Beet Challenge
August 7, 2020 1:50 PM Subscribe
Challenge: Convince a beet-hater to love beets.
I'm a big fan of roasted beat salads (video version) that emphasize roasted beets with citrus and creamy cheese. Goat cheese is common, but I that ricotta (like in this recipe) is better to avoid an overly tangy/funky dish.
posted by saeculorum at 1:56 PM on August 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by saeculorum at 1:56 PM on August 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
Is the beet hater amenable to juicing fresh beets (or buying fresh best juice) along with apples, carrots, etc?
posted by Kitchen Witch at 1:57 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by Kitchen Witch at 1:57 PM on August 7, 2020
My favorite way to use them: smoothies.
Wrap beet in foil after sizzling with olive oil and salt. Place in slow cooker/crockpot for 3-4 hours on high.
Keep in tupperware and throw into smoothies over the next few days. Blueberries and beets go well too.
posted by typecloud at 1:58 PM on August 7, 2020
Wrap beet in foil after sizzling with olive oil and salt. Place in slow cooker/crockpot for 3-4 hours on high.
Keep in tupperware and throw into smoothies over the next few days. Blueberries and beets go well too.
posted by typecloud at 1:58 PM on August 7, 2020
There are a few different ways to prepare beets. Do they not care for them boiled, roasted, or pickled? In a curry? As a component of hummus?
Maybe try with a golden beet variety? Appearance can be a big part of taste, and a different color might short-circuit their reflexive aversion.
posted by jedicus at 1:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
Maybe try with a golden beet variety? Appearance can be a big part of taste, and a different color might short-circuit their reflexive aversion.
posted by jedicus at 1:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I am a beet lover, related to several beet haters. I have come to realize they are unconvertible. Maybe it's something like that genetic disorder people have with cilantro. They eat beets that are not red, including striped beets, and sometimes they will eat a slice of pickled beet. Thats all.
posted by mumimor at 2:02 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 2:02 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I just listened to this Sporkful episode about Seemore sausages and they have a very delicious, very purple beet sausage. I haven't tried it yet, but Dan Pashman thought it was delicious.
posted by stripesandplaid at 2:03 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by stripesandplaid at 2:03 PM on August 7, 2020
Response by poster: The beet hater objects to taste, not texture. Frankly the beet hater sounds like they haven't had a lot of beet exposure. Canned and in borscht, apparently. I'm thinking salad with other delicious things is the way to go but if you've got a killer beet recipe that's not salad, I'm interested.
posted by HotToddy at 2:10 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by HotToddy at 2:10 PM on August 7, 2020
This is, hands down, the best beet recipe I have ever encountered.
posted by meese at 2:13 PM on August 7, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by meese at 2:13 PM on August 7, 2020 [5 favorites]
Very young, preferably homegrown, beets, steamed with a little butter, are incredible.
Old, woody, beets, are horrible.
Also, warn beet hater about red color in unexpected place.
posted by H21 at 2:26 PM on August 7, 2020 [9 favorites]
Old, woody, beets, are horrible.
Also, warn beet hater about red color in unexpected place.
posted by H21 at 2:26 PM on August 7, 2020 [9 favorites]
This may be obvious, but I've recently started juicing beets, and one tip I found was to make sure you peel them to get rid of some of the more earthy flavor - if the earthy flavor is part of the problem.
posted by FencingGal at 2:30 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by FencingGal at 2:30 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Former beet-hater here. I thought I hated beets until I realized in my mid-30s that I only hated pickled beets. Beets cooked with orange zest won me over.
I still hate pickled beets.
posted by homodachi at 2:32 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I still hate pickled beets.
posted by homodachi at 2:32 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I had always been a beet-hater until I had carrot and beet tibs at an Ethiopian restaurant; maybe the right combination of roasting and spice would do the trick?
posted by sencha at 2:33 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by sencha at 2:33 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
If your goal is to use up some beets by cooking things the beet hater will not object to, try beet cake. You can find multiple recipes online. The end result will not taste like beets.
If your goal is to get the beet hater to learn to appreciate the taste of beets, I suggest dicing them up along with a variety of other root vegetables (you can include quartered brussels sprouts too), mixing them with olive oil and butter (and some mustard if you like) and roasting them for about an hour. (Beets take longer to cook than a lot of other root vegetables, so either dice them smaller than the others or parboil them first.) When you have a bunch of different vegetables in one mouthful the taste of any particular one is not very strong. Your beet hater will hopefully notice the taste enough to begin to get used to it but not enough to be bothered by it.
posted by Redstart at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2020
If your goal is to get the beet hater to learn to appreciate the taste of beets, I suggest dicing them up along with a variety of other root vegetables (you can include quartered brussels sprouts too), mixing them with olive oil and butter (and some mustard if you like) and roasting them for about an hour. (Beets take longer to cook than a lot of other root vegetables, so either dice them smaller than the others or parboil them first.) When you have a bunch of different vegetables in one mouthful the taste of any particular one is not very strong. Your beet hater will hopefully notice the taste enough to begin to get used to it but not enough to be bothered by it.
posted by Redstart at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2020
Another vote for roasting beets.
Borscht is utterly vile, but I love me some roasted golden and chioggia beets.
posted by humbug at 2:49 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Borscht is utterly vile, but I love me some roasted golden and chioggia beets.
posted by humbug at 2:49 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Beet and Carrot Slaw is awesome and easy to make if you have a mandoline. I first had raw beets this way as a topping at Tikkaway.
posted by coevals at 2:49 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by coevals at 2:49 PM on August 7, 2020
I also once spent time trying to convince myself to like beets. Moderate successes were roasted with other vegies and garlic, and veeery thinly sliced beets in salad. But the thing is, beets just aren't that good - they are basically a tasty root vegetable completely ruined by the excessive sweetness. So be prepared that the outcome may be that your person really just doesn't like beets.
posted by neatsocks at 2:55 PM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by neatsocks at 2:55 PM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm the exact opposite of homodachi. to me fresh beets and borscht taste like dirt.
posted by brujita at 2:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by brujita at 2:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I LOVE oven baked beet chips (there's a bowl of sliced beets in my kitchen as I type this, just waiting to be baked). They taste deeper and less earthy than other forms of beets to me (though I do also love that earthy goodness). Here's the recipe I use, which calls for sitting them out in salt for a while first to get rid of some of the water before roasting.
posted by DingoMutt at 3:07 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by DingoMutt at 3:07 PM on August 7, 2020
I haven't tried this exact recipe, but I remember having a salad like it once, and it was delicious. (I don't normally like beets either, so maybe it's worth a try!)
posted by Shadow Boxer at 3:09 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by Shadow Boxer at 3:09 PM on August 7, 2020
The recipe that converted me was roasted beets with horseradish sour cream. I made it years ago from the Gourmet cookbook, though the horseradish sour cream was very simple, just the named ingredients salt pepper and maybe lemon juice. The flavor was strong enough to stand up to and complement the sweetish beet flavor that put me off for decades. I now purchase beets when I have a taste for that dish and still skip the pickled ones.
This has not been enough to convert my younger kids, however they don’t put sour cream, or even horseradish, on much of anything yet.
posted by childofTethys at 3:18 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
This has not been enough to convert my younger kids, however they don’t put sour cream, or even horseradish, on much of anything yet.
posted by childofTethys at 3:18 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm a not big fan of beets but I will eat them fresh (canned are pretty terrible generally) and I find the smaller ones are the least unpleasantly earthy or maybe the chioggia or candy stripe variety. Beets I think can benefit from being roasted or made into chips and deep fried. However, my partner is an enormous fan of beets, particularly beets in borscht. I don't make the borscht but when I want to treat my partner I usually make a beet tart tatin. I've had once or twice this - chocolate beet cake - and you hardly notice the beets!
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:32 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:32 PM on August 7, 2020
Beet tzaziki!! Beet hummus. Roasted beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts. I also love gefilte fish with beet horseradish but that's... probably too much to ask of your beet hater.
posted by pazazygeek at 3:38 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by pazazygeek at 3:38 PM on August 7, 2020
A beet or two tastes surprisingly good in potato leek soup.
posted by vanitas at 3:38 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by vanitas at 3:38 PM on August 7, 2020
In non-pandemic times I say get yourself to the best indie restaurant and order the beet dish. In Cincinnati I'd send you to Abigail Street where you would get:
posted by mmascolino at 3:40 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
local beets, whipped lebna, toasted hazelnuts, baby kale, brown butter lemon vinaigretteIt is delicious.
posted by mmascolino at 3:40 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
If you're going to roast beets with other veggies, you might want to pair them with veggies that really contrast their sweetness and earthiness. For example, roasting beets with something like kohlrabi (as in, not a root veggie but is roasting-friendly like one) might help.
posted by blerghamot at 3:41 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by blerghamot at 3:41 PM on August 7, 2020
My beet-hater father loved borscht, which my beet-lover mother made for him without mentioning the beets to show him he could be a beet-lover too.
posted by kokaku at 3:43 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by kokaku at 3:43 PM on August 7, 2020
Yeah, I hate beets, too. Except for these: Golden beet fritters.
posted by skye.dancer at 3:53 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by skye.dancer at 3:53 PM on August 7, 2020
This is a slightly sideways answer, but if they willingly eat cooked greens, maybe try beet greens. They have a little bit of beet flavor, but can be loaded with garlic, salt, and butter, and seem to have gotten me over my hindbrain's ingrained "ack this is dirt" response. Now I'll willingly eat a small amount every now and then. I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a beet lover, but they're no longer as horrific to me.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:25 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:25 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I love beef borscht. I haven't made this in ages but it's delicious.
It's nothing like the cold, meatless version.
posted by shoesietart at 4:44 PM on August 7, 2020
It's nothing like the cold, meatless version.
posted by shoesietart at 4:44 PM on August 7, 2020
OK, hear me out... borscht is awful when it's watery or tastes of nothing but beet, but it doesn't have to be that way. I put two beets in a pot of borscht. The rest is chicken stock, diced tomatoes, sautéed onions (LOTS), garlic, carrots, celery, cabbage (optional), and dill, a little butter, and an addition of more garlic and lemon juice in the last few minutes of cooking. Half goes into the blender then gets mixed back in for a thicker texture. It's hella pink, but it tastes like a rich and balanced vegetable soup, not beet water. Serve with sour cream and things to dip, like grilled buttered toast.
The other thing I like to do with beets is glaze 'em. Peel, cut into cubes, put in a saucepan, add a mixture of half water and half orange juice till they are just covered, add a dash of salt, and cook at a low boil until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze (watching them like a hawk and stirring constantly by the end). You need good-quality beets for this, though -- otherwise it's disappointing.
posted by aws17576 at 4:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
The other thing I like to do with beets is glaze 'em. Peel, cut into cubes, put in a saucepan, add a mixture of half water and half orange juice till they are just covered, add a dash of salt, and cook at a low boil until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze (watching them like a hawk and stirring constantly by the end). You need good-quality beets for this, though -- otherwise it's disappointing.
posted by aws17576 at 4:59 PM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
If you’re interested in the toasted root vegetable mix that Redstart describes, but you’re, you know, lazy, Trader Joe’s sells a seasonal bag of root vegetable oven fries. Beets, sweet potatoes, and parsnips. I’ll be honest, I generally pick around the beets. But it’s an idea.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:21 PM on August 7, 2020
posted by kevinbelt at 5:21 PM on August 7, 2020
I think it wouldn’t be wrong to roast some beets with carrots and serve them over some frisee greens with a soft goat cheese and fresh-ground pepper. Good luck, it is a worthy cause.
posted by dreamphone at 5:21 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by dreamphone at 5:21 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Beets and Caramelized Onions with Feta:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small)
3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, then add beets and cheese, stirring gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.
I prefer using roasted beets for this, and it's fantastic. I've also used chopped, toasted walnut in place of the pine nuts, or omitted them entirely. And my natural inclination is to be a bit more heavy-handed with the Dijon mustard and the feta, and to use a stronger feta like Bulgarian. It's also nice to add a little lemon juice as well -- it brightens up the beets.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:27 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small)
3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, then add beets and cheese, stirring gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.
I prefer using roasted beets for this, and it's fantastic. I've also used chopped, toasted walnut in place of the pine nuts, or omitted them entirely. And my natural inclination is to be a bit more heavy-handed with the Dijon mustard and the feta, and to use a stronger feta like Bulgarian. It's also nice to add a little lemon juice as well -- it brightens up the beets.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:27 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
After...experiencing...canned beets as a kid growing up, I avoided them like the plague until one day a couple years ago, I was in the deli section of a French supermarket and there in the refrigerated display case was a container of chopped beets in mustard vinaigrette and it was just so! right! that I immediately bought it and ate it for lunch. It was delicious and I’ve never looked back.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:32 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:32 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
I find that a lot of Western style pickled beets to be mushy, I prefer mine cold-pickled so it retains the crunch and the sugar.
In borscht/ beet soup, I find most people overcook the beets - serving before they get mushy also retains a lot of the sweetness in beets.
Has the beet hater ever tried golden beets? They roast up very nicely.
posted by porpoise at 5:33 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
In borscht/ beet soup, I find most people overcook the beets - serving before they get mushy also retains a lot of the sweetness in beets.
Has the beet hater ever tried golden beets? They roast up very nicely.
posted by porpoise at 5:33 PM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
I see someone mentioned smoothies above, and I'd say a mixed juice is a good way, too. One of the things that I make a few times a week is a red juice that's 1/4-1/2 a beet, an apple, the juice and pulp of a lemon, and an inch-long nub of ginger. Blend with ice and 2-3 cups of water, until it's cold and juicy as you like. Beets play with fruity/sweet/acidic flavors very nicely, and ginger's punch can serve as a sort of mask on the earthy overtones that tends to squick out beet haters. This is a very, very good use of a high-powered blender like a Vitamix.
Mmm, I think I'm gonna go make one of these right now.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:48 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
Mmm, I think I'm gonna go make one of these right now.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:48 PM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
But the thing is, beets just aren't that good - they are basically a tasty root vegetable completely ruined by the excessive sweetness.
So... a carrot?
I am a person who loves all beet things and my sister, who is a foodie otherwise and loves everything, hates them. A few recipes I have that I think can help, but honestly, maybe they just don't like them?
- Beets shredded into burritos kind of like slaw? Their sweetness can be a good angle on the otherwise savory direction (esp with a lot of sour cream)
- Beet and carrot salad with a tangy balsamic dressing with a LOT of gorgonzola or bleu cheese mixed in
- Yes to beet risotto, kind of a neat color
- Yes to roasting them with contrasting veggies, I often will go with parsnip or turnip, maybe with a mild maple glaze.
posted by jessamyn at 6:20 PM on August 7, 2020
So... a carrot?
I am a person who loves all beet things and my sister, who is a foodie otherwise and loves everything, hates them. A few recipes I have that I think can help, but honestly, maybe they just don't like them?
- Beets shredded into burritos kind of like slaw? Their sweetness can be a good angle on the otherwise savory direction (esp with a lot of sour cream)
- Beet and carrot salad with a tangy balsamic dressing with a LOT of gorgonzola or bleu cheese mixed in
- Yes to beet risotto, kind of a neat color
- Yes to roasting them with contrasting veggies, I often will go with parsnip or turnip, maybe with a mild maple glaze.
posted by jessamyn at 6:20 PM on August 7, 2020
Lactic acid fermented beets are really good and don’t taste like dirt.
posted by bluebird at 3:52 AM on August 8, 2020
posted by bluebird at 3:52 AM on August 8, 2020
Hated beets growing up. I only ever had canned or pickled, or the school would serve something called "Harvard beets" that were slimy little round beets in sweet sauce. So gross it makes me shudder to think about it.
I became a beet lover as an adult after trying roasted beets in a salad with spring mix, asparagus, pecans, goat cheese and balsamic dressing. Whole different ballgame from what I was served as a kid. That's still the main way I eat them but also like them in a side dish of mixed roasted veggies. And for a while I was making or buying fresh apple-carrot-beet juice (with lemon and ginger) because yum, but have since realized that's probably more sugar than I should be having if I'm trying to be healthy.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:53 AM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I became a beet lover as an adult after trying roasted beets in a salad with spring mix, asparagus, pecans, goat cheese and balsamic dressing. Whole different ballgame from what I was served as a kid. That's still the main way I eat them but also like them in a side dish of mixed roasted veggies. And for a while I was making or buying fresh apple-carrot-beet juice (with lemon and ginger) because yum, but have since realized that's probably more sugar than I should be having if I'm trying to be healthy.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:53 AM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Beetroot Palya , a South Indian recipe. This one has a spice mix that needs to be made beforehand, but I usually make it without the mix.
posted by dhruva at 6:17 AM on August 8, 2020
posted by dhruva at 6:17 AM on August 8, 2020
Beet-Dressed Pasta With Golden Raisins & Poppy Seeds
Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction
Charred beetroot with lime salsa and pickled chillies
Salt-Roasted Beet and Browned Butter Mousse
Strawberry-Beet Sorbet
Beet Pibil
Thyme To Beet It
Beef Ravioli with Goat Cheese
Beetroot bread
Beetroot-marinated salmon with radish salad
Root Vegetable Tian
Fall Fatoush Salad
posted by zsh2v1 at 9:53 AM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction
Charred beetroot with lime salsa and pickled chillies
Salt-Roasted Beet and Browned Butter Mousse
Strawberry-Beet Sorbet
Beet Pibil
Thyme To Beet It
Beef Ravioli with Goat Cheese
Beetroot bread
Beetroot-marinated salmon with radish salad
Root Vegetable Tian
Fall Fatoush Salad
posted by zsh2v1 at 9:53 AM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
You should also be aware that beets are one of those foods where where small differences in genetics can give them a very unpleasant taste for some people. For some, beets have a much more bitter flavor (often said to taste like dirt) while for others, it is richer, more well-rounded experience. So, it might not be that your friend doesn't like the taste of something that you like but rather what they taste is much more unpleasant experience for them than it is for you.
posted by metahawk at 4:14 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by metahawk at 4:14 PM on August 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I like Mark Bittman's quick pickled beets. Don't overcook the beets; they should still have some firmness to them.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:58 AM on August 9, 2020
posted by brianogilvie at 8:58 AM on August 9, 2020
I am a beet skeptic, but I enjoyed this shaved raw beet salad from How to Cook Everything. Agree that golden or chioggia are a much easier sell for those who don't want to see a bloody mess on their plate.
posted by libraryhead at 6:00 PM on August 9, 2020
posted by libraryhead at 6:00 PM on August 9, 2020
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Does beet-hater like hummus? I'd go beet hummus, with a low beet:hummus ratio, and gradually increase. You'll never get beet texture but the taste will come through.
posted by supercres at 1:55 PM on August 7, 2020 [4 favorites]