I pulled some beets from the garden yesterday to take to a farmers market and I didn't sell them all, so I decided to cook some for supper (mostly so DH could try some) and I was shocked that they didn't have the "musty dirt" odor like canned beets do. What do they do to make them smell so bad from the cannery? These had no musty smell to them at all. If I can some will they take on the musty smell like the ones from the store???
Do you cook fresh beets in brine like the canned ones are...if not that could be the taste difference. Hubby likes the ones in jars better than the ones in a can. I know there is a difference in the taste of colas in a bottle and colas in a can...maybe it's the same with beets.
I dunno, C--however, I freeze in little baggies of 300grams and they do not seem to have that smell. I noticed that the Chioggia beets smelled less earthy than the cylinder-shaped red ones that I also freeze-in. Do you grow those?
I love pickled beets and any kind of cooked beet but DH would never even try them. This year I tried roasting beets on the grill and eating the greens, OMG! they were so good, even DH will eat them now, if I continue to roast them!
Sjoerd, I grew the detroit dark reds this year. I have some cylindra in the garden, but they seem to be taking much longer than the round ones. Toni I left 1" of the stem on the bulb them steamed them until they were done, maybe 1/2 hour on the stove. then I slipped their skins off and pulled the top off at the same time. Then i sliced them, tossed on a little vinegar and sugar and put them on the table for supper. Cris, What did you do to prepare them for the grill? I want to try this. Did you leave the skin on or peel it first or what? Please do tell me. and maybe it should go in the cooking forum, too.
Have y'all seen that TV show "Diners, drive-in, and dives"? One of the places featured makes a beet slider. No meat, just a slice of beet on a little bun. The beets are marinated overnight in the same seasonings as Pastrami, so it absorbs that flavor. Apparently they were a favorite of their customers. I've been wanting to try it.
Boston beets are easily canned. Just cook like you did,, slice and put in jars, make a sugar vinegar mix with a pinch of salt, pour over beets, put on lid and process 10 minutes in hot water bath. Pickled beets all year that way. Serve cold as a condiment or heated with a pat or two of butter for Boston style.
I asked hubby who loves pickled beets in a jar, if he knew why all recipes for beets included pickling them? He said that if they aren't then that taste like dirt (not sure I really want to know how he knows this but it probably has something to do with cousins challenging each other when they were 10) . I wonder if the grocery store bought canned beets have that flavor because they are not using a good quality beet to begin with and possibly not a strong enough brine to pickle them in.
Rockhound...no idea on the show. I don't watch tv. Thanks Mart. I just may can a few as good as these tasted. Toni, I think they taste like dirt, too, but I have never eaten it myself... I just think that is what it would taste like, I guess. That is why I was surprised when I actually made mine from the garden, they didn't taste like and smell like....dirt.
I peeled them and then made wedges, I tossed with some fresh rosemary, olive oil and grilled. It takes a while, to get soft, DH took them off the grill too soon, so I finished in microwave.
