Prep
Cook
Serves
5 mins.
25 mins.
4
I know that not many kids grew up loving to eat beets, but anytime that we had beets in the house I was a happy camper. My mom didn’t make her own, she bought canned beets that were whole, sliced, or even the cute little baby beets, and they were always red beets. As an adult I’ve had the opportunity to branch out a little more and try golden beets. They are my favorite, but I’m not always able find them in the grocery store or at my local produce stand.
Growing up, on Sundays we usually went to my great grandparents house for lunch as soon as church let out. The table would be filled with fried chicken, 3 or 4 different types of vegetables that were either straight from their garden or that had been canned from the garden, a basket of homemade biscuits, and a bowl of beets.
We wore aprons at my great grandparents house to protect our Sunday clothes. Now, I wear an apron when I make these beets because they stain clothing very easily. I don’t wear gloves, but I don’t handle them until after they’re cooked so they stain my hands a little less. If you prefer, then wear kitchen gloves to handle them and definitely protect your clothes.
To make this recipe easier I place the washed beets in my pressure cooker in a steamer basket and fill the inner pot with 2 cups of water. I don’t peel them before cooking, but I do cut off any long beet greens. You can also boil or roast beets, but the pressure cooker is great because I can set it and forget it.
These beets are delicious in a salad like my Beet & Orange Salad, pickled, or even added to homemade hummus. I love them as pictured, with orange segments and a little Cotija cheese or goat cheese. Cotija cheese is a little salty so if you can’t find it, Feta works well too.
I prefer to store my beets in a bowl covered with water and unflavored, but if you like them sweet then add a little sugar to a pan of water and warm it to dissolve the sugar and then pour the liquid over your beets. Likewise, add vinegar to the water that you store them in for a tangy flavor. Glass jars with tight fitting lids are great for storing beets.
I hope that you’ll try this recipe today and leave a comment below. Also, please follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram for daily updates!
Wash and disinfect the beets and trim any long beet greens off. Pour the water in the pressure cooker and place a trivet or steamer basket in the bottom.
Place the beets in the steamer basket. Close and seal the pressure cooker lid and set the pressure to high (70 pounds) pressure and the timer for 25 minutes.
When the timer goes off allow for a natural release.
Remove the beets and allow them to cool enough to be peeled and sliced or diced. The beets are best when a knife or fork easily pierces through. If they still seem to tough cook them longer.
Note** small beets will take less time (around 15 minutes) while larger beets will need more time (up to 35 minutes)
To boil beets, follow the same procedure for cleaning them and place them in a pan, covered with water, and boil until tender.
