Oven Roasted Beets
Beets and beetroot are interchangeable terms, one and the same, depending on where you are on the globe. They’re also very good for you, as a source of fiber, folate, potassium, iron and vitamin C. There are so many foods you can make with beets, a versatile root vegetable. Their color is so lovely so they will dress up any meal. Along with sugarcane and honey, beets were one of the very first sources for dietary sugars. Most any cook will agree the best way to cook beets is by baking/roasting them but need a hot oven and they take time. For this reason, what I frequently do is put them in the oven when I am cooking another meal, saving time and energy. They will stay good refrigerated for about a week. The oven is supposed to be about 400 degrees but that is not a magic number. If you are cooking something such as a casserole at 350-375, throw them in with it! it may just take them a little longer to bake/roast, but they will cook up fine.
Instructions
- Remove the top beet greens*
- Scrub the beets clean. You do not need to dry them.
- If you want, you can lightly rub them with a olive or vegetable oil.
- Wrap with aluminum foil and then bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) for 40-60 minutes depending on their size. Like a baked potato, you can tell they are done by piercing with a knife without meeting resistance.
- Take out and let cool. When they can be handled, use a paper towel to rub the skin away.
- Make sure you cut off the hard root and stem ends and any remaining calloused areas before chopping for your recipe.
Notes
*Save the beet greens. They are nutritious and good to eat too! Just clean them well, remove the large fat stems as they can be bitter, and sauté in some garlic and a small amt of butter/ oil till they are wilted.