What to do with beets?

Question

I love it when friends and neighbors share their garden's bounty, but today I got a huge bag of beets! I feel like an idiot, but I don't know what you do with beets, and I'm not even sure I like beets, or if my kids will eat them... share your knowledge, please!

Answer 1

I've had them cubed and roasted in the oven (very good) and also like them sliced and pickled in a vinegar/water/sugar liquid.

Answer 2

Roasted Beets with Feta --

"This colorful and elegant side dish is so easy to make. I love making this with beets and shallots straight from our local farmers' market. Green onions or chives may be substituted for the shallot if you prefer."

INGREDIENTS

4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached

1/4 cup minced shallot

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool until you can handle them. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

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Beet Bundt Cake --

"I found this recipe handwritten in my grandmother's well-worn cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter or margarine, softened, divided

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs

4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

2 cups pureed cooked beets

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

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Beet and Pear Puree --

"This is the perfect side dish to a holiday meal. It works well with roast turkey or pork. Can be made one day ahead, and preheated in double boiler."

INGREDIENTS

3 medium beets

5 ounces unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced Vidalia onions

1 1/2 Bosc pears - peeled, cored and minced

2 teaspoons white sugar

3 tablespoons cranberry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wash beets, and place in a roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, pears, sugar, and vinegar; cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and coarsely chop.

Puree onion mixture in a food processor with metal blade. Add salt and 1/2 of the beets; pulse 4 to 5 times. Add remaining beets, and pulse 2 to 3 times

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Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup --

"My friend's mother from the Ukraine taught me this recipe for the classic beet soup. It's as authentic as it gets. It can be served vegetarian style by omitting the sausage."

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

3/4 cup water

1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

1/2 cup sour cream, for topping

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.

Answer 3

Most pickled beets I find are much too vinegary, hiding rather than enhancing the naturally sweet flavor of the beets. I usually just boil beets and eat them unadorned, but my mother has a way of preparing pickled beets that is truly delicious, complementing the sweetness without overpowering it.

1 bunch (4 or 5) beets

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt and pepper

Remove greens from beets, save for future use (see beet greens recipe). Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not.

Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Use your fingers to slip the peels off of the beets. The peels should come off easily. Discard the peels. Slice the beets.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a half hour at room temperature.

Answer 4

SWEET AND SOUR BEETS  

1 can sliced beets

1 large sweet onion, sliced thinly

3 T cider vinegar

3 T sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1 whole clove (optional)

Peel and slice onion thinly. In small saucepan, combine sugar. vinegar, salt, clove, and celery seeds. Add onion and bring to a boil. Discard the clove. Remove pan from heat and stir in the can of sliced beets. May be served warm or chilled

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SUNSHINE BEETS  

3 cups diced or sliced cooked beets

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons butter

In a small saucepan, stir together cornstarch, sugar and salt until well mixed. Combine well with orange juice; cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens.

Add cooked beets and butter and cook for 2-3 minutes or until beets are hot and butter has melted.

Serve warm or chilled.

Serving suggestion: Saute beet tops with chopped pancetta in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Mound a serving portion on dish and top with Sunshine beets



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APPLE-BEETS SALAD  

3 apples (Granny Smith or others)

3 beets (about as many as apples)

1 tbsp. sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Peel and core apples and beets. Grate apples and beets. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir well. Kids love it!

Answer 5

Slice them and pickle them.. I love pickled beets!  Don't have a recipe for you...Sorry.

Answer 6

I dont like beets, but I saw this on the food network channel.

They baked them in tin foil, and added them to a nice garden salad. with chicken salad on top. then your dressing..It looked good..minus the beets for me.

Answer 7

Growing up, my parents would grow tons of beets in our garden.. We would pick them, peel them like you would a potato, then put them into some boiling water until they are a soft texture similar to carrots when cooked.  Then put a bit of butter on them and enjoy!!  

Answer 8

make juice.......blend with carrots and sweeten with sugar sevre chilled...enjoy!!!