How do you cook beets?
 

I scrub the whole beet. Wash the leaves. Cut off the root and the stem/leaf part. Put about 1 1/2 in. filtered water in a pot. Cut beet in slices. Cut leaves and stems. I do not take the skin off. It has good vitamins. Put it all in the pot,cover with a snug fitting lid, bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat to low boil and simmer till slices are firm but eassy to pierce with a fork. I then add mild vinegar with corn starch disolved in it, bring back to a boil when stirring till beets are glazed. (Harvard beets)If desired a pinch of seal salt.

My mother was thaught in europe and she would discard the leaves, boil the whole beet and then peel them. She would then slice them on the slicer part of a grater. Then back in the pan to add the vinegar/ cornstarch.

We like the left overs just cold as a little side salad or by the regular salad.

How much vinegar and cornstarch do you use? I love beets and would like to try your recipe.....Thanks!:)

I roast mine in the oven. I wash them, coat with olive oil amd wrap all together in tin foil.. 350 until done... Depends on the size of beets. When done, I put on some plastic gloves to keep from having beet hands and rub the beet skin right off the beets. comes off easy. Cut & season. All that lovely beet taste stays in the beets not in the water and down the drain. This is the only way we eat beets. Tastes great!

I just cut them in half and put them into my pressure cooker 10 minutes for medium size and 15 for large. Perfect every time :) The skin falls right off.

I cook very large quantities (5 very large beets for 10 people) and only use 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 TBS of corn starch. I also use some of the water the beets were boiled in. You can also use some of the juice from your dill pickle jar. I used to but now am allergic to spices.

I do the same as your Mother did ... boil them and then slip the skins.
They're delicious as mixed roasted veggies ... pre-cook and add to the mix.

A more recent beet dish are the raw shredded beets in salads. I've had it and quite enjoyed, but sorry, no recipe.

I scrub, cut in half, olive oil and sea salt, wrap in foil and bake about 45 mins. in 375 oven. Yummy when they are done

I wash it off and cut off the root and wrap in foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350, the peel falls off and you have all the flavor. I also use the stems in soups and stews!

I scrub and roast them!

I boil mine with skin on, sometimes if I remember will do it the night before, when cool skin comes off easily.
I will slice them, add hard boiled egg and bit of blue cheese dressing, that can be my lunch......
or cooked as above, saute one sliced red onion till soft, then add some dijon mustard, bit of vinegar, bit of honey and make dressing right in a pan, add toasted sunflower seeds or pine nuts....
beet tops when fresh

Our quilt retreat place does a wonderful avocado & beet salad..mmmmm...just did a quick search & it seems there are lots of recipes for it. I LOVE a steamed beet & butter with salt & pepper..... DH is not fond of the fact that it makes a "messy looking" plate....

OKAY... I'm outta here..... look at this yummy recipe! http://www.warningsugarygoodness.com...for-you-pasta/

I am also in the roasting category. But I peel before roasting and I open roast them, I do not wrap in foil because when you wrap in foil you aren't roasting them you are steaming them. Roasted makes the best beets ever.

I also make my own pickled beets and home can them. I like them on salads.

Greens I steam or boil. If they are baby beet greens, raw in the salad. I love beet greens almost as much as the beet.

Ditto roasting is the easiest but I also boil with the skin on and then remove the skin. If you can grow a garden cylinder beets are great as the grow like carrots and are the easiest for pickled beets.

My father used to grow them when I was a child and most of my family would eat them cooked (pickled), I always liked them fresh. That's right, I don't cook them at all; just wash and eat. I can imagine they would make a great addition to a fresh salad either sliced or shredded.

I haven't had beets in ages and your baking ideas make me want to try that method. My mom used to boil them when we were kids. If I remember correctly, we used to clean the tops and cook them like spinach.

All these recipes make me miss my mom! She always grew beets in her garden, and I love fresh beet greens. The ones from the market are never fresh enough! I love the beets, too. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

This reminded me of the years and years I used beet for red coloring in cookies, candy, etc. because my son was diagnosed hyper and his worst trigger was food coloring, esp. red. When I needed the coloring, I'd peel my beets and cook them for dinner saving the liquid. Otherwise I cooked them whole -- much easier. Hadn't thought of baking -- thanks, all, for the tip!

Cooking beets
 

Wash and brush the beets cutting off the ends. Boil them in water until a knife is inserted into a soft beet. After cooked, immediately put the pot in the sink and fill with cold water until you can take the beets out with your hand. Grab the beet and remove the peeling with your hand. This is the easiest way and healthiest way to cook beets. Slice your beets and put in a dish with slice boiled eggs and a diced red onion. Serve and let everyone put salt and pepper on their own. My husband eats his with balsamic vinegar on them.

This is the best way to do beets. Love them this way.

We raise beets in our garden. Just pull them, cut off the tops, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of the stems. Wash good, put in a kettle of water and boil until fork tender. Pour off the water, and replace with cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel. I like them sliced and reheated with butter. Also, I like Harvard Beets. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, and 2 tablespoons margarine. Bring to a boil and cook until thick. Stir in beets and let stand until sauce is red. I also can pickled beets. Combine equal parts vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add a hand full of whole cloves. Put beets in boiling liquid and bring to boil again. Place beets into hot sterilized jars, cover with liquid and add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint. Seal with 2-piece lids. Place in boiling water bath and process for 10 minutes to assure seal.

This is the way we always did them. Harvard beets are one of my favorite dishes. Also love pickled beets.

I scrub the beets and leave whole, cut the tops off leaving about 1 1/2" of stem,put the round rack in the pressure cooker add 1 1/2 cups of water, cook for 15-20 minutes depending on size. Then peel and slice when they are finished cooking. I cook the beet greens like spinach, yummy!
If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can steam your beets in steamer pan for about 20 minutes or until tender.

I did not know the greens were edible... Grew them for the first time in our garden last year and this year will use all of the plant! I make beet soup...first boil with about 2" of stem still attached until med soft....cool &skin as others have said, then I dice, put back into pot of water....and cook on until tender...the water will turn red,add some sugar and then some sour cream, soup will turn pink. I make homemade drop noodles for it and then I enjoy....makes me think I am at my grandmother's house....oh, so long ago........she came from Poland and this is very much peasant food,yummy....

Cut the tops off and lay them aside for another dish. Wash them well. Cut the root area off too. DO NOT PEEL them. Split them in half from top to bottom. NO Foil needed, that steams them.
Place them cut side down on an oiled baking sheet and just like a potato, roast them at 375 degrees untill fork tender.

Let them cool a bit and the skin slips right off. Sometimes they are so tender you can even eat the skin.

Roasting them lets the natural sugar carmelize and this wonderful veggie is perfect with just a little butter S&P.

They are great in salads or pickled. Love them!

Please try this method. Love your beets and treat them right. Boiling them just destroys their goodness, you might think they taste great but after you try them roasted you will wonder why you never thought of it before. Yummy in the tummy!

Roasted beets are the yummiest! Trim, peel or not, cut up, toss with a little olive oil, dump on a baking sheet and roast in oven (350° is good, or whatever you're using for another item) until just tender (maybe 30-60 minutes, depending on size and temp). They dehydrate slightly, and caramelize a bit, intensifying their sweetness. Can do other veggies--potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, asparagus, cauliflower--the same way and even at the same time; just don't mix the beets together with them or all the veggies will be spotted red! Unless you're using yellow beets, of course, then go ahead and mix together.

Now I'm off to add fresh beets to my grocery list. ;)yum

Our stores usually sell 3 in a bunch. (for $3.98) If they are the size of a tennis ball, they will be done boiling in about 45 minutes. Smaller take less time and larger take more. I leave about 1/2 inch of root and 1/2 inch of stem on top to keep them intact. When soft (prick with fork) to test for doneness. (Friends that see them cooking say "I hate beets." I get them to try a bite size piece and they become beet lovers.) When they are cool to touch, I hold them under cold running water and slide the skin off. I don't waste a LOT of time scrubbing them because I throw the water away. I eat one immediately like an apple. If the greens are healthy looking, I wash the stems and leaves and cut into bite-size pieces for a vegetable or to make Borsch. If not, I just eat them. If stems/greeens good, I might make my Ukranian Grandmother's Recipe for Borscht. When the soup was finished and delicious, she added a whiskey shot glass of vinegar to bring out the color. When the red soup was served one added one's own sour cream, turning it pink. When I make it, I make a big batch and freeze individual containers for ongoing good health.

Ater making Harvard beets, (several good recipes on this thread), I add a small can of mandarin oranges. mmmm.

whenever I try roasted beets, they seem to turn out stringy, dry, and tough. What am I doing wrong? Roasted beets sound so good, but not the way I do them...

sounds weird, but yummy: I heat my pickled beets to eat as a veggie dish, often dice a pickled beet to add to a green salad.