I am a first-year gardener, so imagine how happy I am to see these treasured beets coming out of the ground. My parents, in the last few years, got me enthused about borscht, but beets can be a dollar each here, and the greens are never good.
I don't like to boil beets- I like to bake them. If they are fist-sized, wrap each one in foil to make its own little moisture-sealing oven and bake at 350 F until done, usually 1 hr to 1 hr and 15 min. Try to pierce them with a fork. When cool, rub or cut off skins. You can cut them into quarters and freeze in freezer bags. Be sure to label the bags.
I was not sure what to do with the stems, but after consulting with my mom and reading a few websites, I decided just to wash them, slice and fry them up with onions. My mom throws the onions away afterward, but that seemed silly, so I kept them. I used only a little oil, and put some water in as needed. Keep stirring them.
Although I am a kale lover, my mom is devoted to beet greens. I was surprised at how much I had, even after culling the bad ones! I steamed them. They wilt down quite a lot.
Although they can, too, be frozen, my mom feels it is easier to make borscht combining the beets and greens and freeze it that way. Tomorrow I'll make borscht, but not like my mom makes!
Thrift tip: My friend MB buys special soap for her vegetables at the health food store. It's about $5 a bottle. Dr. Weil's website says that plain vinegar works just as well. Buy the gallon to save money; you'll use a lot. It was about $1.50.
Cleaning tip: After cleaning all the beets in the sink, I sanitized everything with a solution of 10% bleach (a glug) in water. The sponge, brush, cutting boards, counters. Wear old clothes anytime you use bleach solution; one spot on your blouse or sweater will ruin it. Thinking of it later, I should have cleaned the beets outside in a bucket with the hose.
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