Harvard and Buttered Ginger Beets

Beets at market

by Cat, Dec 2007

See also: How to Cook Beets; Root Vegetables (About)

Related recipe (external site): Baby Beets with Ginger

This post includes two related recipes that are very showy, looking like garnets in a bowl:

• Harvard Beets: sliced cooked beets glazed with sweetener, butter and apple-cider vinegar.
• Buttered Ginger Beets: diced cooked beets glazed with ginger, sweetener, butter and apple-cider vinegar.

I usually serve one of the other with my Christmas Day dinner, to accompany my Prime Rib Roast. Glazed beets are a very showy dish. Even people who swear they don’t like beets will like this (unless they don’t like sweet).

Harvard Beets

This recipe is adapted from from Teri’s Kitchen blog (1) and Cooks (2). I do not recommend using commercially canned beets, but they will do in a pinch.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 3 large beets (the root)
• pinch of Unrefined Sea Salt
• 2 – 6 Tbsp Rapadura sugar (or 1/8 – 1/4 tsp stevia extract powder, or 1/3 – 1/2 stevia liquid extract *)
• 1 1/2 tsp Organic cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 quart saucepan
• heavy-bottomed or enameled cast iron saucepan, or double boiler
• serving bowl

* See Stevia (about) for more info on using stevia as a substitute for sugar; start with the lesser amount and add more only after tasting. You could use green stevia herb for this recipe, tho I’ve not tried that.

Method:

1. Cook beets by roasting or simmering in water.  Slide peel off after they are tender.
2. Slice the beets cross-wise, about 1/8 inch thick.
3. If using stevia, mix it with the vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. In heavy saucepan, (or in a double boiler over hot water), mix ginger, sweetener, cornstarch, vinegar and water.  Stir until smooth.  Cook slowly to thicken, stirring frequently.  Taste and adjust the sugar or vinegar as desired.
5. Add sliced beets and butter, and stir to melt the butter and coat the beets.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Buttered Ginger Beets

This recipe is adapted from Wonderful Wonderful Danish Cooking by Ingeborg Dahl Jensen (3). Use mature or the equivalent weight of baby beets. I do not recommend using commercially canned beets, but they will do in a pinch. Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 3 large beets (the root)
• pinch of Unrefined Sea Salt
• 1 tsp grated ginger root (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger) *
• 2 – 6 Tbsp Rapadura sugar (or 1/8  tsp stevia extract powder or 1/3 – 1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract)
• 1 1/2 tsp Organic cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 3 Tbsp butter
• minced parsley
• 3 quart saucepan
• double boiler
• serving bowl

* See Stevia (about) for more info on using stevia as a substitute for sugar; start with the lesser amount and add more only after tasting. You could use green stevia herb for this recipe, tho I’ve not tried that.

Method:

1. Cook beets by roasting or simmering in water.  Slide off peel after they are tender.
2. Cut into bite sized cubes, or in wedges (like the sections of an orange).
3. If using stevia, mix it with the vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. In a double boiler over hot water, mix ginger, sweetener, cornstarch, vinegar and water.  Stir until smooth.  Cook slowly to thicken, stirring frequently.
5. Add cooked beets and butter, and stir to coat.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. Reheats well in a steamer.

* Ginger equivalence from Southern Food (About) (4)

NOTE: If making just 1 beetroot: use rounded 1/4 tsp ginger root, 1/2 tsp stevia+fiber (or 1 – 4 tsp sugar) 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 Tbsp each vinegar and water, and 1 Tbsp butter.

References:

1. Terri’s Kitchen: teriskitchen.com/vegetable/beets-2.html
2. Cooks: cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1750,151181-250196,00.html
3. Wonderful Wonderful Danish Cooking by Ingeborg Dahl Jensen
4.  Southern Food (About): southernfood.about.com/library/info/blequiv.htm