How to cook beets in the microwave

How long does it take to cook a vegetable in a pan?

Beets are one of those root vegetables that require long heat treatment, almost comparable to cooking meat.

Whole beet tubers, depending on their size, are boiled in a saucepan for 30 minutes to 2 hours:

This slow cooking of this vegetable is explained by two main features:

• they begin to boil it by immersing the vegetable in a pan containing initially cold water, which causes the cooking time to increase by the time the water boils;
• a small amount of starch in the composition and a special structure of beet pulp (high fiber content).

In addition, young beets cook twice as fast as overwintered beets.

Some more useful tips:

1. To reduce the cooking time of the vegetable, after boiling the water, pour a tablespoon of salt into the pan, let the solution boil again, only after that add the beets, a tablespoon of sugar and the same amount of 9% vinegar.
2. There are a great many recipes with photos on how to cook beets, but you don’t need to be a chef to do this. For example, to remove the characteristic beetroot smell, it is enough to place a crust of rye bread in boiling water with root vegetables half an hour before cooking. Agree, simple and useful.
3. Boiled beets can be stored for no more than 2 days. Even in the refrigerator and unrefined, it loses ascorbic acid and many trace elements during this period of time.
4. If raw beets have lost moisture, become wrinkled and dry, they must be scalded with boiling water, then placed in warm liquid for an hour so that the vegetable becomes elastic and attractive in appearance again.

There are many ways to prepare beets. You can bake it in the oven, on the grill, in the microwave or in a slow cooker. Just read the recipes carefully.

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How to quickly cook beets

Cooking beet in a saucepan is the simplest and most traditional way of cooking a vegetable. However, such a simple cooking at first glance has several options that affect the cooking time and the taste of the finished pulp.

The first, classic way to quickly cook beets in a saucepan consists of several simple, sequential actions by the cook:

• Pour cold water over the root vegetables before cooking and leave in it for at least seven minutes;
• Wash the vegetable thoroughly using a brush;
• put the washed beets in a saucepan and pour boiling water over them;
• Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low;
• add 1 tbsp to the pan. a spoonful of vegetable oil;
• after about 30 minutes (for medium-sized tubers), drain the water;
• Pour cold water over the boiled beets and immediately begin peeling.

To maximize the speed of cooking root vegetables on the stove in a pan, in both cases the water for cooking it should be taken not from the tap, but softened: bottled drinking water (not mineral!), or purified with a filter.

The second, quick method of cooking beet is especially good if the fruit is used in salads or other dishes in which the vegetable is chopped into cubes or strips.

Washed raw root vegetables are peeled, and the beets themselves are cut into cubes, slices or chopped.

Add citric acid or table vinegar to boiling water and add chopped beets.

Next, follow the following sequence of actions:

• let the water with the vegetable boil;
• reduce heat to medium-low;
• cover the pan with a lid and cook until done.

The boiling time for chopped beets is significantly reduced and amounts to no more than 30 minutes when cooked in a medium-sized 2-liter saucepan.

Ways to speed up cooking

To cook beets quickly, you need to know some tricks. Young root vegetables can speed up the cooking process.

Chopped vegetables cook much faster than whole ones. For example, if beets need to be added to borscht, then they are grated and stewed in a frying pan. This will help speed up the cooking process.

If a red vegetable needs to be boiled urgently for a salad, then the fresh tuber must be peeled and cut into small cubes. Place in a container, add water and microwave.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes. To speed up the preparation of the salad, along with the beets, you can prepare other ingredients - potatoes, carrots - in a similar way. The salad will thus be prepared in half an hour.

There is no need to salt the beets until they are ready; this will only slow down the cooking.

How to cook beets correctly? Video:

Whole in the pan

To boil beets whole, it is better to choose a small size. You should first wash it well (clean it from dirt). There is no need to cut off the eyes and tails. This will help preserve color and remove excess moisture.

Vegetables can be cooked in a saucepan in several ways:

1. Place a pan of water on gas and boil. Immerse the pure product in boiling water and cook until tender.
2. Place the root vegetables in a saucepan and add cold water (so that the water covers the tubers by 5-10 cm). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tender.
3. A quick cooking method is exposure to temperature changes. Cook using the second method, only after the water boils, boil for 30 minutes. Then cool the vegetables with cold water or ice for 15 minutes. After another 5 minutes, check readiness. If the beets are still not ready, boil for another 10 minutes. But in most cases such manipulation will not be necessary. The temperature difference helps the pulp reach readiness.

In a slow cooker or pressure cooker

This kitchen gadget has made the life of many housewives easier. Using a multicooker, you can cook root vegetables quickly and tasty.

To do this, you can use one of the programs:

1. "Steam cooking." Place the washed beet in a bowl and fill with water. Set the timer for 30 minutes and turn on the device. This is ideal for salads.
2. “Cooking”, “Soup”. Pour water into a bowl and immerse clean root vegetables. Set the timer for 45 minutes and turn on the multicooker. This will make an ideal option for borscht.
3. "Stewing." Everything is done in the same way as in the second point.
4. "Roasting/baking" The timer in this case is set to an hour.

A pressure cooker will help you cook root vegetables in the shortest possible time. But before use, you need to check its serviceability. The pan should be no more than 2/3 filled with water. Place the root vegetables in a container with water, close the lid tightly and you can start cooking. At the end of cooking, you need to release the steam.

In a steamer

This is the healthiest way to cook. Using a double boiler, all the beneficial substances are preserved in the product. The whole vegetable is steamed for an hour.

The crushed one will be ready in half an hour. When the edges of the beets become translucent, this indicates they are ready.

In the microwave

Beets in a bag for baking in the microwave

This method takes from 10 to 25 minutes. Using a microwave oven makes beets sweeter and tastier and more reminiscent of baked beets.

You can cook whole tubers or cut them into several parts.

For vinaigrette or herring on a fur coat, this is an ideal method, since the appearance of excess liquid is excluded.

Place the well-washed product in a special container for microwave ovens or a baking bag (but do not tie it). Place in microwave on high power.

After 10-15 minutes, check the readiness state. Continue cooking if necessary. There are special containers for microwave ovens with a double bottom. Water is poured there, and the product is prepared according to the principle of a double boiler. This method allows you to get a juicier vegetable.

Rubbed

For borscht you need chopped beets. It is pre-cleaned and grated. Next, simmer with a small amount of broth or water.

To prevent the red tuber from changing its color, you can sprinkle it with vinegar or lemon. If there is sauerkraut in the borscht, this will also preserve the brightness of the color.

If you grate the beets using a grater for Korean carrots, then this form can also be prepared using a double boiler. This will take 20-30 minutes.

Video from the chef:

Cubes

To cook a red vegetable as quickly as possible, you need to cut it into cubes and cook in the microwave, steamed or in a pan - this will take 10-15 minutes. The cut cubes can also be baked in the oven.

Depending on the cooking method, you can get juicier or drier pieces. To prevent the beets from losing their color, you need to add a little sugar when cooking.

To prevent the pieces from staining other vegetables, the boiled beets should be poured with vegetable oil.

The cooking method must be chosen taking into account what the boiled beets are needed for and how much time is available.

How to cook a large root vegetable whole

There is also a little culinary wisdom for quickly cooking whole beet tubers in a saucepan for vinaigrette.

Prepared, washed root vegetables are peeled, then:

• put in boiling water;
• bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer;
• after 20 minutes, the boiling water is drained and the beets are doused with ice water.

The sharp temperature difference will significantly soften the beet pulp, and, despite the short boiling time, the beets will be completely ready for consumption.

How to cook beets in the oven

Cooking time: 20–25 minutes.

In the same way as in the previous method, wrap each root vegetable in foil and bake at 190 °C.

It is convenient to cook beets in the oven when you need a lot of them. For example, immediately for vinaigrette and herring under a fur coat.

By the way, there is a small life hack for preparing salads with beets. If you want to avoid coloring other ingredients, cut it and sprinkle it with vegetable oil, and only then combine it with other products.

How to preserve color

To preserve the attractive burgundy-red color of beets, cooking is carried out without allowing strong boiling, and always in acidified water.

Any food acid is suitable for such purposes:

• lemon;
• apple (throwing a couple of slices of sour apple into the pan);
• any sour berries;
• table or apple cider vinegar;
• homemade kvass

It is imperative that, no matter what method is chosen for boiling in a pan, the water when boiling this vegetable is under no circumstances salted! Salt slows down the cooking process, simultaneously making the beets tasteless and tough.

Thus, healthy and tasty beets can be used every day as a basis for culinary creativity. And every time this seemingly “capricious” vegetable will delight you with its beautiful juicy color and speed of preparation.

How to choose the right beets

In order to get a tasty and healthy beet dish, you need to choose young root vegetables: they are softer and tastier. The selected root vegetable should be medium in size, dense, with a thin dark red skin, without signs of damage or rot.

We put very large root vegetables aside - perhaps they are not table beets at all, but fodder beets.

In principle, forage varieties can also be eaten, but besides the fact that they will not be as sweet, the chemical composition of the fertilizers that were used to treat the plants during growth is a little alarming. We must remember that the composition of fertilizers for food and feed crops is different, so it is better not to take risks.

The best variety is considered to be Bordeaux - small, flattened, bright burgundy root vegetables with thin skin.

If you have the opportunity to buy beets with tops , that's just great. The greens will indicate to you the freshness of the root vegetable; in addition, the tops themselves are very healthy and you can prepare several very tasty dishes from them.

Today, sellers use any tricks to get you to buy the products they need to sell. Unfortunately, many of these products are stale or of poor quality. For example, under the guise of table beets, they may offer you fodder beets, but the latter has a completely different purpose.

How not to make a mistake when choosing beets - recommendations:

• You should know: fodder beets are usually large, but table beets are medium in size.
• Table beets have a darker color than fodder beets, while the latter have a lighter shade.
• The surface of a high-quality and fresh vegetable should not be covered with depressions and bulges, it should be smooth.
• The skin of suitable beets is dense and somewhat reddish, without the presence of rot or any signs of it.

By following these tips, you will certainly be able to purchase an appetizing and high-quality vegetable. Next, our conversation moves into a more important direction: what secrets you need to know in order to properly boil beets.

The nuances of cooking in a saucepan

Cooking beets in a saucepan is the most traditional method of cooking the root vegetable.

Many experienced housewives emphasize that knowing just how long to cook beets correctly is not enough. To preserve its rich color and texture, it is recommended to use some secrets:

• It is advisable to choose a pan made of aluminum or stainless steel.
• The bright red vegetable will certainly stain enamel dishes. True, this is not so scary - ordinary baking soda can cope with plaque.
• It’s better not to salt the water, otherwise it won’t be as tasty. And on the same holidays, every minute counts, and salt significantly increases the cooking process.
• After the water boils, you need to add a teaspoon of vinegar. This will preserve the rich shade of the beets.
• The crust of the brown bread helps neutralize the flavor, which may not be to everyone's taste. Just throw it in the pan along with the vegetable.

In addition to traditional methods, there are other options for culinary processing of root vegetables. To do this, you can use an oven or small household appliances.

How long will it take to prepare?

Checking the readiness of beets

Several popular methods for preparing vegetables are widely used today. Some people prefer to cook beets in a saucepan the old fashioned way. Also, various modern devices such as microwave ovens and multicookers can significantly simplify a long and labor-intensive process. Therefore, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the pressing question of how long to cook the beets until they are tender. This usually takes 2 or even 3 hours, and in rare cases - a few minutes .

The total time is determined by a number of factors. The chosen cooking method is of great importance, as well as the size of the root crop and its youth (small and young specimens reach readiness much faster). But don't worry - experts emphasize that it is quite difficult to digest beets. True, you shouldn’t overexpose it too much either.

Secrets of delicious cooking in the microwave oven

Cooking beets in a microwave oven

Using a microwave oven is an excellent alternative to classic cooking. This piece of household appliance is found in almost every kitchen, unlike the same multicooker. In addition, the microwave significantly reduces the overall cooking time for beets and eliminates the need to wash red pans. The latter especially pleases progressive housewives. It is recommended to proceed as follows:

1. Clean beets should be placed in a special container designed for cooking in a microwave oven.
2. Then you need to pour water, cover with a lid and place the container in the device.
3. Turn on the microwave oven. The time required for the vegetable to be fully prepared will depend on the size of the root crop and the power of the device. So, in a model with a power of less than 1000 watts, everything will be ready in 15 - 20 minutes. In more powerful specimens, the beets will cook even faster.

It is important to consider that after “shock” heat treatment, few vitamins will remain in the cooked vegetable.

Reviews: “My secret is to let the beets cool right in the water”

In order for the beets to remain sweet and juicy, and the pan clean, you need to wash the beets well without cutting anything. place it in a double plastic bag, tie it tightly. Take a 3-4 liter saucepan, put the bag of beets in it, add water and after boiling over low heat, cook for 2 hours, maybe more, it all depends on the size of the beets. Try it, I think you'll like it.

Love, https://volshebnaya-eda.ru/kulinarnyj-klass/kak-prigotovit/kak-bystro-i-pravilno-varit-sveklu-sovety-xozyajki/#ixzz4v7leQE6D

I cook beets in the microwave for 7-10 minutes. I put my beets in a regular bag. I tie it and pierce it with a toothpick in several places so that the bag does not burst. That's all. You don't need to do anything else. The beets are ready to eat!

Olga Fadeeva, https://lady.mail.ru/advice/530-kak-bystro-svarit-sveklu/

I buy boiled beets at the supermarket so that I don’t have to wait a long time for them to cook. I haven’t cooked vegetables for salads at home for a long time; I consider it a waste of precious time. Now many have switched to preparing dishes from ready-made products.

Alisha 33, https://chudo-povar.com/kak-bystro-svarit-sveklu-celikom-recept-s-foto.html

My secret to cooking beets is this: after the beets are cooked, let them cool directly in the water. After this it is much softer and easier to clean. I don’t recommend baking beets; they turn out dry and the process takes a lot of time. Do not cook beets together with other vegetables; they take the longest to cook, and you may end up with jelly in the pan.

Elena, https://ladyspecial.ru/kulinariya/khozyajke-na-zametku/kak-i-skolko-varit-sveklu

Choosing the right one

Cunning sellers know how to disguise even an expired product as a delicacy. Therefore, you should not be surprised if, after long wanderings around the market, you bring home fodder beets instead of table beets. To avoid making mistakes when choosing a root vegetable for salad or borscht, follow the following four recommendations.

1. Size matters. Forage beets are usually large. Therefore, whenever possible, give preference to small or medium-sized beets.
2. Attention to color. The peel of forage varieties is lighter, and the table vegetable has a dark and rich color.
3. We feel the surface. High-quality root vegetables are always smooth to the touch. There are no pits, no warts, no numerous mustaches on it. It's absolutely smooth.
4. We avoid rot. Even a small rotten spot on the skin of a beet should make you pass up a low-quality product.

Fodder, table and sugar beets differ from each other. The first is grown for animal feed, the second for human food, and the third for processing into refined sugar and granulated sugar.

How much and how to steam beets

Cooking this vegetable in a double boiler ensures that all nutrients are preserved. Another advantage of this method is the short amount of cooking time compared to boiling in a regular pan.

For example, you need to prepare a vinaigrette, how can you steam beets for this dish?

1. Peel the vegetable and rinse it thoroughly with water.
2. Cut the beets into cubes or strips, as desired.
3. Place the chopped vegetable in a steamer container and cook for about 20 minutes. If you know that your steamer does not accurately calculate time, then it is better to time it on an ordinary watch, this is important.
4. Remember: an overcooked vegetable in this case is better than an undercooked one.
5. Once the specified time has elapsed, your beets will be ready.

In the same way, you can boil beets in a slow cooker using the steam cooking mode.

How to cook in a slow cooker

Many housewives prefer to cook beetroot in a slow cooker. This method has a number of advantages:

• No need to add water

• You don’t have to monitor whether the water has boiled away (the device will tell you)

• Requires less cooking time

Place clean vegetables in the multicooker bowl and fill them with cold water. The “Multi-cooking”, “Stewing” or “Soup” function is selected. Average cooking time is 20-30 minutes. You can also cook stewed beetroot in a slow cooker.

In this case, the root vegetable is peeled and cut into cubes of the required size. The water should cover the contents of the bowl by 1 centimeter. Select the “Stew” or “Soup” function. In this case, you can immediately salt the red beetroot and add spices.

How to choose a root vegetable suitable for cooking?

When choosing beets, it is better to give preference to medium-sized fruits

Professional chefs emphasize that the right vegetables are easier to prepare and take much less time. It is recommended to follow the following rules when purchasing:

• Young specimens should be given preference. They have juicier flesh and cook faster.
• You should choose the freshest, unspoiled root vegetables with thin skins and no obvious damage.
• It is advisable to find medium or small vegetables. When choosing large plants, there is a risk of purchasing a fodder variety.
• There should be no additional growths on the surface. This could be a sign of harmful chemicals.
• The preferred variety for consumption is Bordeaux. This root vegetable has a characteristic dark color, pleasant taste and aroma, and reaches readiness faster than others.

Beetroot leaves can also be eaten

Experts advise purchasing beets with leaves. Fresh greens always confirm the quality and youth of the root crop. You can even make salads from beet tops.

Features of using a multicooker for cooking beets

Cooking beets in a slow cooker

A multicooker significantly simplifies the process of preparing beet and preserves its beneficial properties. You can cook whole beets or pre-cut them into pieces.

True chefs advise steaming vegetables. This allows you to preserve maximum vitamins. The following plan must be followed:

• Fill the multicooker bowl with water.
• Place whole or cut root vegetables in a bowl with holes.
• Place the container with the vegetable over the bowl of water and select the “steam” mode.
• Cook for 40 minutes.

You can also use the “soup” function if desired. To do this, you just need to put the beets in a bowl filled with water and leave on the selected mode until fully cooked. As a rule, one hour is enough.