487082 Wed Feb 06 19:14:28 -0800 2008 22 31 Home Cooking 0 3372126 i'm roasting some gorgeous beets from the farmers market but can't decide whether to wrap them in foil or not. what to do? what are the pros and cons or wrapping your beets? Wed Feb 06 19:14:28 -0800 2008 68151 mmmyum 1 3372132 I think I'd post this on Home Cooking. I put olive oil in a pan & roast mine, BTW, unwrapped. Wed Feb 06 19:17:38 -0800 2008 3372126 10392 torta basilica 1 3372468 unwrapped! I steam mine for a bit, so they take less time, and roast with olive oil... (or I slice really really thin - think chip-like - toss them in olive oil and pepper, and roast them... they get crunchy and delicious! you have to watch them, though, they tend to burn all of a sudden) mmmm...w/e you decide, enjoy them! Wed Feb 06 21:59:22 -0800 2008 3372126 151905 ark1118 1 3372486 I cut to size, toss with olive oil & seasoning & roast unwrapped. Good every time! Wed Feb 06 22:14:41 -0800 2008 3372126 111267 meatn3 1 3372500 I wrap -- unless you peel them and cut them up, I find that the outsides get too leathery if they're not wrapped. If you wrap them, then the peel slips right off and the beets are silky and tender. Wed Feb 06 22:30:52 -0800 2008 3372126 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 3372664 Ditto. I wrap them with nothing on them and roast. Skins come right off that way. Thu Feb 07 04:17:53 -0800 2008 3372500 104084 LNG212 2 3372758 I also wrap, and have found that Goin's method of putting them in a pan (I use a pyrex brownie pan), tossing with some olive oil and salt, adding a splash of water and covering with foil works better than just wrapping them in foil. I use surgical gloves when I peel them. Thu Feb 07 05:48:44 -0800 2008 3372500 10985 MMRuth 3 3373051 I use a metal brownie pan, add nothing to the beets but cover the pan with foil. Using paper towels to rub the skin off is very easy. They finish so sweet that I usually just slice and plate them on a serving dish. Thu Feb 07 07:24:27 -0800 2008 3372758 75332 Gio 3 3373452 MMRuth, what oven temp do you use for this method? Just bought some fresh beets for first time and am SO glad this thread is running! Also, do you use the greens in a saute? Thu Feb 07 09:05:24 -0800 2008 3372758 11983 Val 4 3373775 I have to confess to not having used the greens - trying to like bitter greens, but not doing well! 400 degrees - and just checked, and Goin's recipe calls for 40 minutes. I check them with a knife - depending on the size, the time varies. Thu Feb 07 10:24:02 -0800 2008 3373452 10985 MMRuth 5 3373836 Funny, me too. I love beets, but still haven't got the taste for beet greens. I've tried many different ways of cooking them, but it just doesn't do it for me. I think it's the one and only type of greens that I can leave. I also roast my beets the Goin way. Thu Feb 07 10:36:18 -0800 2008 3373775 10214 beetlebug 1 3372968 Depending on whether I plan to pay attention to them or not, I do both. Wrapping keeps them from drying out if I get busy and forget about what's in the oven. Thu Feb 07 07:01:14 -0800 2008 3372126 48876 mamaciita 1 3373761 I never wrap. I wash and put on my gas grill with the lid down. Skins come right off after cooling, and mine turn out awesome time after time. Love, love, love roasted beets! Thu Feb 07 10:21:26 -0800 2008 3372126 123480 scuzzo 1 3374375 I always wrap, and they always come out perfectly. Yes, skins slip right off. I don't need to fret that they'll burn. I dress with a little lemon, sometimes add some blue cheese and toasty walnuts. Thu Feb 07 12:54:51 -0800 2008 3372126 56490 foxy fairy 2 3376377 If you like your roasted beets with blue cheese, you'll love them with wasabi goat cheese. We live near Capriole Farm--they make fresh goat cheese with wasabi. I've made it at home when I can't readily buy Capriole--it takes a lot of wasabi paste, and I added a bit of horseradish from a jar to boost its zing. Fri Feb 08 06:04:42 -0800 2008 3374375 48876 mamaciita 1 3374648 I just throw mine with the skin on (hopefully all are the same size so they cook evenly) on a baking dish and put them in 375-400F oven. No wrapping, no oil, nothing. I test them with a fork, when soft inside I take them out let them cool down. The rest is done using rubber gloves :))))) Thu Feb 07 13:59:33 -0800 2008 3372126 147538 polish_girl 2 3374685 AM I the only one that peels beets and roast them skins off? Orange beets, peeled, thinly sliced and grilled are great! Thu Feb 07 14:10:01 -0800 2008 3374648 17648 rudeboy 3 3377411 Nope, I also peel and cut them into chunks before roasting. Never wrap, part of the point of roasting is to intensify the flavor by dehydrating them a bit. If you're going to wrap them you might as well just steam them. Fri Feb 08 10:35:55 -0800 2008 3374685 14386 BobB 1 3374800 Given the 50/50ness of the responses so far (I'm a wrapper myself) why not try half wrapped & half not together and decide which you like? Thu Feb 07 14:44:37 -0800 2008 3372126 18253 SeaSide Tomato 1 3376068 After all this, I made roasted beets for lunch. Yummo! Don't crucify me for my Rachel Ray reference. Just for this once, TRY to be kind and gracious. Here's my point. I think if you wrap, the beets will lean more towards "steamed" and if you don't wrap they will be more roasted. Roasting, I think will result in more development of sugars. I think the flavor will be richer and more complex. Beets are great, and have a lot of sugar, so either way you can't go wrong. I lean more towards unwrapped for additional flavor, but wrapping, I'm sure is good too. Thu Feb 07 23:07:21 -0800 2008 3372126 123480 scuzzo 1 3377313 For me, it all depends on what I am using them for. For salads, I wrap individually in foil and roast at 450, then peel. Ditto if I want to eat them cold or have leftovers. As others mentioned, wrapping is more like steaming. It preserves their color and results in juicier beets. To eat on their own in their unadulterated glory, unwrapped. Carmelized yummines. Enjoy the beets! Fri Feb 08 10:12:31 -0800 2008 3372126 161397 The Cookbook Addict 1 3377913 Unwrapped- but always in a "salt bed"-that way the juices don't stain my roasting pans. They come out great- a trick from my restaurant days. Use a box of kosher salt to line to bottom of your pan and then nestle the beets in the salt. I reuse the salt(save in a plastic bag after each use). This is the best way to roast whole root vegetables, in my opinion- and no, they are not overly salty... Fri Feb 08 12:12:44 -0800 2008 3372126 140744 Bunnyfood 1 3377917 I don't wrap. I put them straigt onto the oven racks and roast. i've never had a problem with them being rubbery or issues getting the skins off...slip right off very easily. Fri Feb 08 12:15:42 -0800 2008 3372126 83353 aussiewonder