How to bake beets and save all its useful properties?

Beetroot is one of the most common root crops in Russia.This vegetable is used to prepare a variety of dishes, due to its beneficial properties. Today, to preserve all the beneficial properties of beet culinary specialists and nutritionists suggest using roasting vegetables in various ways in the oven or microwave oven, and the use of a slow cooker is proposed as an alternative method for long boiling.

Features of the use of beets in food due to different ways of its preparation and use. Beets can be used as a separate side dish or be an ingredient in a complex dish: borscht, vinaigrette, herring under a fur coat salad and so on.

In some dishes, beets are used raw without heat treatment. As a rule, young root vegetable is used for this purpose. Most often, beets are amenable to heat treatment, while maintaining their beneficial properties. An important feature of dishes with this ingredient is the possibility of variations in the methods of its preparation. So, beets can be boiled, baked in the oven by an open method, in a foil or a sleeve, in a microwave oven, cooked in various modes in a slow cooker.

Benefit from the use of any vegetable for the body will be only if it is selected correctly. Beets are better to buy at markets or farmers' fairs. Farm products are environmentally friendly, and the delivery time from the garden to the counter is significantly less than in supermarkets.

When choosing beets on the shelves of a store or supermarket, you should pay attention to the integrity of the peel, so that the fruit is resilient and without spots. The shriveled root crop testifies that it was stored for a long time in inappropriate conditions, and consequently, also useful properties in this product remained less. Preference should be given to beets grown in your region or in nearby areas. You should not choose an imported vegetable, which is likely to contain chemical fertilizers and GMOs.

Beet has a number of beneficial properties and advantages compared with other vegetables and root vegetables.

• This vegetable is unpretentious in cultivation, and therefore, a minimum of fertilizers is used in the growth process. The presence in the root of pesticides and GMOs is practically reduced to zero.
• The low price of the vegetable, regardless of seasonality, as domestic production eliminates the dependence on imports.
• Availability of product purchase both on the market and in supermarkets and hypermarkets at any time of the year.
• The rich content of beneficial vitamins, trace elements, which are not destroyed during heat treatment. So, beets are rich in fiber, folic acid, which is especially necessary for women during pregnancy, iodine, which prevents diseases of the thyroid gland. The trace mineral betaine contained in the root crop reduces the risk of malignant tumors and also contributes to blood formation.
• A variety of cooking methods and the ability to use even raw.

Despite the huge number of beneficial properties of beets, it is necessary to pay attention to the contraindications associated with the use of this product. In some cases, the use of this vegetable is undesirable, as it can harm the body. Caution should be used "red root" for people suffering from certain diseases.

• High sugar content in vegetables is a contraindication for eating this product to people with diabetes.
• Some trace elements contained in the beet, prevent the absorption of calcium in the body. Therefore, people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system should limit the use of this vegetable.
• Patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urolithiasis should limit the amount of beets in the daily diet.

Harm from the use of beets is conditional, but in the presence of the above diseases it is worth consulting with a doctor and not to abuse the consumption of this product, even as part of certain dishes. In general, doctors agree: for a given vegetable to cause significant damage to the body, it is necessary to use it around the clock only or follow an excessively beet diet.

Traditionally, beets are prepared by boiling for a long time. Today, the traditional method of cooking is being replaced by an alternative method: roasting in the oven. This method is optimal for preserving the beneficial properties of the product. Roasting beets in the oven is possible in several ways:

• open way;
• tight wrapping of root vegetables in foil before baking;
• baking in the sleeve;
• use at the same time and foil, and sleeves.

For any method of cooking it is necessary to prepare a root vegetable. For even cooking beets, the size of the vegetables should be approximately the same. If both large and small vegetables are cooked at the same time, the small ones will be dried out, and the large ones may be unevenly baked. If there are variegated root crops, large ones need to be cut into several pieces without cleaning, to approximately the size of the smallest.

Beets should be thoroughly washed. To do this, it is better to use a new sponge for washing dishes with hard bristles or a special brush for washing root vegetables. Peel the peel from a raw vegetable is not worth it. It is the skin that retains all the beneficial elements and the juice inside the product during heat treatment.

The open way of roasting beets in the oven involves putting the product on a baking tray, pre-laid with baking paper. When using this paper with a non-stick effect, vegetables should not be oiled. The distance between the vegetables should be about 3-5 cm. This space is necessary for uniform heating and roasting. Beets can be sprinkled with olive oil, sprinkled with Italian herbs for a spicy aroma.

With the open method, beets are prepared from 40 minutes. up to 2 hours at a temperature of + 180 ... 220С. Roasting time depends on the size. The young root vegetable will prepare much faster than the one that was stored in the bins.

In order to avoid drying the vegetable during a long process of roasting under the pan, you should put a metal container with water of about 2 liters and make sure that the water does not evaporate completely until the end of the cooking process.

The baking method in baking paper leaves the baking sheet completely clean and there is no need to wash it after use. Another advantage of this method is to improve the taste of the product: the taste of beets becomes richer and brighter. But it should be remembered that with the open method, the finished beets will significantly decrease in size.

Often the hostess for baking beets use foil or sleeve.Before cooking, the root crop must be thoroughly washed, the sand remains removed, the tails and rhizome should be cut off (if there is one). Baked unpeeled vegetables. The large fruits of beets must be tightly wrapped in foil each separately. If the roots of small or medium size can wrap them together. In the baking sleeve should be selected vegetables of approximately the same size or cut large ones. Pre beets can be oiled, salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, in the sleeve for baking, you can add a little water, then the beets will be unsaturated or even stewed.

Bake both in foil and in the sleeve should be in a well-heated oven. The undoubted advantage of this method is the fact that the finished root vegetables do not significantly decrease in size as, for example, when baking in the oven on an open baking sheet. Approximate cooking time from 40 minutes to 1 hour.

In some cases it is possible to combine two methods of roasting: simultaneously in the foil and in the sleeve. To do this, the pre-washed vegetables are first wrapped tightly in foil, and then placed in a baking sleeve. The speed of baking with this method does not change, but the juice and flavor will surely remain inside the vegetable.

But you can also bake beets in a microwave or a slow cooker.

• For microwave roasting, prepared root vegetables should be placed in a microwave container or heat resistant plastic bag. You can pre-add spicy herbs, salt, pepper or sprinkle with olive oil. This method significantly saves cooking time (about 10-20 minutes), but the finished product will be stewed rather than baked.
• For cooking in a slow cooker, beets can be peeled or left unpeeled. The taste of the finished product will depend on the selected mode. Cooking time in the slow cooker depends on the mode, but in any case, this method is faster than roasting in the oven. Among the modes, multicookers recommend choosing the “Russian oven” mode (vegetables are stewed at a uniformly maintained temperature) or the “pressure cooker” mode (beets are boiled under high pressure).

The above methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the method of cooking beets should be based on the recipe of the finished dish. However, it should be noted that all methods make it possible to preserve the beneficial properties of the "red vegetable" better than the method of long boiling.

Dishes using beets are varied. Conventionally, they can be divided into two categories:

• beets as an independent side dish;
• beets as an ingredient in a complex dish.

Beetroot as an independent side dish is forgotten and underestimated. Although this vegetable at the expense of its unique taste can emphasize and reveal the main course. Beetroot is perfect for meat (beef, lamb, pork), fish.

A young root vegetable as an independent side dish can not be heat treated at all. Young beets are quite tender. It can be grated on a fine grater, pick a suitable dressing:

• olive oil;
• creamy garlic;
• mayonnaise;
• corn or sunflower oil with spices (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, etc.).

As a separate side dish of beets, it is best to bake the whole way open or in foil / sleeve. Before baking, it is better to add herbs, allspice, sprinkle with olive or corn oil.

It is especially important when using beets as a side dish not to overdry the root crop in the oven. Otherwise, the side dish will come out hard and not juicy, and the useful properties will be saved much less.

After baking, the beets must be cooled, removed from the foil or sleeve, peeled and cut into half rings or slices.Such a bright garnish will decorate any dish, or you can serve serving plates at once.

Pieces of beet can be sprinkled with dried herbs, sprinkle with olive oil, salt or pepper, add dried paprika. If desired, such a side dish can be left altogether without seasonings and butter.

Original and elegant combination of baked beets with fetaks cheese or cheese. For such a salad, half-rings of red root vegetables are spread on a large round dish, alternating with half-rings or slices of the same size cheese. The finished dish is decorated with greens, a slice of lemon and olives, poured with a small amount of olive oil. This simple and bright salad will decorate any table.

An interesting and unusual decision can be stuffed baked root vegetable. To do this, already in a peeled, baked vegetable, you need to make a well, which you can stuff to taste with different fillings. A good combination for the filling will be fried mushrooms with onions and cream, salted fish (salmon, salmon), cut into small pieces with chopped greens. Top stuffed beets can be sprinkled with grated cheese and sent to the oven for 10-15 minutes.

An ideal complement to the beet garnish will be nuts. Pine nuts can occasionally be sprinkled on to pieces of a ready-made garnish, and large walnut kernels should be crushed in a mortar or rolling pin.

As an ingredient, beets come in a variety of salads. And if the vegetable must be boiled in the recipe, then the baked version will add savor to the taste of the finished dish.

It is safe to bake beets for well-known and favorite salads: “herring under a fur coat”, vinaigrette. For the first recipe, baked beets should be grated on a coarse grater, but for the vinaigrette, the vegetable is cut into cubes.

Original beetroot recipe with baked main ingredient. An alternative recipe for beetroot requires 3-4 medium beets, 3-4 fresh cucumbers, one bunch of green onions, dill, parsley, 4 eggs, kefir or airan 2 liters (can be replaced with water and sour cream), salt and pepper to taste.

Baked main ingredient cut into strips and pour into a deep pan. Cucumbers cut into the same straw as beets. Finely chop greens. Mix beets, cucumbers and greens. Fill all with airan or kefir. The density of beetroot regulate at its discretion.

The finished dish is allowed to infuse and cool for at least an hour in the refrigerator or in a cool place. In a portion of the plates add finely chopped egg.

Changing the method of preparation of one ingredient will significantly enrich the taste of such a familiar and refreshing dish, fill it with bright flavors.

Baked beets are stored for about a week in the refrigerator. Therefore, if you often cook dishes with a red ingredient, it is better to have baked root vegetables ready, which are conveniently stored in a plastic container or frozen in a zip-bag to increase shelf life. The shelf life of ready-to-eat baked vegetables in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Properly selected and cooked in the oven, beets will deliver not only the taste of pleasure, but will fill the body with vitamins and useful trace elements. According to the opinion of nutritionists and professional chefs, baked beets are not only tasty, but also very useful.

In the next video you will find a recipe for a delicious salad with baked beets, cheese and eggs.