Kitchen

[house cat]

The only beets I ever had were canned ones my mom made when I was a kid. I never liked them, but thought I might try fresh ones if I can find a good recipe.

If anyone has one, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you.

[terrier3]

Wash them, cut off the beet tops (sauté them separately), wrap them in foil and bake for 45 minutes or so, until they are tender.

Wait until they cool before peeling. At that point you can do LOTS of things with them - sweet & sour (balsamic vinegar & sugar), buttered, drizzle with olive oil and a little chopped mint or parsley, a la orange...LOTS of things.

I think baking preserves their flavor and it is a lot less messy than boiling or steaming.

[RedTop]

house cat,

As a beet lover my whole life, I can tell you that unless you like beets period, the preparation method isn't going to make a difference. terrior 3's suggestion to bake the beets is indeed the least messy way to prepare fresh beets.

I personally prefer simmering the beets on the stovetop; roots and about 1 inch of the tops intact, then slipping the skins off after cooling. I prefer my beets sliced and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper, or pickled, or prepared as Harvard beets. My husband and I actually loved Harvard beets, which I prepare with canned sliced beets. I put 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan with 1 cup beet liquid and stir until thick. Add beets and heat through.

[terrier3]

On 4/26/2014 RedTop said:

house cat,

As a beet lover my whole life, I can tell you that unless you like beets period, the preparation method isn't going to make a difference. terrior 3's suggestion to bake the beets is indeed the least messy way to prepare fresh beets.

I personally prefer simmering the beets on the stovetop; roots and about 1 inch of the tops intact, then slipping the skins off after cooling. I prefer my beets sliced and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper, or pickled, or prepared as Harvard beets. My husband and I actually loved Harvard beets, which I prepare with canned sliced beets. I put 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan with 1 cup beet liquid and stir until thick. Add beets and heat through.

My favorite part of the beet is the greens on top.

I fry up a few slices of bacon, pour off most of the fat, then sauté the greens. I usually add some vinegar and a little sugar (the German sweet/sour thing!)

[gardensla]

I like them raw as a salad. Grated with a light dressing, maybe a carrot grated too. Super healthy. Lots of recipes on line for raw beet dishes.

[ahoymate]

Clean, don't need to peel them & slice into ~ 1/4" slices (not too thin, not too thick). Put them in a bowl with 1 T. olive oil, S&P. Stir them up and place them on a parchment lined sheet pan & roast in 450 over for ~20 to 25 minutes! Yummy!!!!!

[ahoymate]

On 4/26/2014 terrier3 said:

Wash them, cut off the beet tops (sauté them separately), wrap them in foil and bake for 45 minutes or so, until they are tender.

Wait until they cool before peeling. At that point you can do LOTS of things with them - sweet & sour (balsamic vinegar & sugar), buttered, drizzle with olive oil and a little chopped mint or parsley, a la orange...LOTS of things.

I think baking preserves their flavor and it is a lot less messy than boiling or steaming.

I haven't found that to be true. Baking in foil only steams them. No flavor advantage over boiling. Now, roasting them is a different story. Try it sometime.

[house cat]

What a bunch of delightful recipes! Thank you all!

I think I'm first going to try roasting them, and the salad sounds easy, too!

[terrier3]

On 4/26/2014 Skylands said:

On 4/26/2014 terrier3 said:

Wash them, cut off the beet tops (sauté them separately), wrap them in foil and bake for 45 minutes or so, until they are tender.

Wait until they cool before peeling. At that point you can do LOTS of things with them - sweet & sour (balsamic vinegar & sugar), buttered, drizzle with olive oil and a little chopped mint or parsley, a la orange...LOTS of things.

I think baking preserves their flavor and it is a lot less messy than boiling or steaming.

I haven't found that to be true. Baking in foil only steams them. No flavor advantage over boiling. Now, roasting them is a different story. Try it sometime.

Thanks for the tip!

[terrier3]

Also, I don't think this is the season yet for fresh beets. If you didn't like them in the past, I would wait and try them when they are at their peak of freshness.

Does anyone know when they are best at the farmers markets?