How to Prepare Red Beets & Red Beet Tops

Prepare red beets and beet tops raw or cooked in numerous ways.

Eating red beets can help fight anemia and heart disease and adds essential antioxidants, as well as potassium, calcium, vitamins A and C, iron and fiber. Beets are a low-calorie food at 50 calories per cup. You can also eat red beet tops raw or cooked, which provides you with 19 calories per 1/2 cup. Preparing and eating red beets and tops not only keeps you healthy, but adds color to your dishes.

Things You'll Need

• Cold water
• Pot with lid
• Fork
• Kitchen gloves
• Olive oil
• Roasting pan
• Knife
• Scissors (optional)
• Microwave oven
• Microwave dish
• Plastic storage bags
• Bowl
• Garlic
• Salt (optional)
• Pepper (optional)
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

Stove Top Method

1. Wash the beets in cold water without peeling them. Leave the roots intact.

2. Cover 2 lbs. of beets with water in a pot.

3. Boil the beets until tender, about 20 to 45 minutes.

4. Pierce the beets with a fork -- they should be tender all the way through.

5. Cool the cooked beets by running them under cold water. Put on your kitchen gloves and then peel off the beet skins.

Oven Method

1. Wash the beets in cold water without peeling them and leave the roots intact.

2. Rub medium-sized red beets with olive oil and place the beets in a roasting pan in one layer.

3. Place the beets into the oven and roast them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until tender -- about 45 minutes.

4. Cut the root and stem off using a knife or scissors after the beets have cooled and remove the skins.

Microwave Method

1. Wash the beets in cold water without peeling them and leave the roots intact.

2. Place six medium-sized red beets in a microwave dish with 1/2 cup of water.

3. Microwave the beets on the "High" setting for 7 minutes.

4. Move the beets from the outside of the dish to the dish's center, cover the dish and microwave once again at the "High" setting for 7 minutes.

5. Let the beets stand for 5 minutes after cooking.

6. Cool the cooked beets by running them under cold water. Put on your kitchen gloves and peel off the beet skins.

Beet Tops

1. Trim the leaves from the red beet tops 2 inches from the beet with a knife or scissors and store them in plastic storage bags for up to two weeks in a cool location or use them within two days. Store beet tops for up to four months in temperatures of 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 to 95 degrees humidity.

2. Rinse beet tops thoroughly in a bowl of cool water. Be sure to remove all of the sand.

3. Eat the beet tops raw in your salads as you would other salad greens. Eat both the leaves and stalks.

4. Microwave the beet tops on the "High" setting for 7 to 10 minutes and serve them as a side dish.

5. Saute beet tops in olive oil with garlic. Season the beet tops with salt and pepper, if desired, and then add lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose small, firm and smooth dark-red beets with bright green, healthy leaves when purchasing them for a tender, sweeter vegetable.

• Freeze cooked beets up to a year either sliced, cubed or whole small beets. You cannot successfully freeze raw beets.

• Wear kitchen gloves when preparing red beets to prevent your skin from staining.

• Rub your hands with lemon juice and moistened salt to remove the beet juice if you prepare your beets without gloves.

• Avoid purchasing elongated beets with scales around the top or large beets with hairy roots -- these will have a strong flavor and will be tough to eat.

References

• The Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Selecting, Storing and Serving Ohio Beets
• Penn State Cooperative Extension Berks County: "The Beet Goes On"...Root Vegetable for Any Meal
• Hopkins Sustainability; The Glory of Greens Cooking/Preparation Tips for Greens; Allegra Hamman
• The University of Maine Cooperative Extention Publications; Beets and Beet Greens; Kathleen Savoie, et al.; 2009

Resources

• Simply Recipes; Beet Greens; Elise; March 2004