When cooked properly, beets have a rich, earthy flavor and are great for a variety of recipes.One of the best ways to prepare beets is to cook it in boiling water, which will make it softer and give it more juice.Just throw your beets in a deep pot, cover them with water, add a splash of vinaigrette or lemon juice, and cook them for about 30 minutes.
Step 1: To make sure they cook evenly, choose beets that are roughly the same in size.
Pick out a few beets that will fit in the dish you're making.Bigger beets take longer to cook than smaller ones.It will be harder to achieve a consistent texture if you use different-sized specimen.The size of the beets can be boiled.Medium-sized beets offer the best balance between heartiness and cook time.If you want to get beets, make sure to pass them up with dry, wrinkly-looking skin.They are usually signs that they are past their prime.
Step 2: The leafy stalks on your beets should be removed.
If you want to cut off the greens from the upper end of the plant, lay your beets out on a cutting board one at a time.The stalks should be left intact to avoid cutting into the beetroot.If you want to get your knife all the way through, you'll need to apply a bit of pressure.Be sure to keep an eye on your fingers.You can save your greens and use them in other dishes.Like other greens, beets can be prepared.
Step 3: The roots of the beets are protruded.
The feeler root on the lower portion of the vegetable should be turned around once you've removed the stalks.Make your cut so that you don't waste any of the juicy meat.If your beets came pre- trimmed, you can skip this step.It isn't very good on its own due to its tough, stringy texture.It could be used in a homemade vegetable stock.
Step 4: To clean your beets, use a vegetable brush.
Run the head of the brush lightly over the beets.There are spots that are caked with dirt.Place the clean beets in a bowl, or put them on a layer of folded paper towels or another sanitary surface.Don't scrub your beets too hard.Some of the skin's color, flavor, and nutrition could end up in the boiling water.It is important to make sure that the beets are nice and clean before cooking with them.
Step 5: You should rinse your beets with clean water.
Use the pads of your fingers to loosen any dirt after running the beets under the water.Place your beets in a wire strainer so that you can rinse them all at once when working with large batches.If you're a stickler for hygiene, you can soak your beets in a bowl full of water for around 5 minutes.Adding 4 cup of lemon juice or acetic acid will killbacteria.
Step 6: The beets should be placed at the bottom of the pot or saucepan.
A saucepan of 1.5–2 quarts should be large enough to cook a few individual portions.To make sure there's enough room for all of the beets you're preparing, you need to upsize to a medium-sized pot, stockpot, or Dutch oven.Whatever piece of cookware you use should be large enough to hold all of the beets you plan on boiling.The heat of your boiling water will better circulate between your beets if you spread them out a bit.
Step 7: The pot should be filled with enough water to cover the beets.
It is not necessary to measure out a precise amount of liquid.Just turn on the faucet and let the water run into your pot until it reaches the top of your beets.Do not overfill your pot.It will take a long time for the water to heat up.To maintain the optimal cooking temperature, you will burn a lot of unnecessary energy.
Step 8: If you want to prevent bleeding, add a couple of ounces of lemon juice or a dash of vinegar.
Use a measuring cup or spoon to portion out your acid, then dump it into the pot with your boiling water.As the beets cook, it will help lock in the juices.They will come out perfectly soft, tender, and delicious.For every extra gallon of water in your pot, you should double the amount of acid you add.
Step 9: The water in your pot should be boiled.
Put the pot on one of the eyes of your stove and turn it on to high or medium heat.The water should heat up until it reaches a rolling boil.Depending on the volume of your pot, this should take around 10 minutes.Putting a lid on the pot will help the water boil faster by preventing excess heat from escaping.
Step 10: The beets should be cooked for at least 30 minutes.
The temperature should be turned to low-medium heat as soon as the water starts boiling.Allow the beets to cook for around half an hour, or until they reach the desired doneness.Give your beets a stir to keep the heat in your pot.The whole time the pot is on the stove, leave the lid on it.The cook time will increase if the temperature of the water drops.It may take more than an hour to cook large beets that have been in cold storage.
Step 11: If your beets are done, use a knife to check them.
Remove the lid from the pot, reach in carefully, and jab one of the boiled beets with the tip of your knife.It is time for them to come off the stove if it pierces easily.Leave them on the stove for another 15 minutes to make them easier to handle.If you want to avoid burning your hand, choose a knife with a long blade.If there is a lot of steam escaping from the pot, it may be a good idea to slip on an oven mitt.
Step 12: Place ice water in a large bowl.
Add some ice cubes to the bowl by running cold water into it.Next to your stove, place the bowl on the countertop.You can use it as an ice bath to quickly cool the boiled beets.If you're working with a large amount of beets or don't have a suitable container, you could fill up the sink with your serving or mixing bowl.
Step 13: The beets should be transferred to the ice bath using a spoon or tongs.
Remove the pot from the hot eye once your beets are fully cooked.Put the beets in the bowl of ice water after you scoop them out of the cooking liquid.You can either dump the entire contents of the pot into a strainer or transfer the drained beets to the ice bath.If you want to not go to the trouble of chilling your beets, you can simply empty the boiling pot and rise them with cold water.
Step 14: The beets can be cooled in the ice bath.
If you want to kill the residual heat on your freshly-boiled beets, plunge them into ice water.The connection between the skin and the meat will be loosened by the change in temperature.Depending on how much you cooked, you may need to chill your beets in batches.You should refill your bowl with fresh water and ice.
Step 15: The skin of your beets should be removed by hand.
The tough skin will allow you to pull it away in large sections at this point.To remove stubborn clinging spots, use the pad of your thumb or thumbnail.It might be a good idea to pull on a pair of latex gloves before you begin peeling your beets to make sure that the juice doesn't stain your fingers.The skins should be discarded immediately to avoid staining your clothes, countertops, floors, or other surrounding surfaces.