Beets

[kimberly]

gc, how do you cook beets? I have never grown a beet in my life. None of my family has ever grown a beet. I do love me some pickled beets, though, that I buy at the grocery store that come in a glass jar. Funny how it is that beets are not customary in our area so I have never had an occasion to prepare them fresh. I do see them fresh in the produce section, periodically, and am willing to try my hand at them since I know they are so good for us.

Crazy too, that here in the south hardly anyone knows what an artichoke is much less how to eat one. Even heard someone comment, "Artichoke? Isn't that what them foreign cars do when they won't crank?"

Darn it!!!! I should have titled it Beets Me!

[waysider]

Beet greens make some mighty fine eatin'!

[kimberly]

I am a greens kind of girl!!! Turnip greens (minus the turnip, yuk) and collard greens are a winter staple for us. Bring on the pot likker, baby!!!

I am gonna research the beet thing and how to grow it in my area just because you attest to the greens, waysider. Never let it be said that I let a greens get past me.

[RumRunner]

I am a greens kind of girl!!! Turnip greens (minus the turnip, yuk)

You don't like turnips?!?!?!?! I feel badly for ya - My kids and I love them

[waysider]

[Twinky]

I found these recipes on the web:

Cooking and eating

Raw beetroot can be peeled and grated into salads to add a sweet flavour and great colour. You can also juice it with other vegetables such as carrots and celery.

To cook beetroot from raw: Don't peel or cut it, or the colour (and nutrients) will leach out. Gently scrub the beets to clean thoroughly, and twist off the green tops.

To roast: Small to medium beets can be roasted whole, or cut into quarters. Pre-boil for 15-20 minutes, drain and place in a roasting tin. Lightly coat with oil and seasoning and roast at 180C/360F/Gas 4 for 40-45 minutes (timing will vary depending on the size of the beets).

To boil: put beetroot in a pan of water, bring to the boil and heat for 40 - 45 minutes. Beetroot is naturally quite high in sodium so you don?t need to add salt.

To bake: preheat oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Put the whole beets into a baking dish, cover with foil and cook for 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the beets). Leave till cool enough to handle, and remove the skins - they should slip off easily.

I have only ever tried boiling, never heard that you could do any other things. Boiling takes a surprisingly long time, given the small size of the beetroots. If you cut the globe, it will bleed, so just twist off the top (leaves). You can cut the root off later, when it's all cooked. They are best cooked when small - more tender - if left to get too big, they are quite woody, not so nice to eat, and take faaaar too long to cook.

My great grandfather used to enjoy beetroot as a cooked vegetable and ate it regularly. However, it is not - at least nowadays - commonly served as a cooked (hot) vege, more as a salad item.

[ChasUFarley]

You gotta try Harvard Beets...

It's sorta a sweet-n-sour thing...

Here's the recipe and a photo: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Harvard-Beets/Detail.aspx

[leafytwiglet]

I love beets.. I have always boiled them.. I peel and chop first and get lots of red juice but I never tried to do them with the skin on.. and the roasting things sounds great.