

Here is a simple recipe that I got from a French chef. Peel the beets, slice very thinly on a mandoline, and then toss with fresh squeezed lemon and S&P. He said it was something that his mother made when he was growing up and still loves it.

[zoramargolis]

I drizzle olive oil on unpeeled beets and roast them whole with some fresh thyme stalks. Bigger ones, I wrap individually in aluminum foil, and smaller ones go into a baking dish that gets covered with aluminum foil.

Or I boil them.

They get peeled and sliced or wedged after they are cooked and cooled. The boiled beet skins slip off easily, and the roasted ones need a paring knife to peel them, because water has been driven out of the beets by the oven heat, and the skins adhere a bit more. But the flavor is also more concentrated with roasting. I don't mind getting my hands stained, but you could wear rubber gloves if it bothers you.

Beets have an affinity for citrus, especially orange.

I often serve roasted beets as a salad, dressed with orange vinaigrette, with some goat cheese or feta, over some greens, with tomato wedges and cucumber.

Or I toss beets in hot butter with a splash of orange juice, and serve as a side.

Then, there is cabbage-beet borscht. The beets get cooked separately, and added at the end so that all of the veg in the pot of soup don't turn pink.

[cjsadler]

A beet roesti/pancake is a good thing. There's a recipe here. This can get really messy, though, as you're grating raw beets.

[Heather]

A beet roesti/pancake is a good thing. There's a recipe here. This can get really messy, though, as you're grating raw beets.

Chris, have you tried this and would you recommend a food processor? I'm having visions of grating beets while encased in plastic wrap.

[cjsadler]

Chris, have you tried this and would you recommend a food processor? I'm having visions of grating beets while encased in plastic wrap.

I've made this several times, but grated the beets by hand (lost the slicing/grating disc to the food processor, but I'd recommend using it if you've got one). The raw beet juice is seriously potent ink-- if grating by hand, do it in the sink, and if you have gloves of some sort, put 'em on (my hands were red for days).

[alan7147]

I blush to admit it, but I've never cooked beets before. Well, until tonight. All I did was clean 'em, slice 'em thin, toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 375 until tender. Very, very tasty. Especially the ones that were very thin and got all crispy, like chips.

So, other than making salads with beets and goat cheese (which is threatening to become trite, no matter how much I love it), what else do y'all do with roasted beets? Or what other beet preparations do you enjoy?

Did you peel them before slicing?

[jparrott]

You can also bake them whole, unpeeled, and buried in salt.

[The Hersch]

Here is a simple recipe that I got from a French chef. Peel the beets, slice very thinly on a mandoline, and then toss with fresh squeezed lemon and S&P. He said it was something that his mother made when he was growing up and still loves it.

Um...do they get cooked at some point?

I do the individually-wrapped-in-foil thing. I always make extra. The ones I don't use right away just stay in their foil wrapping, go into a plastic bag, and into the refrigerator, where they'll keep for days and days. This is really a fool-proof cooking method. A couple of years ago, I wrapped some beets in foil and put them in the oven for about an hour, or so I intended. About four hours later I remembered them. They were still perfectly good!

[Erin11]

So, other than making salads with beets and goat cheese (which is threatening to become trite, no matter how much I love it), what else do y'all do with roasted beets? Or what other beet preparations do you enjoy?

I haven't made this in forever so forgive the fuzzy description. Back when I first started serious cooking classes we made a roasted veggie roulade that included beets. Roast a bunch of veggies. Separately, layer a bunch of sheets of phyllo dough (each layer is brushed with butter). Lay roasted veggies (veggies should be cut into relatively same size pieces) on one end of phyllo stack and roll up. Bake roll to crisp phyllo. Slice and drizzle with balsamic syrup.

[meowzart]

I'm partial to pickled beets myself...

I have to agree with you. I grew up in PA Dutch country where pickled beets and red beet eggs were prevalent. I still love both!

[porcupine]

You said you "cleaned" them. As in scrubbed or peeled?

Both, actually.

[mdt]

Um...do they get cooked at some point?

I do the individually-wrapped-in-foil thing. I always make extra. The ones I don't use right away just stay in their foil wrapping, go into a plastic bag, and into the refrigerator, where they'll keep for days and days. This is really a fool-proof cooking method. A couple of years ago, I wrapped some beets in foil and put them in the oven for about an hour, or so I intended. About four hours later I remembered them. They were still perfectly good!

Not cooked at all.

[edenman]

Got a bunch of beets and cooking part of a beet-themed potluck for a group of 8 tonight. Found this, which looks intriguing, but I've only ever peeled beets post-cooking. "Simply peel and julienne"...I assume peeling raw beets is just done with a standard vegetable peeler?

[DanCole42]

Fact: bears eat beets.

Bears.

Beets.

Battlestar Galactica.

[pizza man]

Got a bunch of beets and cooking part of a beet-themed potluck for a group of 8 tonight. Found this, which looks intriguing, but I've only ever peeled beets post-cooking. "Simply peel and julienne"...I assume peeling raw beets is just done with a standard vegetable peeler?

or a paring knife. Wear gloves.

[mdt]

or a paring knife. Wear gloves.

You don't link pink hands?

[Anna Blume]

While I found a couple of recipes online, there was nothing that leaped out at me, so I am asking you if there's a favorite recipe or prep you'd recommend for cold beet soup. Borscht (no cabbage, please) or gazpacho, whatever you want to call it, just as long as I have the ingredients at home and it comes out a deep garnet color vs. personally off-putting pink (that is, dairy-free). Thanks.

[zoramargolis]

While I found a couple of recipes online, there was nothing that leaped out at me, so I am asking you if there's a favorite recipe or prep you'd recommend for cold beet soup. Borscht (no cabbage, please) or gazpacho, whatever you want to call it, just as long as I have the ingredients at home and it comes out a deep garnet color vs. personally off-putting pink (that is, dairy-free). Thanks.

What--you don't like slurping a bowl of Pepto Bismal-colored beet borscht? That's what I grew up eating in the summertime. Truth be told, my mother bought Manischevitz borscht in the quart glass jars, and mixed it with sour cream, chopped cucumber and green onion. If you don't want to add sour cream, don't. It's after the fact, anyway. But, I think that to make a credible beet borscht to eat cold, just peel some raw beets and simmer them in some flavorful clear stock--chicken or vegetable-until the beets are just tender. Then remove, cool and julienne the beets and put them back in the now ruby-colored broth. Add a bit of salt, honey and lemon juice to balance the flavors.

[monavano]

What--you don't like slurping a bowl of Pepto Bismal-colored beet borscht? That's what I grew up eating in the summertime. Truth be told, my mother bought Manischevitz borscht in the quart glass jars, and mixed it with sour cream, chopped cucumber and green onion. If you don't want to add sour cream, don't. It's after the fact, anyway. But, I think that to make a credible beet borscht to eat cold, just peel some raw beets and simmer them in some flavorful clear stock--chicken or vegetable-until the beets are just tender. Then remove, cool and julienne the beets and put them back in the now ruby-colored broth. Add a bit of salt, honey and lemon juice to balance the flavors.

Fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream/cream fraiche/Greek yogurt will give you creaminess without the Pepto color.

[goldenticket]

This might be more of a Kitchen 911 question, but....

I bought some golden beets at the Crystal City market on Tuesday and roasted them that evening. I used a few of them in a (yummy) curried barley salad and put the rest in the fridge. They are peeled and whole and stored in a ziplock bag. This morning I noticed that they are turning black in places. A quick internet search revealed that this just happens to golden beets (something about manganese maybe). Are they still good to eat? I assume they are, but figured somebody out there probably has a definitive answer.

[Pat]

Don't have a definitive answer, but I haven't had any problem eating them once that starts to happen. I usually pack them in with other food so they're not as exposed to air. I have no idea if that really does anything, but being exposed to air inside the bag on all sides seems like it would accelerate the blackening process.

[zoramargolis]

Obviously, the way to avoid this is to peel only what you are going to use right away. It isn't more difficult to peel beets that have been cooked and stored with the peel still on than to peel them immediately after cooking.

[goldenticket]

Obviously, the way to avoid this is to peel only what you are going to use right away. It isn't more difficult to peel beets that have been cooked and stored with the peel still on than to peel them immediately after cooking.

Not obvious the first time or I wouldn't have peeled them...

I had intended to use all of them in the salad, but didn't wind up needing them. I'll check them out tonight and see how they taste - I'm guessing they'll still be ok (per Pat's reply).

[lperry]

I think they are OK. Potatoes will sometimes do the same thing, but it is the iron coming out. I tried to parcook and freeze a few once when I had too many, and then freaked out with the multicolor result. I've also had garlic go blue.

[Barbara]

Obviously, the way to avoid this is to peel only what you are going to use right away. It isn't more difficult to peel beets that have been cooked and stored with the peel still on than to peel them immediately after cooking.

Ditto this. Whenever I buy a bunch of beets, I roast them all and just store the ones I don't use wrapped in the aluminum foil they were roasted in. I trim and peel them as I need them.

For the ones already peeled and getting spots, I would just cut out the spots. They should be OK, otherwise.

[TrelayneNYC]

I use them in all sorts of things, from soup to roasted vegetables to salads, like so:

There is also beet bourguignon (yes, you read that correctly):

I also like using the peels, for vinegar. I have a batch of beet vinegar in the fridge right now, from several pounds of beets I cooked earlier in the year. Beet vinegar -- take your beet peels and steep them in either red wine or white wine vinegar. Let sit for 1-2 months. Strain, then use as needed. Use in: vinaigrettes, pan sauces, reductions, gastriques, etc. Beet vinegar has a sharp flavor threaded with a hint of sweetness.

[Barbara]

There is also beet bourguignon (yes, you read that correctly):

Recipe, please?

[TrelayneNYC]

Barbara: http://kitchenseasons.com/2013/02/08/beet-bourguignon/

It's an adaptation of the original at Green Kitchen Stories: http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/beet-bourguignon/

[ol_ironstomach]

For a two-hour sous vide with butter and balsamico, to heck with peeling or scrubbing with a brush...a piece of ScotchBrite worked great.

[sandynva]

does anyone eat their beets without peeling them? i'd like to make them more often but for whatever reason i really dislike peeling them, even after they're cooked when they are easy to peel. 

also, at zaytinya and jaleo i've had some great beet salads where the vinagrette somehow soaked into or permeated the entire beet chunks, which was great. is there a trick to this, or do you just toss them with dressing and let them sit? 

[ktmoomau]

19 hours ago, sandynva said:

does anyone eat their beets without peeling them? i'd like to make them more often but for whatever reason i really dislike peeling them, even after they're cooked when they are easy to peel. 

also, at zaytinya and jaleo i've had some great beet salads where the vinagrette somehow soaked into or permeated the entire beet chunks, which was great. is there a trick to this, or do you just toss them with dressing and let them sit? 

Never eaten beets not peeled.  When I roast beets, I have then sliced them and put them in vinaigrette or other sauce to soak it in, most recipes say you can do those types of beets at 2 days ahead and let them sit in the fridge, but recommend letting them sit in the liquid for at least 30 minutes.

Note the above on the thread regarding golden beets though and discoloration.  I don't normally plan ahead enough and mine normally only sit for 30-1 hour, so I haven't run into that.