Red beets are a nutritional bargain. Not only is the flesh itself tasty, but their leafy green tops are good in salads, and you can sauté them in olive oil and garlic to serve as a side dish. Raw beet greens contain lots of Vitamin A and potassium, with only 38 calories per cup. The beets themselves are high in vitamin C and potassium, moderately high in vitamin A, and one cup of the vegetable has only 75 calories. Easy to roast, cooked beets will keep for up to a year when frozen.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Clean the beets, scrubbing off any dirt and removing the leaves and stems.
Step 3
Tear off a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the beets in a package.
Step 4
Set the beets on the foil.
Step 5
Sprinkle the beets with the olive oil, water, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Step 6
Fold the foil in half, covering the beets. Fold all of the edges of the foil over twice to seal the package.
Step 7
Put the package on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Roast the beets for 30 to 60 minutes. Smaller beets will require a shorter roasting time than larger beets. Older, softer beets will also require a shorter roasting time than young beets.
Step 8
Unwrap one edge of the foil and insert a knife into the center of the largest beet to determine whether it is soft and cooked completely. If the beet is still hard, re-wrap the foil and continue roasting.
Step 9
Take the baking sheet out of the oven.
Step 10
Slit the foil with a knife to vent the steam.
Step 11
Wear food-grade disposable gloves to rub the skin off the beets, which will also protect your hands from being stained with beet juice, or use a paper towel.
Step 12
Use a paring knife to cut off any skin or blemishes that remain.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose beets with very green tops, because they have a high sugar content. Choose beets that have the tap root still attached, but pass on those with very long, "hairy" roots. They're older and tougher than beets with a short tap root.
Things You'll Need
- Fresh red beets
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. water
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Aluminum foil
- Baking sheet
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