Peeling Beets

[HRAAB]

Do you peel beets before or after cooking?

 

I always peel mine after cooking and end up with burned, stained fingers. My neighbor mentioned she peels them with a veggie peeler (a snap according to her) and then roasts them. I love beets, but oh my goodness, I hate peeling them.

[kewb]

I have always cooked them and peeled them after they have cooled off.

[myfunnybunch]

I roast them and peel after cooling.

 

Yeah, I get purple fingers, but that doesn't bother me much. They go away pretty quickly. :)

[EKS]

I've done it both ways. It's easier with the peeler beforehand.

[Lady Marmalade]

I prefer to peel first, because that way I can roast them with herbs, salt and pepper and get those yummy flavors into the beets. 

 

 

[Tanaqui]

I don't peel them. I almost never peel ANYthing, except sometimes squash or ginger.

[creekland]

I don't peel them unless there are defects that need removing, then I just get those. I also cut the top and bottom, of course, and scrub them well. They still taste really good without peeling.  No one complains.  If they wanted to, they could peel them on their own.

[HRAAB]

I don't peel them. I almost never peel ANYthing, except sometimes squash or ginger.

 

 

 

I don't peel them unless there are defects that need removing, then I just get those. I also cut the top and bottom, of course, and scrub them well. They still taste really good without peeling.  No one complains.  If they wanted to, they could peel them on their own.

I would never have thought to not peel beets. That sounds even easier. I did peel first this time and tossed with olive oil and herbs instead of wrapping in foil. Next time I think I will leave the peel on and see what the family says. I've got a good crop of bets in the garden so I'll have plenty of opportunity to figure this out. Right now I just want easy

[Alessandra]

I found a product called Amy's beets. Vacuum packed, only ingredient listed is beets. The package was next to the packaged lettuce in my store.

 

I serve beets a lot more now. :-)

[Carol in Cal.]

After, if they are woody when the meat is soft, which is usually the case.

I think that it's nice how they just spall off at that point.

 

[Chris in VA]

I've only heard of scrubbing beets, not peeling!

 

But I have never made them myself, so maybe my vote shouldn't count.

[displace]

Before: easy to peel. I don't care about stained fingers.

[medawyn]

I often don't peel, but usually before if I peel for some reason. On the rare occasion I peel after, I find rubbing them under running water with my hand inside a plastic bags helps both the burn and mess factor.

[Tsuga]

Peeler beforehand. I can't wait to peel them and then I end up with purple burned fingers like you. So I prefer the before option.

[Bluegoat]

It depends on what I'm doing with them.   I think the main reason to do it after is if you are boiling them, the colour won't leach out into the water.  But if you use yellow beets, that doesn't matter.  And it tastes the same, so to me what kind of presentation I want might make a difference. On the other hand for a salad, peeling them once they are cool is easy.

 

I also don't often peel small ones.  Bigger ones it depends, the skin is usually thicker, so sometimes I might.

[bibiche]

Kitchen trick: wear gloves to peel them. No more stained hands (also protects a bit from the heat). :)

 

eta you can also just rub the skins off with a towel, but I find this messier unless I've got a ton a ton of beets to peel.

[mommymonster]

I have an awesome, awesome solution if you are roasting them!

 

I wash the beets and cut off the greens and little root on the bottom. Wrap the beets in a few layers of aluminum foil. Roast in 450 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and throw them in the freezer to cool. When cool, grab a paper towel. Put the whole beet in the paper towel and rub. The peel comes right off! No wasting. Very little mess (I wore kitchen gloves). It's really quick to get the peels off. 

[mamajag]

For some reason I read this thread as "peeing brats" and thought for a second someone's day was worse than mine. Carry on.

[Desert Strawberry]

I have only peeled before. I have heard that they taste earthier with the peels on. 

I chop mine small, toss with olive or coconut oil and sea salt and roast. Usually with sweet potatoes, sometimes with other roots. They are so sweet and delicious. No overpowering dirt taste. 

[Cottonwood]

I do exactly what your neighbor does.  Takes just a few minutes.

[Seasider]

I prefer to peel first, because that way I can roast them with herbs, salt and pepper and get those yummy flavors into the beets.

I have never roasted beets. What herbs do you use?

[Cottonwood]

I have never roasted beets. What herbs do you use?

 

I know you didn't ask ,me, but I have to answer...one of the biggest, BEST surprises in my kitchen happened when we roasted beets for the first time.  I peeled them, then sliced them and the cut them long wise again into fingers?, put them on a pan, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled salt, roasted on 425 for 30 min....and we fell in love.  Even my picky eaters.  the next year, we planted several huge boxes with beets instead of of other stuff and everyone LOVED it.  You don't need a bunch of stuff to make beets taste good.  just some oil and salt and high heat for a bit.  And, YUM!

[Tanaqui]

I have never roasted beets. What herbs do you use?

 

Dill, lemon, and pepper

 

Thyme, sage, and rosemary

 

Rosemary and pepper

 

Cumin, paprika, and oregano

 

Smoked paprika, garlic, and pepper

 

Coriander

 

Cinnamon and nutmeg

 

I mean, really, the possibilities are very nearly endless.

[Camelfeet]

I usually peel beforehand.  Quick and easy.  I wear gloves to avoid the stain if I think I am going some where in the next day or two, otherwise I get stained and don't think twice about it.  

 

I usually roast beets - cut them up into cubes with an equal amount of sweet potatoes and a coarsely chopped onion.  Toss in a little bit of olive oil and roast.  Quick, easy, nutritious.

[katilac]

I found a product called Amy's beets. Vacuum packed, only ingredient listed is beets. The package was next to the packaged lettuce in my store.

 

I serve beets a lot more now. :-)

 

I need this in my life! Now I'm anxious to get to my 'fancy' grocery store. 

[TeacherZee]

Depends on what I am doing with them. 

[Melissa in Australia]

do you mean beetroot? I peel before with the potato peeler. it works fine.

[Rosie_0801]

I love roast beetroot with a whole grain mustard dressing.  :drool5:

 

Or on pizza with green peas and smoked cheese.  :drool5:

[Alessandra]

I need this in my life! Now I'm anxious to get to my 'fancy' grocery store.

Actually, I found them on my ordinary, budget supermarket.

[Hikin' Mama]

Another non-peeler here. When I roast them, which is the only way I prepare them, I use olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar on them. Yum!

[Lady Marmalade]

I have never roasted beets. What herbs do you use?

 

My hands-down favorite is fresh rosemary with garlic, salt and pepper.  A tiny splash of fresh lemon juice right before eating. 

[HRAAB]

I love roast beetroot with a whole grain mustard dressing. :drool5:

 

Or on pizza with green peas and smoked cheese. :drool5:

Oooh....On pizza. I like that.

 

I roasted a big pan last night so I would have leftovers for today. I eat then for breakfast with sweet potatoes, kale, garlic, and vegetarian sausage. I love these new ideas.

[Tanaqui]

do you mean beetroot? I peel before with the potato peeler. it works fine.

 

Yes. Americans say beets where you guys walking upside down :P say beetroot. Unless we mean beet greens, the leaves, but honestly, only very frugal people eat those. (Taste like spinach, but require more cooking.)

[momacacia]

Peel raw when juicing, peel/ slide the skin off after steaming when cooking.

 

Oh and after they're steamed and peeled, butter, just butter. :)