Cooking old beets
I just harvested some beets from last year, they are red in the center and the rest is a yellow white color. They are huge, so are they edible?
Best Answer
I believe the beets are safe to eat. I happen to have some beets that have been in my fridge for about 3 months. They are also big. What I will do in the next couple of days is what I think you should do. Clean them, cut off a bit of the top, about a half inch and the same with the bottom, then put them in foil, put a bit of canola oil and salt on them, wrap them tight, put on a pan, in preheated 400 degree F oven for about one hour, check at 45 minutes, then cook as needed 15-45 minutes more. I don't know how big yours are and if you are a bit iffy then bake at 350 F or 375 F, same time. Boiling is also a way to do it but baking brings out such a sweetness in the beets it is just an unbeatable way of cooking them for me. Good Luck.
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Quick Answer about "Cooking old beets"
If the skin is broken, the color of beets will be lost and they will look a dull pink after cooking. Place the beets in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and cook gently, covered, until tender. Young beets will be done in 30 to 40 minutes depending on their size. Cooking old beets will require 1 hour or more.What can I do with old soft beets?
Revive limp or tired beets with a soak in cold water. Use up extra beets by roasting them. Roasted beets can be turned into hummus, baked into chocolate cake, used as sandwich filling, blended into a pesto, or tossed into a salad. Beets can be pickled.How do you know when beets are bad?
How To Tell If Beets Are Bad?Can you eat woody beets?
Don't Throw Out Woody BeetsThey can still be sliced thinly and cooked, or you can blend them and still use them in soups or smoothies. Even if you still don't want to eat them, the leafy beet tops are perfectly edible as salad greens, in stir fries, or as a substitute for spinach.Can you cook and eat soft beets?
If it is soft like a tomato is, then it has probably spoiled. If, on the other hand, it is still firm but has little "give" to it, then it's probably alright to eat. It is the cooking that softens it up, though it can be eaten raw. I grate some raw beetroot into salads and stuff occasionaly, just for fun.How to prepare, cook and cut Beetroot - French cooking techniques
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Answer 2
Beets last ages if stored in cool conditions; if it isn't moldy and is still hard like a rock and not squishy, it should be completely safe. If it is a gigantic beet, it's possible it might be woody, but that's a separate question from whether it is safe.
I agree with @user33210; baking beets is definitely the best way of cooking them and brings out their natural sweetness in a way that moist cooking methods cannot. I always bake them with a little bit of salt and olive oil; just like baked potatoes.
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