Love them or hate them, beets are a very popular vegetable across the pond in England. This how to boil beets recipe is the perfect starting point to get you eating more of this colorful vegetable.
If you love sauteed vegetables, try our sauteed beet greens and our sauteed kale with mushrooms.
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Ingredients
The ingredients for our recipe on how to boil beets are easy to find at your grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Beets: We used fresh beets for this photo shoot. We cut the tops off and kept them to make sauteed beet greens.
- Acid: We used red wine vinegar, but you could substitute with apple cider vinegar.
- Seasoning: We used kosher salt.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
- Start by scrubbing and rinsing the dirt off each vegetable. Trim off the beet greens and leave on a 2-inch stem. (Keep the leaves and stems for another use.) Submerge the whole, unpeeled beets into a Dutch oven filled with water.
- Add the red wine vinegar and carefully mix. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the kosher salt.
3. Keep the pot covered and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until fork tender, roughly 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Larger ones can take up to 60 minutes.
Pierce with a fork to check if they are cooked. If the fork easily inserts into the beet, they're done. Remove them from the pot with a fork or a slotted spoon, and place on a large plate.
4. When they're cool enough to handle, cut off the stems and roots. Rub the skins off with a dry paper towel, or rub them under cold running water.
Rinse off any small amounts of remaining beet peel under cold water. Now you're ready to use them in your recipe of choice.
5. Store them whole in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
6. Slice or chop the beets as desired, then enjoy! Feel free to quarter, cube, or puree once cooked.
Recipe FAQs
Balsamic Glaze: Use balsamic vinegar, sweetener of choice, butter, salt and pepper.
Compound Butter: Use fresh dill, mint or tarragon, salt and pepper with unsalted butter.
Reduction Sauce: Use red wine vinegar and butter along with beet juice.
Burst of Acidity: Toss with freshly squeezed lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
Caramelized Nuts: Use caramelized or candied pecans to jazz them up in a mixed green salad.
You might think you need to, but it is much easier if you don't. Once they are cooked, the peel comes off easily with a gentle rub.
You add salt enough salt to flavor them just like you do when you cook pasta or potatoes. But when beets you can also add vinegar. We like to use red wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is a good substitute.
If you have beets that are large in diameter, it can take up to 60 minutes. If they are medium in size, 30 to 45 minutes is normal. If they are small, 20 minutes should do it.
Serve
Try these beets with other side dishes like collard greens, black eyed peas, stewed okra and tomatoes, and green beans and potatoes.
Store
Leftovers: Cooked beets are good for 3 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container and placed in the fridge.
Freeze: If you need longer storage, freeze the cooled beats in a zip top freezer bag. Just remember that the beet juices may stain a plastic container, so if you have glass use it.
Expert Tips
- Keep at least 1 inch of the stem and the root intact before boiling them whole. This will keep the beet from bleeding too much into the water.
- Don't use wooden cutting boards, as the beet juice will stain it. Use a plastic cutting board with paper towel or wax paper on top.
- If your hands get stained with beet juice, use fresh lemon juice to help get rid of any stubborn stains.
- Don't throw out the beet greens or stems. Sauté them or use them in salads or soups.
- Don't throw out the beet water. Re-purpose it in soups, rice, smoothies, pickled eggs, dye icing, or faux grape jelly.
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Recipe
How to Boil Beets
Ingredients
- 9 medium fresh beets
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
How to Boil Beets
- Remove the tops from the beets, but leave a two inch stem. This will help the pigment from leaching into the water.
- Wash and dry the beet roots.
- Add the vinegar and the beets to a large pot of water, then cover and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until fork tender, roughly 30 to 45 minutes.
- Use a fork or slotted spoon to remove them, then let them cool. Cut off the root and stem and discard.
- Optional: Keep the beet water. Read the post for ideas on how to use it.
- Peel by using a piece of paper towel to wipe the skin off or peel under running water.
- Keep whole, quarter, slice, cube or puree depending on your recipe.
Dress up Boiled Beets With...
- Herb butter (try fresh dill, mint or tarragon)
- Balsamic glaze
- Beet juice reduction sauce
- Chopped caramelized or candied pecans on a salad of mixed greens
Notes
- Want to keep the beet from bleeding too much into the water? Keep at least 1 inch of the stem and the root intact before boiling them whole.
- Use a plastic cutting board with paper towel or wax paper on top, so it doesn't get stained.
- If your hands get stained with beet juice, use fresh lemon juice to help get rid of any stubborn stains.
- Sauté the beet greens and stems or use them in salads or soups.
- Save the beet juice and use it in soups, rice, smoothies, pickled eggs, dye icing, or faux grape jelly.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Julie
Easy
Emma
I'm glad that you found this recipe easy, Julie!
Beth
These look really good! I don't usually eat beets, but I am sure they taste a lot better than the ones I've tried in the past.
Emma
Thank you, Beth! I hope you enjoy them.