Roast them then freeze some!
Pickled beets can be canned.
Twenty lbs. is a lot (or would be for me anyway!).

Deanna

LindaC, they'll be fine, but they aren't as sweet and tender as the small ones.

I'd pickle the big ones and eat the rest, I just cooked half a dozen, fresh from the garden, for supper. I cooked the greens too, I love 'em both.

Let's see, pickled beets, harvard beets, I have a salad that has cooked beets, pears, greens and blue cheese, which I omit but you'd love. Borscht would be good, too.

Annie

Thanks....forgot about borscht and Harvard beets....
I'll get them put away some how!
Linda C

I'd roast the smaller ones but boil the big ones with the skins on, like you would potatoes, although they'll need to cook longer.

Tip: If you let them cool just slightly, and then rub the skins while wearing a pair of rubber gloves, the skins should slip right off.

I sometimes shred the beets for borscht or cut them in cubes or wedges and freeze them for use in the winter.

I can just envision you bringing in a gallon jar of pickled beets as a relish for your next funeral lunch.

Here are a couple of other ways I prepare beets. I do like them in salads but don't like them gloppy Harvard style.

APRICOT-GLAZED BEETS Â 4 servings

2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apricot juice-*
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. grated ginger root (optional)
12 to 16 baby beets, about 1 inch in diameter, cooked and peeled

In saucepan, combine all ingredients except beets. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 4 to 8 minutes. Add beets and toss gently to coat. Heat through for one minute. You can use larger beets, cut into quarters or eighths.

* - To make your own apricot juice: Combine 1/4 cup dried apricots and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over very low heat for about 40 minutes, or until apricots are soft. Remove apricots (these can be diced and sprinkled over the beets or used in scones, nut bread, etc.)

ROASTED BEETS WITH MUSTARD

2 lbs. small beets (12-16)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/ 4 cup sliced scallions
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub the beets; remove greens and cut off the stems and root ends. Cut the beets in half lengthwise.

On a baking sheet with sides, toss the beets with the oil. Arrange cut-side down and roast for 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool for 5 minutes and peel off and discard the skin.

Cut the beets into 3/8 inch square strips. Place in a bowl and toss with scallions, mustard and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings

I got this recipe from a lady who has been selling her jams and preserves at the local arty-crafty markets for about 20 years. This is one of her best sellers. It's absolutely delicious, goes well on hamburgers, or sandwiches, or with any meat.

Beetroot Relish
1kg beetroot cooked, peeled
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoons allspice
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ground ginger
500g onions
1/2 cup vinegar, extra
1/2 cup cornflour

Mince the onions. Mince or finely chop the beetroot into short, narrow pieces. Mix the onions and beetroot together, and put into a saucepan with the vinegar, sugar, allspice, and ginger. Boil until the onion is tender, about 45 minutes. Mix together the cornflour and extra vinegar, stir into the mixture until thickened. Bottle and seal.

The only way to eat beets is roasted or pickled. Boiling makes them bitter where roasting brings out the sweetness.

Love borscht, in fact just had it for dinner today. Beets last a whole winter, raw.
Also, my DH makes salad with it, similar to potato salad, but instead of meat, he uses herring and addition is cooked beet. He will make this salad Sunday again and I will try to get a recipe and post it on my food blog.

Well...I ate the first 2 small ones standing over the sink as I drained the water and slipped the skins....sliced the rest of that panful and they are now simmering with vinegar and spices.
Gave away 6 or 7.....and will think about the rest later!

My mother made some sort of beet dish with an orange sauce....I looked in the one cook book I have that she would ahve sued....not there....not in her written notes to me.
Anyone have any ideas? It was thickened with corn starch and needed stirring...I rememebr because that was my job....thinking of just doing Harvard beets and subbing orange juice for the other liquid and adding some grated rind.
Linda C

I had some cooking show on last weekend, think it was a PBS channel on digital that has tons of good cooking shows on it. Anyway, they were making beet chips. Sliced on a mandolin and then baked in the oven until crisp. Not sure what they seasoned them with as I wasn't paying close attention to it. Great for a snack or maybe with a salad.

David

I've only roasted beets once and didn't care too much for them that way, I like them steamed or boiled best. I can eat some plain and use the rest in this recipe. It has orange marmalade, is it similar?

Orange glazed beets

1 lb whole beets, scrubbed with 1/2 inch of stem left
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steam the beets for 35 minutes, trim the ends, and slip off the skin. Quarter the peeled beets and set aside.

In a small saucepan, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice. Turn the heat on low-medium and add the balsamic vinegar, orange marmalade, and black pepper. Stirring constantly, bring the glaze to a simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gentyl toss the steamed beets in the glaze.

Makes 6 servings.

My husband had never eaten a beet in his life. Always hated the beets his mom pickled. We have just fallen in love with roasted veggies. Planted beets this year hoping to roast them.....Roasted some beets the other day with chunks of carrots and large cloves of garlic from the garden also. The roasted veggies were awesome. He has even asked to have more.

So easy to do. We like to roast them until the veggies have a nice cripsy carmelized coating on them.
By the way, the beets were softball size. Chopped them into about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Did peel either.

Enjoy your beets!

Well...I am about "beeted out"..feel like I am red to the elbows and the counters and sink is/are beet red and every cloth and sponge is dyed red.....and I only had one bag and I gave about 5 good sized beets away!
And frankly, I am about veggied out! What with the peaches and all the melons and grapes....and corn, lots of corn, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, beans etc....
I think I want a piece of chocolate cake with no fruit in it at all!!
But...I don't have any....

Oh, but you COULD have.................

In 5 minutes!!!

Deanna

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 minute chocolate cake!

This is my most favorite beet recipe (you can use either golden beets or red). I've made this dish along w/Thanksgiving dinner as a side and got rave reviews. I LOVE beets in any form! BTW, this vinaigrette makes an awesome salad dressing on its own.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Horseradish Vinaigrette

2 large sweet potatoes
4 large parsnips (or carrots)
6 med beets
3 T EVOO
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into cubes, peel parsnips and cut into slices, peel beets and cut into wedges. Toss potatoes & parsnips with oil, and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes & parsnips on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and sprinkle w/ salt & pepper. Toss beets with oil in separate bowl and arrange on a separate cookie sheet/pan; sprinkle w/salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 Â 25 min or until tender. Cool before adding vinaigrette.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/c cup EVOO
2 T horseradish
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 T tarragon (fresh or ½ T of dried)
1 T Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Serve immediately over roasted vegetables, or chill up to 4 days.

Wow! That horse radish vinaigrette sounds wonderful...
Can I just put the few beets left in the refrigerator and save them until beet borscht weather?
Or should I cook them, shred and freeze?
Linda C

beets should last a long time in the refrigerator, fresh. In Estonia, they keep potatoes, carrots, beets, all kinds of roots over the winter in the try, cool cellars.

gardengrl, is that 1 cup of oil? Or 1/3 cup? There seems to be something missing, a space or a number or something..

Annie

Annie, I think that is 1/2 cup, it looks like the Southern Living recipe I have used a couple times.

thank you, marigene, I thought 1 cup of oil looked like a lot, so it had to be something else.

I do love horseradish, though, so I'll have to save that recipe.

Annie