How to cook beets

Video: Beets 101 - Everything You Need To Know

Content

Method 2 of 3: Boil the beets in water
Method 3 of 3: Bake the beets in the oven
Tips
What do you need

1 Put the steamer on fire. Pour water into the steamer bowl until the level is about 5 centimeters. Put the steamer on the fire and place the food basket over the water.

2 Bring water to a boil. First, put the water on the fire, and then start cooking the beets for cooking. We recommend wearing protective kitchen gloves - beet juice stains the skin.

3 Prepare the beets. Wash the beets and remove any visible dirt from the skins. Take a sharp knife and cut off the tails and the upper part with the remnants of the stems from the root crops. The cut pieces can be thrown away - you don't need them. Then cut each beet into four pieces.

Do not peel the skin off the beets - this will help to better preserve the color of the pulp during heat treatment. In addition, the skins of boiled beets are much easier to remove than raw beets.

4 Place the cut root vegetables in the steamer basket. Remember to boil the water in your steamer. Place the basket in the steamer and close the lid tightly to keep the steam inside.

5 Steam the beets for fifteen minutes to half an hour. If you have taken large root vegetables, it makes sense to cut them into four parts first, and then divide each part into smaller pieces - if you take too large pieces, they will be cooked on the outside, but will remain soggy on the inside. It also takes less time to cook small pieces of beetroot. Try cutting the beets into slices about 1–1.5 cm thick.

6 Check the doneness of the beets. Remove the lid and prick a piece of beet with a fork or knife. If the blade of a knife or the prongs of a fork easily enter and exit the pulp, the beets are ready. If you have difficulty piercing the flesh or the blade gets stuck in the cut, replace the lid and let the beets steam for a while.

7 Remove the beets from heat. When the beets are soft, remove them from the steamer. Use kitchen paper towels to remove the skin from the pieces.

8 Add spices and seasonings as needed. If you've steamed beets to add to a dish, use them as directed in the recipe. You can simply sprinkle the beets with olive oil, table vinegar, or add fresh herbs to your liking.

If you add spicy cheese or some cereal to the beets, you have a great snack.

Method 2 of 3: Boil the beets in water

1 Pour water into a saucepan and add a little salt. It is enough to add half a teaspoon of salt to the water - during the cooking process, the beets will acquire a salty taste. Turn the hotplate on to maximum power and wait for the water in the saucepan to boil.
2 Prepare the beets for boiling. Wash the beets thoroughly and remove any dirt that remains on the surface of the root vegetables. Cut off the top with the remaining stems and tails and discard them in the trash. Beets can be boiled whole or pre-cut into small cubes to reduce cooking time. If you decide to boil whole beets, you don't need to peel them.
- If you want to cut the beets into pieces, first remove the skin from the root vegetable, and then cut the flesh into cubes about 2.5 centimeters in size.
3 Place the beets in boiling water. The water level should be 5-10 centimeters above the beets. When the water comes to a boil, carefully place the beets, whole or cut into pieces, in a saucepan. If you are cooking whole roots, leave the saucepan on the fire for 45-60 minutes.
- Do not cover the saucepan with the lid when boiling the beets.
4 Check if the beets are cooked. Take a knife or fork and pierce the beets. If the blade of a knife or the prongs of a fork easily enter and exit the pulp, the beets are ready. If you have difficulty piercing the flesh or the blade gets stuck in the cut, leave the beets in the boiling water for a few more minutes.
5 Remove the beets from the heat. When the beets are soft, drain the hot water from the saucepan and cover the roots with cold water. Wait a while, then peel the beets off with a kitchen paper towel.
6 Add oil and seasonings as needed. If you've boiled beets to add to another dish, use them according to the recipe. You can also mash the beets and add a little butter to it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Method 3 of 3: Bake the beets in the oven

1 Preheat the oven and prepare the root vegetables. Preheat oven to 180 ºC. Wash the beets well and remove any remaining dirt from the skins. If you want to bake whole beets, first cut off the tail and the top with the rest of the stems. Throw away the cut pieces - you won't need them. If you are going to cut the beets into pieces, first remove the skins from them, and then cut the roots into small wedges.
- If you want to bake whole beets, choose small root vegetables. Large root vegetables are best cut into pieces, otherwise you will have to wait a very long time for the beets to bake evenly.
2 Place the beets in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. A tablespoon of oil will be enough to cover the surface of the beets. Season the beets and add black pepper to taste. Cover the beetroot dish with aluminum foil so that the foil covers the dish tightly.
3 Place the beets in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and leave the beets in the oven for another 15–20 minutes.
4 Check the doneness of the beets. Pierce the beets with a fork or knife. If the blade of a knife or the prongs of a fork easily enter and exit the pulp, the beets are ready. If you have difficulty piercing the flesh or the blade gets stuck in the cut, return the beets to the oven and continue cooking for a while.
5 Remove the beets from the oven and add seasonings or spices. Oven-baked beets retain their sweet taste. You can season it lightly with balsamic vinegar and serve with crispy bread.

Tips

If you cut the beets into very thin slices and cook in the oven, you will have beet chips. For more even cooking, you need to wait until half of the cooking time has elapsed and then turn the slices.
Grated beets can be added to cake and brownie batter for soft and moist baked goods.
Chop raw beets into small pieces or grate them - as they are, they can be added to salads or used as a side dish. Beets will give the finished dish a vibrant color and interesting texture.
If you have a juicer, try juicing raw beets. Mix beet juice with apple juice - you get a moderately sweet cocktail, rich in vitamins and other useful substances.