I just roast them & squeeze lemon or lime juice over them after roasting - very good added to salads that way, or just served as-is.

400F oven, scrub, trim & cut beets into 1/2" wedges, toss w/ a couple Tbsp. olive oil, spread out in a single layer on an enamelled or other nonstick roasting pan & sprinkle w/ salt. Roast for 30 minutes or so, until tender. Squeeze 1/3 - 1/2 fresh lemon or lime over, after removing from oven, then enjoy.

Nobody ever seems to talk about this, but beets will turn your toilet water pink (and other things red). Hubby became very concerned for my well-being not too long ago, when I forgot to flush after eating a lot of beets for dinner (he hates 'em) & getting up during the night to pee ; D

Love thisred cabbage, beet and currant slaw.

SHAVED BEET SALAD

(Source: Martha Stewart Living)

1 pound beets, trimmed and peeled

1 t. finely grated orange zest plus 2 T. orange juice

2 t. white wine vinegar

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t. sugar

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Using a mandolin or sharp chef's knife, slice beets into very thin rounds.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together orange zest and juice, vinegar, oil, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add beets and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 4

@carolb_w_fl - I had a friend call me scared out of her ever-loving mind because there was blood in her urine and wondering what could be the cause? I quizzed her about pain, fever, etc., but no other symptoms. Then almost jokingly I asked her if she had been eating beets, LOTS of beets, by any chance? YEP! A particularly great pot of borscht seems to have been the contributing factor. ;-)

Italian baked beetroot salad:

Preheat oven to 250 Celcius/ 480 Farenheit

Wash 6 medium size beetroot, pat dry, wrap each beetroot in foil, place on baking sheet & bake for 2 hours.

Get beetroots out of the oven, open wraps, let cool until lukewarm, peel outer skin (they peel very easily - you simply pull the outer skin off the beetroot much like you do with baked potato).

Slice or cube (I prefer cubing), transfer to large bowl.

Dressing:

3 TBS olive oil

3 TBS wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk, pour over cubed beetroot, gently mix with rubber spatula, serve immediately or not so immediately (it can stand at room temp for a couple hours), but this salad is best on day of.

Oh, yeah, grainlady, I had that scare! Ordered a roasted beet salad with greens, blue cheese, walnuts, warm vinegarette one afternoon with a few girlfriends. Couldn't believe how fast it ran through me and I was totally freaked out about the color of my stools. Gross to talk about, but helps to know its "normal".

Don't forget about the greens-delicious sauteed with evoo and garlic (pinch of chili flakes if you like), or in soups.

I used my recent beet greens in lentil soup.

I buy beets weekly. I roast whole (peeled) in the oven, covered in foil. Basic method is evoo and s+p. I mix it up using spice blends (Penzey's), balsamic, honey etc.

I keep them in a container and pull out for salads, or to use as a side.

They last the week.

I eat them so much it takes a lot to turn my pee pink anymore. I'm sure a bowl of borscht would!

*For a delicious salad/app, whip up some feta with cream cheese (add a dash of milk/cream to thin as needed) and spread on the bottom of a plate. Place sliced roasted beets on top. Top with baby arugula, frise or microgreens dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/02/how-to-make-amazing-whipped-feta/

Love beets! Really like them roasted... nice olive oil, S&P, in foil packet. Doesn't have to be baby-sat either. Beets don't seem to be a veggie that you cn easily overcook... just doesn't go to mush?!? BUT realized all the good "gunk" that can develop on outside during roasting gets TOSSED cuz ya have to eventually peel them?? Not I just make the mess and peel before roasting.

I like them warm, tossed with some balsamic and maybe some blue cheese crumbles. Old-fashioned "pickled beets" with THIN sliced onions. My grandmother would sometimes make "Harvard" beets... hot, pickled, thickened sauce.

Never heard of Harvard Beets before. It looks great. Found this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/92773/grandmas-harvard-beets/

I grew up on beets made w/ orange juice - it was one of my faves as a kid!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/beets-in-orange-sauce

Mimipadv... that's a good recipe if you want to try them. SOOO, I go out to run a few errands and make at stop at ACME. They had BIG asparagus for $1.99/lb. It was "sandy" so I'm thinking it could be local stuff?!?

I noticed something I'd never seen before. Pre-cooked beets. Little "baby" ones, one steamed, other roasted. Vac sealed, long shelf life (refrigerated), about 8 oz for $3.99!! Can't help but suspect that those "baby" beets aren't newborns at all, but just shaped from otherwise reject beets.

I've been enjoying the cooked, vacuum sealed beets from Trader Joe's and closer to home, these from Stop & Shop:

https://www.lovebeets.com/products/cooked-beets/

I use them in salads and I like them diced, sautéed in butter with salt & pepper as a side dish. Very earthy. I don't like the mess of cooking them. But I know I'm missing out on the beet greens....

Wow, beet really are becoming "hip"!

I don't find prepping beets to be a mess. I peel raw beets with a peeler, and I wear disposable food service gloves. Once I put them in foil, I toss the gloves, add evoo and season before sealing the foil, making a pouch.

Handling after roasting needs to be done carefully, though!

FWIW, I never peel beets, just scrub very, very well & trim/scrape off the rough spots, along w/ tops & bottoms. I buy organic.

I squeeze the cooked beets out of their skins....

I wear gloves while digging in dirt but I'm not inclined to put gloves on in order to prep vegetables, so the prepared beets are an unusual luxury. Was first introduced to them while vacationing in France, staying in a rented apartment. Smart convenienience food lol.

I only get fresh beets during farmers' market season. Usually either red or the lighter rose colored beets. Last week I picked up some white beets that were touted as being milder and sweeter. They were, but I didn't like them as much. Too mild for me. And the coloring was an unappetizing light grey.

I roast whole beets in foil with a drizzle of olive oil. I'm another that just squeezes the beet skins off right before serving. My favorite topping for cooked beets right now is a bit of sour cream combined with some horseradish.

madismom, do you like beets? , have beets and tired of the usual? , or just trying to like them...getting them into your diet?

Some recipes are more assertive highlighting the beet lover in us....other recipes use beets in combination with other veg and more subtle. (i love them all ways). Lately, and starting last winter, we have been using beets raw in slaws and roasted to add to warm salads. And juiced. And pickled. And soup.

I just planted my beet, radish and carrot crops. yum.

Very expensive in the market. We don't have a 'season' like some places where a big bag is cheap once a year during harvest.

I was on a golden beet kick for the longest time, now I'm on red beets ;-0

I had beets often as a child...my mother liked them. Easily once a week in late summer. She served them most often simply boiled sliced and buttered, but often Harvard beets and another dish which was in a lovely orange sweet sour sauce thickened with cornstarch....I need to see if I have that recipe....and of course pickled.
My grandmother used to can pickled beets.....I shudder when I think of how she may have done that....most likely open kettle...tis a wonder we didn't all die of ptomaine poisioning!

I can't remember who it was who turned me on to Love Beets. My first reaction was why would I buy cooked beets imported from England when we have great beets here, mostly year round, though with variations in size and quality. The answer, of course, is that they're an alternative to cookies and really yummy.

I kept hoping someone would have a similar recipe, and maybe I read wrong but I don't think so. They say they "cook them in mild vinegar". That sounds like boiled in vinegar to me, but I'm not sure. They're very different from roasted with vinegar, or seasoned with vinegar after cooking. I'm not a huge vinegar fan, but the sweet beets, plain, with the vinegar taste are fabulous. They also have a honey/ginger one, which is a total standout. Replicating them is on my to-do list. They're one of those things that are nearly impossible not to gobble up.

Lindac92 - did you check the link I posted for orange beets? I also recall using o.j. concentrate instead of fresh juice.

doesn't sound like it would taste the same.....seems like these were cooked in the orange sauce....I need to look in my bother's cook book she gave me....her favorite recipes all in one spot.