How to cook beets correctly, quickly, while maintaining taste, color, and vitamins. How to cook beets? Advice from experienced housewives

Beetroot salad, vinaigrette, borscht, herring under a fur coat - this is not a complete list of dishes where beets are used. They have become traditional for most families in Eastern European countries. The answer to the question “how long to cook beets?” depends on how the process will be carried out. It can be made in a regular saucepan, in a slow cooker, in a pressure cooker or in the microwave. Modern achievements kitchen appliances allow you to spend very little time preparing a healthy root vegetable.

The heat treatment process directly determines how much useful substances will remain in the product. Properly cooked beets will retain their flavor and bright color, which is extremely important for preparing dishes from this root vegetable in boiled form.

Beets are one of the healthiest root vegetables. It is rich in folic acid and potassium. Root vegetables are the most valuable of this plant, which have a round or oblong shape. Red varieties of root vegetables are used for food, which contain useful components that make chemical composition of this product unique.

This root vegetable contains:

  • vitamins P, C, B;
  • amino acids arginine, lysine, betaine, valine;
  • acids;
  • micro- and macroelements;
  • bioflavonoids;
  • Crotinoids.

It is very important to know how to cook beets correctly. Salad made from it has a high content of the following acids: malic, oxalic, citric, folic, pantothenic. At the same time, the product is extremely rich in minerals.

Beetroot salad satisfies the body's daily need for calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, copper, magnesium, and sulfur.

Thus, it can be noted that the root vegetable should occupy one of the main places in the diet of every person. True, it is very important to cook it correctly in order to preserve the useful components.

Scientists believe that consuming such a product reduces the risk of developing cancer and prolongs the youth of the body. This root vegetable is a wonderful prevention of diseases of the hematopoietic system, such as leukemia and anemia. In addition to the listed substances, beet salad contains quartz, which strengthens bone tissue and the walls of blood vessels. The product has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. He lowers arterial pressure and outputs excess moisture from the body.

Beetroot improves brain activity, cleanses the body of toxins and stimulates memory. Due to these properties, the product should be used by children and the elderly. Pectins, which beet salad is rich in, protect the body from radioactive radiation. Exposure to heavy metals, which pose a major health threat, is also minimized by consuming foods containing pectin. Among the others useful properties protecting the intestines from harmful microorganisms, cleansing cholesterol and strengthening the nervous system.

https://youtu.be/Sy-wrq9_lgM

Salad or freshly squeezed beet juice should be consumed with caution by people suffering from stomach and intestinal diseases. The fact is that the product is prohibited from being eaten with high acidity. Otherwise, it can aggravate the condition, cause heartburn, nausea and cause unpleasant symptoms.

How to cook beets in different ways?

The most common method is to cook beets in a saucepan. Anyone, even the most inexperienced housewife, can cook root vegetables in this way. To make a salad or any other dish tasty, it is important to adhere to certain rules. The main thing is that the cooking process should begin in cold water over low heat. The root crop should first be thoroughly washed and the tails trimmed. Preparation usually takes 30 – 40 minutes. The time depends on the amount of beets and the power of the stove on which cooking is carried out.

Any modern housewife should know how to cook beets in the microwave. Such equipment is already available in almost every kitchen, which greatly simplifies the process of preparing and heating many dishes. To cook the root vegetable in this way, you need special utensils, which are made from glass, clay, and ceramics. Root vegetables need to be placed in a saucepan, pour water into it and turn on the standard microwave mode. Cooking time depends on the power of the kitchen appliance.

Cooking in a slow cooker is convenient because you don’t have to monitor the cooking process. This method takes a little longer - about an hour. The water in the multicooker bowl should cover the entire root vegetable so that the temperature is evenly distributed during the cooking process. Usually the standard “Cooking” or “Porridge” mode is used.

Exist general rules, which indicate how to cook beets in a microwave, slow cooker or regular saucepan:

  1. One of them says that salt should not be added to water. Otherwise, the root vegetable will turn out hard and tasteless.
  2. In accordance with the second rule, you can cook tasty beets only if you do not peel the peel first. This will preserve the sweet taste and bright beet color.
  3. The third rule recommends immediately after cooking to place the beets in cold water until completely cooled. Due to this, the peel of boiled beets will be easy and quick to peel.

Since some people do not know how to cook beets correctly, they prefer to buy ready-made semi-finished products. Today in supermarkets you can find a ready-boiled product, which is sold in vacuum packaging. Such a product also retains almost all the beneficial properties, but, of course, it is better to cook the beets yourself to be sure that the salad or any other dish is made from the very quality product. It is especially important to adhere to this rule in baby food.

Delicious beetroot dishes

Salads

There are many delicious, healthy beet dishes. You can prepare a salad that will enrich the body with vitamins and protect against respiratory diseases. To do this, you need to boil the root vegetable and grate it on a fine grater. After this, 100 grams of dried and chopped walnuts should be added to 500 grams of product. The dish will turn out very tasty if you put 200 grams of grated hard cheese in it. The following varieties are best suited: Russian, sour cream, Dutch.

After this, 2 - 3 cloves of garlic are added to the salad. You can season the dish with mayonnaise or olive oil. In the second case, the snack turns out to be low-calorie and very healthy.

The most popular beet salad, vinaigrette, takes a little longer to prepare than the first recipe. For such a meal, you should boil the following ingredients in a 1:1:1 ratio: beets, carrots, potatoes. After this, they should be cooled and peeled. It is customary to chop all the ingredients in the vinaigrette into small cubes.

After the beets, potatoes and carrots have been chopped, pickles and canned cucumbers are added to the salad. green pea. Some varieties include replacement of pickles sauerkraut. This component can make the taste of a dish quite specific. Season the vinaigrette with vegetable oil. Some housewives use mayonnaise. It is believed that the best way Refined sunflower oil is combined with such food.

Side dishes

Beets can be served in the form of slices or grated. The tasty root vegetable has a pleasant sweetish taste, which allows it to be used as an excellent side dish for meat dishes and porridges. You can add a little vegetable oil and salt to it, which will emphasize the taste. Beets are combined with rice, buckwheat porridge, and mashed potatoes. Among meat dishes You can highlight cutlets, meatballs, schnitzel, goulash.

Experienced housewives know how to cook beets in a microwave, slow cooker, pressure cooker or regular saucepan. The process takes approximately 40 – 60 minutes. This root vegetable is extremely useful because it has a unique chemical composition, rich in vitamins, acids, microelements and amino acids.

It is believed that eating beets every day is an excellent prevention of cancer, cardiovascular, mental and other disorders of the body.

If you cook it in accordance with all the rules, the beets will taste sweetish. Because of this, it is used in many Eastern European dishes.

When preparing salads with many ingredients, speed is of the essence. Learn how to quickly cook beets without the hassle.

How to quickly cook beets in the microwave

It doesn't take as long to prepare a salad as it does to cook beets for it. If you're tired of stretching out cooking for long hours, find out how to cook a vegetable in microwave oven. Use one of the following methods:

  1. Wash the unpeeled beets, put them in a bag, tie them and put them in the microwave. The vegetable will cook quickly - a small root vegetable will need 15 minutes, a large one - 20. Do not pay attention to the fact that the bag will swell: during the cooking process it will remain intact, like the beets inside.
  2. Wash and peel the beets, cut into several pieces, put in a bag and tie. Use a fork to make holes in the polyethylene. Microwave for 10-15 minutes.

Instead of a bag, you can use a microwave-safe dish with a lid.

Beets do not lose their beneficial properties in the microwave. And although beets boiled in water taste better, if you use the root vegetable in a salad, the difference is not noticeable.

How to quickly cook beets in a saucepan

You can also quickly cook beets in a saucepan. Follow the instructions:

  • rinse the root vegetable;
  • fill in cold water and put it on high heat;
  • after boiling, reduce it and cook for half an hour;
  • Place the pan with the beets under cold water for 15 minutes.

If a toothpick or fork is difficult to insert into the beets, cook them for another 10 minutes.

Don't try to save time by removing a vegetable from the heat. ahead of schedule, because you will either have to put up with undercooked beets in the salad, or start the process all over again.

How to quickly cook beets in a slow cooker

Preparing beets in a slow cooker is easy. You will need:

  • wash the vegetable and cut in half;
  • Fill it completely with water and turn on the “Beans” mode.
  • Remove the finished beets after an hour.

This method is convenient because you do not need to monitor the process. You can throw the root vegetable in the slow cooker and do other things, or even run out to the store. In the pre-holiday bustle, such an opportunity is a great luxury.

How to quickly cook beets: cooking secrets

To ensure that the vinaigrette or any other beetroot dish is always successful, take note of the following rules:

  • choose small vegetables: they cook faster;
  • salt the beets during cooking so that the dish does not turn out tasteless;
  • add half a teaspoon of vinegar to preserve the rich color of the root vegetable;
  • do not leave beets in water for a long time;
  • do not cut off the tail of the vegetable if you do not want it to become watery after cooking;
  • To prevent the remaining ingredients of the dish from becoming beet-colored, immediately sprinkle the chopped vegetable with oil.

If all the burners on the stove are working, but the oven is not busy, cook the beets in it. You will be surprised how quickly the root vegetable will be ready. The preparation steps are as follows:

  • wash the vegetable;
  • without cleaning, wrap in foil;
  • Place in an oven heated to 150–200°C for half an hour.

If the beets are large, it will take more time. The finished vegetable turns out juicy and very tasty. Use this method when you want to enjoy beet puree.

Don't throw away leftover beets, even if they're a little dry. Pour boiling water over them and leave in cool water. Then cook the vegetable in the same water - it will again be tasty, juicy, and ready to eat.

For convenience, try all methods instant cooking beets and choose the one that suits you best. And to prepare large volumes of vinaigrette, use several methods at the same time.

We all love beets for their unique, unlike anything else taste and a lot of useful properties. It is most valued for the prevention of heart and vascular diseases, as well as anemia: beets are rich in substances such as iron, potassium and magnesium, which have a beneficial effect on hematopoietic processes in the body.

Unfortunately, we are accustomed to thinking that cooking beets is long and tedious: indeed, if you simply place them in a pan with cold water, they will cook for 2 to 3 hours, which cannot repel anyone who values ​​their time from this product .

We decided to collect the most effective tips, how to cook whole beets as quickly as possible and at the same time preserve all of their unique beneficial properties.

Temperature changes

This method is ideal for those who decide to quickly cook whole beets in a pan.

If you urgently need boiled beets to prepare a dish, we advise you to act like a professional chef: leave them in boiling water for half an hour, drain the water and immediately place them under running ice water.

Leave the beets to cool under water for 10–15 minutes: such a sharp temperature change will bring them to readiness.

Boiling water

Bring the water to a boil and, placing the beets in the pan, cook for about 40 minutes, maintaining high heat. Pour plenty of water, because high temperature it will boil away very quickly.

Big fire

To quickly cook beets on the stove, you will need high heat and 20 minutes of free time.

It is very important to pour more water: root vegetables should be covered with about a ten-centimeter layer of already boiling water. Otherwise, the water will boil away long before the beets have time to cook. Leave the pot on and simmer for 15-20 minutes, then run the root vegetables under ice-cold running water for 5 minutes. The beets are ready.

The only drawback of this express method is that nothing of the beneficial vitamin C remains in the product.

Baking in the oven

Try cooking beets quickly in the oven using an ovenproof bag. This method is as fast as cooking, and, most importantly, just as (if not more) tasty: baked beets are sweeter than boiled ones, which can be successfully used when preparing, for example, vinaigrette.

Place the washed, unpeeled beets in a bag (you can also use foil) and place in the oven, preheated to 180–200 degrees. Small young root vegetables will be ready in half an hour, and large and ripe ones in 40–50 minutes.

In the microwave

If you want to cook beets quickly and tasty in the microwave, you will need about 20 minutes.

Place the unpeeled, washed beets in a special container for microwave ovens or plastic bag, without tying, but folding it. Set the microwave to medium power and cook for 7-10 minutes. Check for doneness and let the beets sit for another 5-10 minutes if they are still half-raw.

In a slow cooker

You can also cook beets quickly and easily in a slow cooker. The simplest and fastest option is to cook whole vegetables of approximately the same size in their skins.

On the “Steam” program (which can easily be replaced by the “Soup” or “Cooking” programs), the beets need to be completely filled with water and left to cook for 40 minutes. After the end of the program, check readiness and, if necessary, add another 10 minutes.

Never cut off the tail or peel the beets (unless you plan to stew them for your dish). It will be enough to wash it thoroughly with a sponge and send it to cook in this form: this way it will retain its beautiful rich color.

Speaking of color: after boiling, add half a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice- so it will become even brighter.

If you're cooking beets for a vinaigrette or other salad and don't want them to color the rest of the vegetables, toss them thoroughly in vegetable oil after cutting them before mixing them with other ingredients.

Boiled beets are considered classic version preparation of root vegetables. In this case, there are several subtleties. Depending on the cooking method and duration, the vegetable may have different taste and vitamin composition. Let's look at options for cooking beets in a saucepan.

Beet cooking time

  • Buryak belongs to the category of root vegetables that need to be cooked for a long time to be fully cooked. This option is comparable to cooking meat. Depending on the size of the beets, they can cook from half an hour to 2 hours.
  • If the weight of the beets does not exceed 50 grams, the duration will be 30 minutes. Root crop weighing up to 100 g. Prepares in about 45 minutes. Beet weighing up to 200 grams. cooks for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Beets weighing 300 g. or more will take at least 1.5 hours to cook.
  • The duration of cooking the root vegetable can be explained by the fact that the container is initially filled with non-hot water. This significantly delays the process of preparing beets.
  • The duration is influenced by the low starch content and high concentration of fiber in the root vegetable. It is also worth giving preference to young fruits.
  • how to quickly cook beets in the microwave

    How to cook beets quickly

    Method number 1. Whole cooking

  • Before you get started, fill the container with cool water and place the beets inside. Wait 10 minutes.
  • After time has passed, clean the vegetable with a coarse brush. Place the washed beet into the pan. Pour in required amount boiling water As soon as the composition boils, reduce the power of the burner to the middle.
  • Pour 40 ml into the pan. sunflower oil. If you are cooking a medium-sized vegetable, turn off the heat after half an hour and drain all the water. Pour ice water over the root vegetable and begin peeling the skin immediately.
  • For a quick method of cooking beets in a saucepan, it is important to use filtered water. Use purified liquid in both cases. The soft structure of the water allows you to significantly reduce the procedure for boiling vegetables.
  • Method number 2. Cooking in cubes

  • This cooking method will come in handy if you are going to prepare a salad with beets. After boiling, the vegetable can be easily chopped into cubes or strips.
  • Wash the raw beets thoroughly and remove the skins. Chop into square pieces or slices. At the same time, boil water in a saucepan. Add a small amount to the liquid citric acid.
  • Send the beetle inside. Wait for the liquid to boil. Reduce burner to medium-low heat. Cover the pan with a lid with a steam vent. Cook the vegetable until done.
  • This cooking option will take about half an hour. The saucepan should be of medium size, 2-3 liters in volume.
  • How to cook large beets

  • To quickly prepare large-sized beet, it is not at all necessary to barbarically chop it into several parts. Otherwise, such a cooking process will lead to the loss of the beneficial properties of the root vegetable.
  • As in the first option, playing with temperature changes will not help due to the impressive size of the beets. In most cases, the core of the root vegetable still remains raw after the procedure. Still exists effective way cooking beets.
  • At the beginning of the manipulation, it is recommended to place the prepared root vegetable in a pan of water and mix 80 ml. sunflower oil. This method is used due to the fact that the boiling point of the plant composition is much higher than water.
  • As a result of mixing liquid with oil, the boiling point increases. The beets will simmer in the liquid, which will significantly shorten the process of preparing a large beet.
  • how to pickle beets

    Cooking beets in a bag

  • To quickly boil beet in a bag, it is important to follow simple rules. A thoroughly washed root vegetable during the cooking process will not leave a residue on the container that is difficult to wash off.
  • This method will eliminate the smell when the beets are boiled. In addition, the original color of the beet will be preserved. To proceed directly to the manipulation, you need to place the prepared vegetable in a bag. Release all the air and seal tightly.
  • Place the product in a saucepan with water. Keep in mind that the liquid should cover the root crop by several centimeters. Turn up the burner to maximum. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low. Cover the container with a lid. Simmer the beet for about an hour.
  • It is worth paying attention to the fact that this method of preparation may not be entirely healthy. When heated, polyethylene releases harmful substances. Therefore, health may be harmed. This is not a proven fact, it's up to you to decide.
  • To maintain the attractive shade of beetroot, it is important not to allow the liquid to boil too much. Be sure to add citric acid or table vinegar to the water.
  • Please note that regardless of any method of boiling beets, it is prohibited to add salt to the water. The natural mineral significantly slows down the process of preparing the root vegetable. In addition, due to salt, beets become tough and lose their taste.
  • The benefits of boiled beets

    The undoubted advantage of the root crop is that during heat treatment the beet practically does not lose useful qualities. The main thing is to carry out the procedure correctly using the methods described above.

    Beets contain concentrated nicotinic acid, iodine, fiber, iron, manganese, zinc, cesium and amino acids. Regular consumption of root vegetables has a positive effect on a person’s overall health.

    It's easy to boil beets in a saucepan. Choose the most suitable method. Don't forget to stick practical recommendations. Include beetroot in your daily diet. As a result, you can always maintain your health at the proper level.

    This healthy vegetable used as food for preparing salads, placing the product in borscht. The root vegetable itself is rich in vitamins and can increase hemoglobin. Even beet broth and waste can be used for food or to treat diseases. How to cook, how to cook vegetables correctly, is described below.

    How long does it take to cook beets?

    The cooking time for this vegetable depends on many factors, such as the size of the product. The question of how to cook and how long to cook beets until tender cannot be answered unambiguously. The average cooking time for beets is 40-55 minutes. This is a long process, but it can be sped up. To do this, you need to pour it into water vegetable oil: it will increase the boiling temperature and then the heat treatment will be faster, about 30 minutes.

    You can quickly prepare the fodder root vegetable in a microwave oven or pressure cooker at home. You will need a plastic bag for this. With this treatment you can handle it in 10-15 minutes. You need to know what water to cook in: salted water can make the product harder, thereby slowing down the process. Cooking methods differ depending on the dish. For salads, first courses are selected different variants preparations.

    How to cook beets in a saucepan

    For cooking, you need to choose enamel cookware, possibly with a thick bottom for better heat transfer. Fruits need to be selected based on small or the average size, thin crust and smooth dark color, without extraneous bluish and greenish spots. Sweet, young beets are better prepared. During the process, it is important to fill the fruits with liquid and make sure that the water does not evaporate, but constantly covers them by several centimeters; if necessary, it can be added.

    Cooking method:

    1. There is no need to peel the tops; you need to boil the whole beets.
    2. First you need to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, add lemon juice so that it does not lose color.
    3. The question of how long it takes to cook beets in a saucepan cannot be answered unambiguously. From the moment of boiling you need to wait about 45 minutes.
    4. You can check the readiness with a fork: if after this period of time it has difficulty piercing the fruit, then the process should be extended for another 10 minutes and allow the vegetable to cook completely.

    How to cook beets in a slow cooker

    Modern housewives have acquired in their kitchen modern miracles techniques that make life much easier. Cooking beets in a slow cooker is not difficult. You can cook either whole beet or chopped beet. You need to put the whole fruits on the bottom of the bowl, fill them with water, and close the lid. You need to select the steam cooking mode. The beets need to be removed at the end of the process, the equipment itself will inform you about this. Depending on the brand, the capabilities of this kitchen machine, the time can range from 30 to 45 minutes.

    How long to cook beets in a pressure cooker

    This new technology comes in two forms: a built-in function in a multicooker or a double boiler that cooks over a fire. It is notable for the fact that it prepares food under high pressure pair, which significantly shortens the process. In addition, products prepared with such a device are good for health and are considered healthy foods. Whole beets are cooked in a steamer for no more than 30 minutes.

    Cooking method:

    1. The beet needs to be washed and placed in a container.
    2. Fill it with water, add salt and pepper, maybe vinegar or garlic juice to preserve the color.
    3. It is necessary to put the pressure cooker on gas over low heat and allow the fruits to simmer for about half an hour.
    4. There is no need to release the steam at the valve, as this will slow down the cooking time.
    5. The finished beet will then need to be poured with cold water for a couple of minutes as soon as it is ready: this will make the fruit easier to clean.

    How long to cook beets in the microwave

    Most quick way invented by inventive housewives. It does not require adding water. All you need is a bag and a microwave. Buryak has unique property do not lose their beneficial qualities under heat treatment. It has been proven that vitamins remain intact under any external influence. Let's look at how and how much to cook beets in the microwave in a bag.

    Cooking method:

    1. The fruits should be washed and left unpeeled.
    2. To prevent the product from exploding, several dozen punctures must be made with a knife.
    3. No need to add water.
    4. You need to put the root vegetables in a bag and make sure it is sealed.
    5. Set the power settings to 800 watts and leave to cook for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven.

    How to cook beets quickly and tasty

    This fruit can be cooked different ways. You need to adhere to the basic rules and know how to cook and how to cook beets correctly. Buryak in the peel contains greatest number useful elements. In addition to the peel, you cannot cut off the tail: everything must be intact. Adding salt will slow down the cooking process. A teaspoon of sugar, citric acid, lemon juice and vinegar will help hold the color.

    Medium and small sized fruits will cook faster and are sweeter and tastier. Sugar can be added if the beet is tasteless. When cut, good beets are red and have a pronounced color, close to scarlet. A pressure cooker and microwave can cope with this task much faster than a regular saucepan; a multicooker will preserve vitamins as much as possible.

    How to properly cook beets for vinaigrette

    This salad from ancient Soviet times is popular on the country's daily and holiday tables. Its popularity is due to its budget and minimal set of products. One of the main ingredients is beetroot. Many housewives are interested in how to cook beets for vinaigrette so that they are ruddy, red, tasty, have a rich color, and add flavor to the dish. aesthetic appearance and pleased with the taste.

    Cooking method:

    1. Without peeling the fruits, you need to wash them and wrap them tightly with foil.
    2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees, place the beet on a baking sheet and leave to bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables.
    3. After this, turn off the oven and leave to cool completely. And if you don’t have time, you can cool it with cold water; a rich color is guaranteed with this method.

    How to cook beets for salad

    Video: How to boil beets