How to Cook Spiced Beets
Spiced Beets are a delicious, healthy way to get some antioxidants and vitamins into your diet. It’s also an easy recipe for people who aren’t very experienced in the kitchen! This is a beginner’s guide that will walk you through how to cook spiced beets with simple instructions.
Beets are a very healthy vegetable to consume. They’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants, especially when they’re cooked. There’s no better way to cook beets than with this simple recipe!
Table of Contents
What are beets and what do they taste like?
Beets are a root vegetable which come from the plant family of Beta vulgaris. They grow in moist, cool climates and have been cultivated since ancient times. Beets can be eaten raw or cooked – they taste earthy, sweet and sour flavors with a slight hint of natural sugariness. If you’ve never tried them before be prepared to experience a rich and earthy flavor.
Beets are a very healthy vegetable to consume. They’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants! This simple recipe for Spiced Beets is one my family’s favorite ways to eat beets.
Why should I eat beets?
Beets are a very healthy vegetable to consume. They’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants! This simple recipe for Spiced Beets is one of my family’s favorite ways to eat beets.
Beetroot has the highest sugar content of any root or tuber crop. They contain iron, potassium, calcium, copper, and more.
How to Prepare Beets for Cooking
If you are cooking fresh beets you’ll want to prepare them by scrubbing them well. You may want to cut off the excess stem and then quarter or slice into thin rounds as desired.
If you are using canned beets, just rinse in water for a few seconds before adding them to your recipe.
You should always peel fresh cooked beets before serving! To do this easily cover peeled beetroot with cold water and bring to a boil. Leave for a few minutes before draining and rinsing with cold water again. Use a paring knife to peel the skin off the cooked beets.
Tips on Storing Beets
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Shelf Life of Fresh Beets: Store fresh beets in the crisper for up to five days, or one week if you store them wrapped in a paper towel and sealed in an airtight
If you are not using all of the cooked beets at once, store them in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated until ready to use for up to one week or freeze in a freezer-safe bag and keep frozen for up to six months.
How to Cook Beets – boiling, steaming, roasting
There are several ways you can cook fresh beets. Boiling and steaming are the easiest, but roasting or pickling them also works well.
Here is how to boil fresh beets: Rinse your beetroot in water for a few seconds before adding it to a pot of boiling salted water. Boil until tender – the time will vary depending on the size of your fresh beets.
How to steam beets: Peel beets, cut off beetroot tops and then slice. Place in a steamer pot with a little water added to the bottom of the pan. Steam for 15-20 minutes until tender.
How to roast fresh beets: Wrap washed and trimmed fresh beets completely with aluminum foil. Roast in oven until tender – the time will vary depending on the size of your fresh beets.
Beet Nutrition Facts
Beets are very nutritious. Beets are high in fiber, potassium, and folate (folic acid) while being low in calories.
Beets contain many vitamins including:
- Vitamin A
- Folate
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Iron
- Vitamin C
Beets are also a great source of insoluble fiber, which helps aid in digestion.
Health Benefits of Beets
Beet consumption can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as help prevent heart disease by lowering the risk of plaque buildup on artery walls.
Beets are incredibly versatile and can be used in so many different kinds of recipes. Be sure to experiment with different recipes and have fun with it!
Recipe ideas for using cooked beets in other dishes:
-Salad: Add cooked, chopped beets to a salad (can even used canned beets for this)
-Sandwich: add beet slices to your sandwich for extra flavor and nutrients.
-Soup: Puree boiled beets in soup as an alternative to using creamier soups like potato or squash-based ones.
Other recipes that use similar ingredients as this one:
-Beet soup: Boil beets then puree them. Add stock, allspice and salt to taste.
-Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts: Toss chopped beets with olive oil, lemon juice, walnut halves (or crushed), garlic and thyme. Roast in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes
These delicious little jewels are perfect for the holidays – or any time! We love them!
Recipe for Spiced Beets
How to Cook Spiced Beets
Ingredients
- 3 cans small/ medium whole or sliced beets, drained
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- dash ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Place beets in a medium saucepan with remaining ingredients.
- Simmer spiced beets for about 10 minutes until sauce is thick and bubbly.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 246mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 0g
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Spiced Beets!
Meal Planning
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I hope you enjoy this recipe for Spiced Beets!