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Tip: How To Roast and Peel Beets

2008_12_08-peeling-beets.jpgA roasted beet is a great base for a salad especially this time of year when, for most of us in the northern hemisphere, there are few choices other than cellared root vegetables. It's a great skill to have under your belt.

Just this weekend I made a beautiful beet salad with a horseradish cream and some frizzled onions. That recipe is tomorrow. Today, here's how you roast and peel beets without much drama.

 
 

Roasted Beets
makes enough for a salad for 6

4 medium beets

Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375° F.

Rinse beets and trim off the leafy tops (reserve for a recipe using beet greens). Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and take off foil. Set aside to cool.

When cool enough to handle, slice off leaf end. Push skin off using thumbs. If skin doesn't easily strip away, the beets probably need more time in the oven. Try another 10 minutes.

When peeled, slice beets into desired sized pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper and/or a simple dressing. Beets are delicious on their own, or with nuts, citrus segments (blood orange would be lovely) and many soft cheeses.

More recipes using roasted beets:
Roasted Beets and Sautéed Greens with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese
Cabbage Beet Coleslaw (from Faith's wedding!)
Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Beet Salad with Barley, Feta and Red Onion

Tags

Tips & Techniques, Vegetable, Salad, Healthy, Vegetarian, Winter, Fall, Side Dish, Vegan, Ingredients - Vegetables, Easy, Make Ahead, Salads, beets

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Comments (8)

why leave the recipe for tomorrow? you've been talking about this salad for 3 days.

posted by carrefour_ny on December 8th 2008 at 1:46pm
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I don't know carrefour_ny messing with the bloggers is a bad idea, she might just hold off until the end of the week now just for fun.

posted by sally599 on December 8th 2008 at 2:42pm
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Here is a roasted beet salad video recipe to tide you over.

posted by Mrs Olkid on December 8th 2008 at 3:22pm
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Roasted beets are just amazing. I don't even bother to wrap them in foil - just coat with a little olive oil and pop'em in the oven.

I love to make a simple salad with them:

roasted beets, cubed
drizzle of olive oil & vinegar (or lemon juice)
salt and pepper
chopped chives
pinch of ground cloves

I also love them on a salad of greens with blue cheese.

posted by sourdough on December 8th 2008 at 3:26pm
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even easier and cleaner:
leave the foil on while they cool. when you're ready to use them (even days later), just press the tinfoil gently into the skin, and you'll peel the skin off without getting beet juice all over yourself.

i do it often - it's blissfully easy!

posted by fivealive1969 on December 8th 2008 at 6:08pm
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I peel the beets with a vegetable peeler before roasting them.

posted by jooly on December 9th 2008 at 10:25am
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How long can you store roasted beets after you've peeled them?

posted by HazeL4844 on December 12th 2008 at 11:34am
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i only peel off the areas that are marred. i've never read anywhere that the peel isn't edible--just like carrots, if you scrub well enough there is no need to remove!

posted by nicole u on January 15th 2009 at 1:57pm
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