How to properly boil beets

In most cases, cooks treat boiling vegetables rather frivolously, not studying the basics of this practice. And that's a pity! Knowing the nuances and tricks of cooking vegetables, one can expect to receive not only a tasty but also a healthy dish. Special attention should be paid to the time of thermal exposure to vegetables, as in overcooked products, the amount of vitamins and minerals significantly decreases.

To learn how to boil beets does not require much time. The most important thing in this process is to select quality produce, preparation, and directly boiling. By carefully familiarizing yourself with the article, you will be able to find answers to your questions of interest.

How to properly choose beets

Quality roots that can be deliciously boiled should be of saturated color, without visible damage, dark spots, and signs of rot on the skin.
You need to touch the beet to check its freshness. If it is firm, then it is suitable for boiling. Limp roots spring back when pressed.
Prefer washed vegetables whenever possible; all damages are visible on them, making it easy to assess their condition.
Medium-sized beets have a pleasant taste, and they contain the most sugars. Too large roots are practically tasteless, and they take a long time to boil, which is an unreasonable expenditure of time.

How to prepare beets for boiling

To make boiled beets tasty, they must be prepared in advance for cooking. This process includes the following steps:

Selecting good specimens. Choose only firm roots from a large quantity; the most delicious dishes come from them. The leaves should be dark green - this is a sign that the beets are fresh.
Trimming the leaves. Use a sharp knife to trim the foliage, but do not remove it completely. If you cut the leaves right at the level of the root, the skin will be damaged, resulting in all the juice going into the water during cooking.
Cleaning the beets from soil residues. Rinse the roots well under running water using a soft vegetable brush. If the soil is heavily dried, soak the roots in water for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Useful to know. Beets are peeled only if they will be used for soups. For vinaigrette and salads, roots are boiled with the skin on, and it is removed just before cooking.

How long to boil beets

The boiling time for beets depends on their size. Large roots will take up to 2 hours, medium ones boil for about 1 hour, while small vegetables are ready to eat 30-40 minutes after the water starts boiling in the pot.

In a multicooker, beets are boiled in the "Steam" mode for about 40-50 minutes. In a microwave, vegetables cook from 8 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the roots.

How to boil beets for vinaigrette in a pot

The well-known dish called "Vinaigrette" cannot be imagined without bright red beets. They are mixed with the other ingredients in boiled form. Therefore, every hostess, starting to prepare a "vinaigrette," must learn to boil tasty beets so that the vegetables remain bright red inside and do not lose their taste qualities during thermal processing. A step-by-step recipe will help you understand all the nuances of this process.

Cooking process:

Decide how many roots you will need for the vinaigrette. Do not boil extra vegetables; they only last a couple of days in the refrigerator. Choose beets of approximately the same diameter.
Wash the beets in water. Remove strong dirt using a dish sponge. Trim the leaves and remove damaged areas.
Place the beets in a suitable pot with a lid and pour boiling water over them so that the liquid is 2-3 cm above the vegetables. Cover the pot tightly, and then place it on the turned-on hotplate.
From the moment the liquid comes to a boil until the product is ready, it should take 40 to 60 minutes. Reduce the stove power to the minimum so that the water in the pot gently bubbles and does not spill over with the lid fully closed.
After 40 minutes from the boiling point, check the product for readiness - if a knife passes freely to the middle of the beet, then the vegetables are fully cooked.
Turn off the burner. Slightly open the lid and, holding it tightly with oven mitts, drain the hot liquid. Cool the boiled vegetables at room temperature.
Peel the cooled beet before using it in the vinaigrette with a small knife.

Useful to know. Sometimes there can be difficulties with peeling root vegetables. To make the beet easy to peel, you can use a little trick - immediately after boiling, while the vegetables are hot, pour ice water over them. The cooled root vegetables will be easy to clean.

How to boil beets in a multicooker

beetroot

Show ingredients

Modern kitchen technology significantly simplifies the lives of modern people, so knowing how to use a multicooker, you can effortlessly boil beets until ready. To ensure that the product turns out tasty, it is necessary to know some secrets and nuances. We hope that after reading the detailed recipe, you will have no questions regarding boiling beets in a multicooker.

The process of preparing beets in a multicooker:

Before placing the beets in the dish, wash them thoroughly in water, if necessary, with a brush. Soak heavily soiled root vegetables in water beforehand.
Partially trim the tail if it is very long. Be sure to cut off the leaves and damaged areas (the skin with dark spots and signs of rot).
Place the beets in the bowl of the multicooker. You can layer the vegetables if the root vegetables are small. Pour enough water so that its level is 3 cm above the tops of the vegetables.
Tightly seal the lid of the device, then plug the device into the outlet. Set the mode to "Soup" or "Boiling" and the time to 60 minutes. Start the cooking process.
When the multicooker turns off, check the readiness of the product with a knife - pierce the beet with a kitchen utensil. If the knife goes in easily, the vegetables are fully cooked.
Remove the vegetables from the water using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate. Let the beet cool to room temperature.
Peel the cooled beets and cut them for the salad.
Thoroughly wash the bowl in which the vegetables were cooked under running water using a soft dish sponge.

Baked beets in the oven

Beets are great when boiled, but when cooked in water, they lose vitamins, especially when boiled in pieces, not whole root vegetables. When the product is prepared in the oven, the loss of nutrients decreases significantly, plus the product acquires a tasty and golden crust.

Step-by-step instructions:

Remove any adhering soil residues from the surface of the root vegetables and wash in water. Trim the tail and leaves.
Lay a paper towel on the table and place the beets on it. Let the water be absorbed.
Cut the foil into equal squares with scissors. Place the beets on the foil and wrap it tightly.
Place the prepared packets with beets on a baking sheet. Bake for 1.5 hours at 200 degrees. This amount of time is for baking medium-sized beets; small and young root vegetables are cooked for 1 hour.
Start checking the readiness of the beets after 1 hour. The vegetables should be easily pierced with a knife, without much effort.
Turn off the oven, but do not remove the vegetables from the foil. Let them sit for a short period of time in the oven. Only then serve at the table.

The simplest beet soup

Cold beet soup is most often associated not with spring, but with the middle of summer. Yes, it is during this time of year that the harvest of young and juicy beets is collected, which makes the most delicious soup. By reading the detailed recipe, you will be able to master the skill of preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

medium-sized beets - 3 pieces;
boiled sausage - 250 grams;
potatoes - 4 pieces;
cucumbers (large) - 2 pieces;
chicken eggs - 4 pieces;
onion - 1 head;
fresh herbs (dill) - to taste;
salt - to taste.

Preparation:

Boil the peeled and washed beets until cooked in a pot of water. 3-4 liters of water is quite sufficient for cooking the root vegetables. You can cook the beets whole or in small pieces.
Transfer the boiled beets to a plate using a slotted spoon. Chop the cooled vegetables into small cubes. Strain the beet broth into a clean pot and cool it to room temperature.
Boil the eggs in salted water until done, then cool them. Cut the egg whites into cubes and crumble the yolks.
Boil the washed and peeled potatoes whole in salted water, then cut them into slices or cubes.
Chop the washed cucumbers and sausage into cubes of the same size. Finely chop a small onion that has been peeled and washed.
Transfer all the chopped ingredients to a pot, then add salt and mix. Then pour in the required amount of beet broth and stir again with a spoon.
Taste the finished "soup" and add a bit of salt if you feel that the dish is bland. Place the appetizing borscht in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill and infuse.
That's it, the borscht is completely ready. You can eat it. Enjoy your meal.

Good to know. The borscht turns out quite tasty using thawed cucumbers. Before adding to the dish, cucumbers should be thawed at room temperature and excess liquid drained.

Tips for boiling beets

To keep the pulp's beneficial properties, the root vegetables should be boiled whole, without peeling or trimming the root.
The most useful and tasty product is steamed.
If you want the beets to have a rich bright color, then bake them in the oven wrapped in foil. When boiled in a pot, some juices escape into the water.

Boiling beets at home is quite simple if you follow the nuances of preparation. This product makes delicious salads, soups, and other dishes.

Categories