Beets. Do you love them or hate them? Have you ever tried them before?
My mom has a thing for vegetables. In fact funny story. When my parents got married my mom asked my dad “what his favorite vegetable was” and he said he didn’t know because he didn’t eat vegetables!!! She just couldn’t believe it so she took it as her personal mission to first, get him to eat vegetables, and second to find to out what his favorite is. Needless to say my mom converted him to a vegetable lover. When I was growing up my mom loved to garden so we would always be outside picking things off the plants or vines to bring in and use for dinner that night –so we in turn had just about any and every vegetable under the sun.
There was always one weekend a year where my mom and dad would dedicate to canning all day. They would can tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and beets. Then they would store all those mason jars in our basem*nt for easy access. My brother and I loved it because we would just go straight for the beets every time!
We big puffy heart beets! They are filled with antioxidants and other good nutrients, are sweet, and absolutely delicious!
I ate them alot when I was growing up but then stopped around college. They weren’t exactly the easiest thing to get in college, if you know what I’m saying. (its ramen town when you’re in college) Well, a couple of years ago I went to a Salad bar restaurant in our area and they had BEETS! So of course I got them .. and was brought back to my first love…. mmmmm.
Now Cason adores them too, he could probably eat an entire meal of just beets. The kid cracks me up, “more beets mommy!”
So of course I needed to learn how to make them at home, buying already prepared beets (that are not in a can) can be a little pricey. Which meant it was time to call momma, the ever trusted source in cooking and figure out how to make my own!
You can cook beets two ways, you can boil them or you can roast them. I have done both and prefer to boil them because the skin is SOOOOO much easier to remove. It literally just squeezes off, and believe me, after my share of red hands the ease of skin removal is an important factor when deciding how to cook them. 🙂
Depending on your beet size, you boil them for 20-30 minutes put them in an ice bath immediately and remove the skin right away. Slice them up and store them in an air tight container for eating later.
I serve them as a side, eat them as a snack, put them in smoothies, or on top of salads.
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Author:Krista
Prep Time:5 mins
Cook Time:30 mins
Total Time:35 mins
Yield:4 cups of diced beets 1x
Category:How To
Method:Stovetop
Cuisine:American
Print Recipe
Description
An easy recipe for how to cook beets on the stovetop! Full of nutrients & antioxidants, beets are great forsmoothies, side dishes, salads & snacking!
Ingredients
Scale
6 beets, skin on (I used 3 red and 3 golden)
Instructions
Prepare a large bowl with water and ice.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add beets to pot. (if using red and golden beets, be sure to put them in separate pots or the red will dye the golden beets)
Boil for 20-30 minutes depending on size of beets. (test one of them – you should be able to easily remove the skin if you can’t them let it cook longer)
Remove beets from boiling water and place in an ice bath.
Remove skin from beets using your hands, rinse, and slice/dice beets.
Store in an air tight container.
Filed Under:
Gluten-Free
How To
Kid Friendly
Paleo
Vegetarian
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT#JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
Steaming: Steaming is a great way to cook beets while retaining their nutritional value. To steam beets, first, scrub them clean and trim off the greens and tail. Place them in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 30-40 minutes, or until they are tender.
My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole. Incidentally, to get beet stains off your hands, wet them, rub them with coarse salt, then wash with soap.
While cooking techniques like pan-frying, shallow-frying and deep-frying increase calorie, salt and fat content, stir-frying is a healthier technique. We recommend using a stainless steel wok from Saladmaster to stir-fry beets and other vegetables.
Roasting brings out their natural sweetness, which is enhanced by a drizzle honey and balsamic vinegar. Roasting beets also give them the best texture (not mushy like boiled beets). Roasted beets taste like vegetable candy, and are so delicious my kids love them too!
Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the beets until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the beets, but it typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Most people do peel beets, because the skin is a bit unattractive and can be dirty even after a good scrub. But beet skins are rich in nutrients and perfectly fine to eat too.
You can even enjoy them raw, either sliced thinly or grated. Choose beets that feel heavy for their size with fresh, unwilted green leafy tops still attached, if possible. Because dietary nitrates are water-soluble, it's best to avoid boiling beets if you'd like to maximize their nitrate content.
Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pot under running cold water and let rinse until beets can be handled.
Boil Beets: Boil smaller beets for 20 minutes and larger beets for up to 40 minutes. You'll know the beets are done boiling when they can be easily pierced with a fork or knife. Drain beets in a colander or remove from water with a slotted spoon. Peel Skin: Rinse beets under cool water to peel the skin.
Boil beets? Save that flavor- and nutrient-infused water (or drink it). Add it to homemade vegetable broth or freeze it for later. Make borscht with beet water.
Size matters: tiny beets might be ready in 10 minutes where large ones might take up to 40. Keep checking whichever method you're using. Don't remove the beet skin before cooking. It's really not necessary and it's much easier to do so after cooking.
While it may seem like a good idea to have beets daily because of their benefits, you may need to exercise caution when eating them. Eating beets or drinking beet juice may lead to kidney stones, a potential food allergy, or stool or urine color changes.
Moreover, beets are low in calories with zero cholesterol and a small amount of fat. However, the root is high in sugar and carbohydrates, so while you can consume the greens on top of the root in unlimited quantities, you should only have the root a few times a week. Beets are best from early spring to late fall.
Directions. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Raw beets contain more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than cooked beets (yes, you can eat beets raw!). Like many vegetables, the longer you cook beets—especially in water—the more the colorful phytonutrients leach out of the food and into the water.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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