Cooked Beets
Beets stain. My stepchildren’s grandmother used to apply a touch of beet juice to her cheeks, or so the story goes. Be aware that your cutting boards and dish towels may turn red. But don’t let that stop you from eating beets. There is a reason that more sugar is processed from beets than sugar cane.
You can boil beets or roast them, but every recipe I have seen for roasting beets involves covering them in a pan, which steams as much as it bakes. I’ve given up and simply simmer them until a skewer pierces them easily. After they cool, the skins slip off and they can be sliced or diced and added to salads, perhaps with some fresh goat cheese and toasted walnuts.
Cut the tops off the beets, leaving about an inch of stem still attached to the beet. Leave the root on the other end intact. Wash the beets thoroughly and place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until a skewer or toothpick meets just a touch of resistance when inserted. Small beets take about 20 minutes and larger ones can take 40 minutes or more. Remove the beets to a plate as they are done.
Peel them by slipping the skins off under running water. Cut off the ends. I usually cut them with a paring knife on a plate, which doesn’t stain. I have found that cutting thick slices into small chunks is easier than trying for perfect thin slices.
We like a salad made from spinach, toasted walnuts or pecans, beets, rings of red onion and goat or feta cheese. I sometimes sprinkle the juice of half an orange on the beets and let them sit for a half hour. Or, you can heat them with some butter or orange juice or use a lemon juice and sugar combination for Harvard Beets.