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Steamed Beets

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 8

Steamed Beets

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, about 2 pounds, greens removed and reserved for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top; beets washed thoroughly

Before You Begin

Be careful not to let the pan run out of water during this long steaming process. To make sure you don't forget, place marbles below the steamer basket before steaming - they will stop jiggling when the pan is dry.

Instructions

  1. Place beets in steamer basket set in large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to boil; steam over high heat until beets can easily be pierced with thin knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on beet size. Drain, cool slightly, and remove skins. Serve or use in related recipes.
Steamed Beets

Steamed Beets

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, about 2 pounds, greens removed and reserved for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top; beets washed thoroughly

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, about 2 pounds, greens removed and reserved for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top; beets washed thoroughly

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, about 2 pounds, greens removed and reserved for another use, leaving a 1-inch beet top; beets washed thoroughly

Why This Recipe Works

In looking for the best beet recipes, we paid special attention to minimizing "bleeding. We also wanted to find beet recipes that would showcase the vegetable’s intense flavor. We found that steaming produced beets moist enough to use in any recipe. It also minimized bleeding and concentrated flavor in much the same way that roasting did. Foil-wrapped roasted beets were more moist than unwrapped roasted beets, but the latter had more flavor. Whatever the cooking method, we minimized bleeding by not peeling the skin and by not slicing off the tops of the beets prior to cooking.

Before You Begin

Be careful not to let the pan run out of water during this long steaming process. To make sure you don't forget, place marbles below the steamer basket before steaming - they will stop jiggling when the pan is dry.

Instructions

  1. Place beets in steamer basket set in large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to boil; steam over high heat until beets can easily be pierced with thin knife, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on beet size. Drain, cool slightly, and remove skins. Serve or use in related recipes.

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