How do I cook beetroot without staining everything?
Cooking beetroot whole with the skin on, why you should not trim it too closely, and how to get the colour off your hands.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Cook it whole, skin on, with the root and 2cm of stalk left attached — that keeps the colour and the flavour inside rather than in the water. Roast wrapped in foil at 200°C for 45 to 90 minutes, then the skin rubs off with a cloth.
Beetroot bleeds. Every cut you make before cooking lets colour and sweetness leach out, which is why boiled peeled beetroot is pale and watery and roasted whole beetroot is dark and concentrated.
Step by step
- Leave it whole and unpeeled.Do not peel, do not cut. The skin is the seal that keeps the colour and sugar in.
- Trim the leaves but leave a stalk.Cut the leaves off about 2cm above the crown, and leave the thin root tail attached. Cutting flush into the flesh opens a wound that bleeds throughout cooking.
- Scrub rather than peel.A brush under cold water is enough. The skin comes off easily after cooking.
- Roast for the best flavour.Wrapped individually or as a batch in foil with a splash of water, 200°C. Small beets 45 minutes, large ones up to 90. Foil traps steam so they cook evenly.
- Or boil them whole.Cover with cold water, add a splash of vinegar to hold the colour, and simmer 30 to 60 minutes depending on size.
- Test with a skewer.It should slide in with no resistance. Beetroot varies enormously in cooking time by size and age, so time is only a guide.
- Rub the skins off while warm.Kitchen paper or a cloth you do not mind staining, or wear gloves. The skin slips off in one movement. Cold beetroot is much harder to peel.
- Protect your hands and board.Disposable gloves, and a plastic board rather than wood — wood absorbs the pigment permanently. Lemon juice and salt removes fresh stains from skin.
- Use the leaves.Young beet leaves and stalks cook like chard and are excellent wilted with garlic. They are usually thrown away for no reason.
Tips
- Never peel beetroot before cooking. It is the single change that improves the result most.
- Peel it warm with a cloth — the skin slides off, and cold beetroot fights you.
- A splash of vinegar in the water keeps boiled beetroot a deeper red.
Common mistakes
- Peeling and chopping beetroot before boiling — Every cut surface bleeds colour and sugar into the water, so you end up with pink water and pale, bland beetroot. The skin is what keeps both inside.
- Cutting the stalks off flush with the crown — It opens the top of the beet and it bleeds from there for the whole cooking time. Leaving 2cm of stalk seals it.
If it doesn't work
Pale and watery
Cause: Peeled or cut before cooking — Fix: Cook whole with skin, root and stalk stub intact.
Still hard after an hour
Cause: Large or old beetroot — Fix: Keep going — large beetroot can take 90 minutes. Test with a skewer, not the clock.
Stained hands
Cause: Peeled without gloves — Fix: Rub with lemon juice and salt, then wash. It fades within a day regardless.
Wooden board stained pink
Cause: Beetroot cut on wood — Fix: Use a plastic board for beetroot. Wood absorbs the pigment and it does not come out.
Questions people ask
Is vacuum-packed cooked beetroot any good?
It is convenient and fine in salads, but it is usually cooked in vinegar so it tastes sharper and less sweet than beetroot you have roasted yourself. For anything where beetroot is the point, cook it.
Why is my urine pink after eating beetroot?
It is called beeturia and it is harmless — the pigment passes through unchanged in some people. It is not a sign of anything wrong.