We picked the last of our beets, for this season anyway. We have more growing for the fall. I don't remember the variety because they were seeds I bought 6 years ago and never expected to be viable anyway. A nice surprise that they really came in! This variety is striped and the colors range from pale to deep orange/pink. They're lovely. 🙂
Besides lacto-fermenting them, I love to just simply roast beets, which is what I demonstrate in this week's free video (above). Then I toss them in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper. And garlic, usually. Beets are a great addition to any salad, either as wedges or diced up finely. Or they can be the salad if you toss them with thinly sliced onions, goat cheese and mint. Or many other salads as well. I often put a few wedges of chilled beets next to fish, chicken or a sandwich.
How To Roast Beets
Cut off greens. (Feed to animals, braise or otherwise make use of them.) Scrub beets pretty well. Put on a baking tray or roaster. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until tender. Remove from heat. Let cool until touchable. Rub off the skin. Cut into wedges, either quarters or eighths, depending on beet size. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve gently warm or chill.
In the video above, I put the beets in my portable roaster oven and plugged it in outside — so it didn't heat up the house. 🙂
How do you like to eat beets?
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Hi! I’ve always boiled my beets, but I definitely want to cook them this way next time! We absolutely love beets and they are so good for you. I even have the same counter top roaster as you (hehe) so now I will ask your dad to go out to buy some beets for us. Thanks Wardee! Great video, beautiful flowers and great (and beautiful!) teacher,! Love you, Mom
Love you, too, Mom. 🙂
I am going out right now to try “roasting” the beets that came in my food co-op bin this week. I’ll do it in my stainless steel Dutch oven out in the yard. (It’s going to be over 100 degrees today; think they’ll cook fine if I leave them in all day.)
Timely video. Thanks Wardee. I got beets in my CSA share. I don’t have a roaster, but I bet my toaster oven would work.
I love beets, though they are relatively new to my palate. I’ve only sauteed them thus far. Would love to try roasting them. So jealous you have a portable oven!
By the way, this is my first time to your blog–I love the name of it!
Hi, Lisa! I’m glad you stopped by!
How timely! I just popped several pounds of beets in my crockpot yesterday to cook for LF beets. My kids LOVE them. The greens were good last night sauteed in butter served with tomatoes dribbled with LF mayo and tuna burgers. Thank you for always somehow being spot on with what’s going on in our kitchen! Your efforts are such a blessing to our home- always know that Wardee!
😉
Kirsten, when you cooked beets in crockpot did you add any broth or water or prop beets on anything? On high or low for how long? Thanks for sharing
There’s this thing floating in my head that to steam is always best (retains nutrients) so I tend to steam everything! I just cut off the greens, scrum ’em a little, and throw them in a pot w/ a steamer basket (and water, of course). After 20-30 min on med-high, I turn the heat off and take the lid off. I let them cool and rub the skin off w/ a washcloth under running lukewarm water. Season with a little butter and salt. Delicious and gives me energy! I will try your way, Wardee! Thank you!
Wardee, I love your wesite and now have shared it with friends. I am on my third ‘fresh’ batch of beet kvass, and I am loving it. I have also used your recipe for roasting beets. I planted beets in my garden this year, but most of my beets are the size of radishes. Here in Central Oregon we had a late planting start. I’m wondering what to do with all my small size beets. My husband loves the traditional pickled beet recipes.Do you have a recipe for pickled beetsthat you would share? I’m wondering if I should try fermenting my beets using your recipe for fermented radishes? Fred Meyers here has organic beets on sale here for two bunches for $3.00. I just bought some to make my beet kvass because my own beets are so small.
Hi Wardee,
My first time here, Wonderful !!!
So Happy I found You, Thank You
for Amazing Inspiration
Gail
Wardee you can also cook the beets whole in a crockpot the same way as the oven. They are yummy.