You can boil beets of any size. However, medium-sized beets tend to work best, as they offer the best balance between heartiness and cook time. [2] X Research source Pass up beets with noticeable bruises or blemishes or dry, wrinkly-looking skin. These are usually indications that they’re past their prime.
Raw beets can be tough, which means you may need to apply quite a bit of pressure to get your knife all the way through. Be sure to watch your fingers! If you like, you can save your beet greens and use them in other dishes. Beet greens can be prepared much like spinach, kale, collards, and other greens. [4] X Research source
You can skip this step if your beets came pre-trimmed. This part of the beet is technically edible, though it isn’t very good on its own due to its tough, stringy texture. However, it could make a flavorful addition to a homemade vegetable stock. [6] X Research source
Try not to scrub your beets too hard. Damaging the skin could cause some of their color, flavor, and nutrient contents to leach out into the boiling water. Beets grow in the ground, so it’s important to make sure that they’re nice and clean before cooking with them.
If you’re a stickler for cleanliness, you can also soak your beets in a bowl full of water for around 5 minutes. Add 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of vinegar or lemon juice to help kill bacteria. [10] X Research source
Whatever piece of cookware you use should be big enough to hold all of the beets you plan on boiling, plus an equal volume of water. [12] X Research source Spreading out your beets a bit will allow the heat of your boiling water to better circulate between them.
Don’t overfill your pot. Doing so will cause all that water to take much longer to heat up. You’ll also burn a lot of unnecessary energy trying to maintain the optimal cooking temperature.
Double the amount of acid you add for every additional 1⁄2 gallon (1. 9 L) of water in your pot.
Putting a lid on the pot will prevent excess heat from escaping, which in turn will help the water boil faster.
Be sure to leave the lid on the pot the whole time it’s on the stove. Otherwise, the temperature of the water will drop and your cook time will increase. Especially large beets or those that have been in cold storage may need closer to an hour to cook all the way through. [17] X Research source
Choose a knife with a long blade to avoid burning your hand. It may also be a good idea to slip on an oven mitt if there’s a lot of steam escaping from the pot.
A spacious serving or mixing bowl will work well for this purpose, but you could also fill up the sink itself if you’re working with a large quantity of beets or don’t have a suitable container handy.
Alternatively, you can dump the entire contents of the pot into a colander or wire strainer before transferring the drained beets to the ice bath. You also have the option of simply emptying the boiling pot and rising your beets with cold water if you’d rather not go to the trouble of chilling them. [21] X Research source
You may need to chill your beets in batches, depending on the quantity you’ve cooked. Be sure to refill your bowl with fresh water and ice after each batch.
It might be a good idea to pull on a pair of latex gloves before you begin peeling your beets to make sure that the flowing juice doesn’t stain your fingers. Discard the skins immediately to avoid discoloring your clothes, countertops, floors, or other surrounding surfaces. [24] X Research source
