When I was at the farmers market last weekend I saw some awesome looking beets.
I had fun standing at the table and snapping pictures of beets.
Oh yes, that’s me, with my big honkin’ camera, just taking pictures of dirty root vegetables. Fun times!
I took all the pictures very fast. On the fly in less than 30 seconds because I haven’t lost all shame. Plus, I didn’t want to “hog” the area from other shoppers in case they wanted to get rooty.
But aren’t these pretty?
Many of you told me when I posted about Beet Juice the other day that you had never tried beets, or only had tried canned beets and weren’t impressed. Nor should you be. Canned beets scare me.
It’s time to channel your inner beet lover and turn you all into beet fans with this recipe.
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Caramelized Ginger & Olive Oil Roasted Beets
Peel 4 to 6 beets with a vegetable peeler (wear rubber gloves unless you enjoy the reddish pink cuticles and fingerprint look for a week).
Note: Some people roast their beets with the skin on. I do not because I never feel like I can get beets clean enough and I’d rather peel them than eat dirt. My personal preference, only.
Slice the beets into wedges about the size of an apple wedge. Raw beets are very firm. Much firmer than an apple. More like a sweet potato so use a sharp knife and be careful.
Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and place the beet wedges in the pan. Don’t skip the foil. Clean up will go from an epic chore to easy-peasy by using foil.
Drizzle with olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp) or if you like coconut oil, use that! Hemp seed, grapeseed, canola, and other oils may work also.
Sprinkle 1 tsp ground ginger over the top of the beets (optional but recommended)
Add salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Roast at 350F for 75 minutes (possibly a bit longer), flipping once halfway through. It is a bit tedious to flip them over one-by-one but you will get a nicer carmelization on each edge and it will be worth it. If the beets seem dry mid-way through cooking when you’re flipping them, add a bit more oil.
You will know the beets are done when they have carmelized, are a bit black-ish or dark around the edges, and are fork tender (like a cooked potato or cooked carrot).
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Remember, don’t skip the rubber gloves when you’re working with beets.
Some holistically-minded moms I know who refuse to buy Easter egg coloring dye simply dye their eggs with beet juice. Yes, strong stuff.
Red hands though may be worth it because beets that have been roasted this way are so naturally sweet you think you’re eating candy. In that sense, beets remind me of dates and my Date Recipes Post, i.e. Nature’s Candy, because of both of their natural sweetness.
Beets prepared this way are easy, fool-proof, and are similar texture-wise to a roasted a potato, turnip, or carrot (texture-wise) and are nothing like the strange, jiggly-ish, slimy texture of canned beets. Shudder.
Still not convinced you want to try beets on their own?
Mix them into this Ginger Roasted Tri-Color Potatoes recipe and break yourself in slowly. You’ll probably end up picking out the beets and eating them first because they are sweeter and blow potatoes away, in my opinion.
Or add beets to Ginger Coconut Roasted Fennel & Mixed Vegetables
From my last post, Naturally Sweet, I like hearing what everyone’s been eating lately that’s sweet naturally. Like pineapple and mulberries. And lots of pineapple fans, too, apparently.
Questions:
1. Do you like beets?
I asked that question recently, and some of you said yes you love them!
And other people said you haven’t tried them.
And others said you’ve only tried canned and were skeeved out.
I really think roasting is a great way to break yourself into beets if you haven’t had them much previously.
2. Fave way to eat beets?
I prefer most vegetables raw rather than cooked (it’s a texture thing, mostly) but beets are one veggie that I prefer cooked.
I am “okay” with them raw and sliced thinly in a salad (thinly sliced raw beets, thinly sliced raw fennel, and dressed with a citrus vinaigrette like Orange Spice Vinaigrette is a common way to eat them) but I prefer their flavor when cooked and caramelized.
3. Weekend plans? Any Father’s Day plans?
Not sure what we’re doing yet for Father’s Day.
I do have to work all weekend but there will still be time for family fun, some workouts, hopefully some time in the kitchen, and maybe a photography date with my camera.
Those definitely look tasty! I’m going to have to actually try real beets. Although, wow 75 minutes. Why does everything tasty have to test my patience so much? I so rarely ever roast any veggie because I am so darn impatient. I’ve gotta, gotta, gotta get over this!
I fell in love with beets last summer when I started buying them at the farmer’s market too! Although I’ve never tried them raw, roasted is my favorite method for cooking.
I wish I could be with my dad on father’s day but we are not close enough in distance for a day trip unfortunately. My weekend will consist of waitressing several shifts and hopefully a fun day at a swimming hole on sunday!
good luck at work. I know the feeling of working on the weekends.
Beets + Ginger…great idea!
Canned beets are gross, I don’t think I’ve ever purchased them and never intend to, i’ll be sticking to the fresh kind thank you!
Beet salads with goat cheese are my favorite. But I’ll have to try this with ginger now!
I have always loved beets… I was the weird kid that could eat them right out of the can. I definitely get that from my Dad. Then, when I was about 10, my Grandma made a ‘real’ roasted beet and I was in love. I don’t even need them to be flavored in anyway.
Just yesterday after picking up B from the airport, we stopped for a veggie juice (and B requested one?!)… I got us a carrot, kale, parsley, ginger, lemon & beet juice. He was wearing a white dress shirt and yep, he got some on it. Thank goodness for oxyclean. Juiced is def by far my newest obsession.
Since Father’s day is the same day as my anniversary this year, we’re celebrating with my Dad tomorrow. I already made my brother’s pesto pasta salad and will be cutting up tons of fruit and also marinating some chicken in my lemon thyme marinade. …and bc movies are my Dad’s favorite, we’ll watch something after lunch… Dad’s choice, so that probably means we’ll be watching Cliffhanger.
Happy Anniv and I was on tastespotting the other day and saw a recipe of yours on there. Congrats :) They are beyond picky these days so major good work :)
You are making me want to try them again in case I did something wrong the last time. I swear, I roasted them and still felt like they tasted like dirt. I didn’t see how they were sweet at ALL. But maybe I’ll try one more time :)
try once more and PEEL THEM too
Also season them with the ginger like I suggested..that cuts the dirty taste.
the only way I eat beets is in my fresh juicing… long ago, canned beets (shudder) made me dislike them… if anything could get me to eat a beet, it would be this recipe! thank you, Averie, I may just try this! :)
try it!
Yuum to that recipe! It looks perfect!
The first time I had beets they tasted like the cheap cherry flavored cough syrup so I wasn’t a fan. But I kept trying them knowing that wasn’t the right taste and I really enjoy them. I need to try them roated since I like all veggies that way.
I like beets – although I don’t have them very often. I usually boil them — and then I peel them and cut them. I’ve wanted to try the “pre done” beets that are at TJ’s but I seem to forget every time I go there!
Weekend plans — marathon tomorrow and then up at the cabin Sun/Mon. I cannot wait!
Roast them. Soooo much better than boiling. It’s like a boiled potato to me is just meh but a roasted one is way better.
BEST of LUCK on your race!!!!!!
I’m new to beets, but these look delicious!
I went to a pesto-making class once where we made roasted beet pesto that was amazing! I’ve been meaning to try beets again ever since. I’ll have to watch for some good looking ones and try out your recipe.
Your beet stained hand reminds me of that episode of the office where Dwight goes to a store after working with beets all day and the store refuses to let him in because they thought it was blood!!
LOL!!
Averie, you are amazing! I just bought fresh beets the other day because the looked so amazing, and I was looking for an inspiring summer-ish recipe for them! Love you right now! hehe!
Avery, this dish is absolutely STUNNING! On top of that, my mouth is already watering just thinking about how good it must taste. Can’t wait to try it!!
you’re too sweet :)
I love roasting pretty much any veggie period. So good.
I love beets! Especially beets juice. The photos had me smiling :)