When preparing beets, your mind can play tricks on you. Beets (unfortunately) turn everything red after they’ve been cooked. But never fret, this is not an episode of the Twilight Zone. Beets simply turn your cutting board, hands and clothing beet red. Accept that fact and move on! Because the delicious beet is worth the ruddy mess.
It is very easy to cook beets even though it seems difficult, and messy, at first. One easy way to go about it is to first cut off the top and the bottom of the beets, then place them into aluminum foil with a little salt, olive oil and water. Shut the package tightly, and roast in a 350 degree oven for anywhere from one to three hours. When you remove the beets, they should be very soft to the touch (and you should be able to feel this tenderness through the aluminum foil).
After the beets cool, you might want to put on some gloves. That’s when things get really messy. Happily, though, the tough outer skin will slip right off. It is one of those really cool cooking moments when you do it for the first time! Then you can simply chop the beets up, add them to your dish, and enjoy.
Happy cooking!
Mary
