How to Cook Beets
User Reviews
5
How to Cook Beets
Description
"How to Cook Beets" includes instructions for steaming, boiling, or roasting whole beets. After trimming the stems and leaves, beets are scrubbed clean and cut into smaller pieces if large. Steaming involves placing unpeeled beets in a basket over simmering water for about 30 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Boiling includes submerging beets in water with added lemon juice to help retain color, and cooking until tender. Roasting involves tossing beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper, wrapping them in foil, and cooking in the oven at 375°F.
The cooking methods yield tender beets whose skins peel effortlessly when rubbed post-cooking. The recipe suggests serving cooked beets warm with butter or cooled for addition to salads. The flexibility in methods allows adapting cooking style depending on equipment and preference for texture.
This approach emphasizes handling beets carefully to retain their flavor and texture. The instructions also note that beet greens can be cooked separately, offering a use for all edible parts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beet or as many as desired
- olive oil *for roasting
- salt for roasting
- black pepper for roasting
Instructions
- To prepare beets, cut off the stem and leaves (these can be cooked separately).
- Scrub the outside of the beets and dry.
- If beets are large, cut in halves or quarters.
- Cook beets using one of the methods below.
- Once cooked, use rubber gloves or paper towels to rub the beets and the skins will just slide right off.
- Serve warm with butter or chilled in salads.
Steam
- Place unpeeled beets in a steamer basket in a pot.
- Add 1" water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes (longer for larger beets).
- Ensure you check the water level as it evaporates.
Boil
- Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the beets by 1".
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until beets are tender, about 35 minutes (longer for larger beets).
Roast
- Toss beets with olive oil, salt & pepper. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place beets on a large piece of tinfoil and wrap to seal as a packet. Roast the foil package for 1 hour or until beets are tender when poked with a fork.
Notes
- Beets should be scrubbed well before cooking to remove dirt but need not be peeled until after cooking when skins rub off easily.
- Leafy beet greens can be cooked separately and used as an additional vegetable.
- Lemon juice in boiling water helps maintain beet color during cooking.
- Use olive oil, salt, and pepper when roasting for added flavor.
- Cooking times may need adjustment for larger beets—check tenderness with a fork.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 49 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 49 | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 88mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 369mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 37IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 18mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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