How to Peel Beets: How to Clean and Remove the Skin

This post will outline how to clean and peel your beautiful beets and have them be something the whole family will love. 

Beets have a sweet, earthy flavor and are a very delicious and healthy vegetable that can be used in a variety of different ways and dishes. We love meal-prepping beets and using them throughout the week for a healthy side dish and vegetable. We hope that this post shows you just how easy it is to prepare and clean them. Next time you see beets at the grocery store or farmers market, give them a try! And don’t forget that you can purchase beet directly from us at our farm, find all of the details here. 

Do beets need to be peeled?

While many recipes like beet kvass or smoothies suggest leaving the skins on because they are rich in nutrients, most people prefer to peel beets. The peels are technically edible, but we think this extra step is worth it for the soft and buttery texture of the beet inside! 

Tools to clean beets

We prefer to use a small paring knife so you can keep the knife in one hand and use the other to peel. If you can do this while holding the beet you will not need a cutting board, but if you aren’t confident holding it this way, use a cutting board that you do not mind staining. Red beets will stain anything they touch so don’t use your favorite wooden cutting board or a cutting board that is white. Also be aware that the beets can leave a tint on your skin. If you do not want to stain your hands, you can wear latex gloves to prevent this. An apron may also be a good idea so you do not stain or your clothes, or be sure to keep stain remover handy just in case! However, if you are using yellow beets, you won’t have to worry about them staining. You can find links to all of our favorite kitchen tools with the link below!

Before cooking the beets

First, you will need to wash the raw beets under running water to remove any dirt or debris. They are root vegetables, so they do grow in the ground. You’ll want to wash away any dirt that is left on the beets. Next, you will trim the beet greens. Cut the greens off of the top, leaving no more than an inch of stem, but don’t throw them away! You can eat beet greens, and they are highly nutritious with health benefits and can be eaten raw or cooked. Next, if the beet has a large beet root growing off the bottom you can trim that up so they are easier to handle when peeling. Now your cleaned beets are ready for cooking!

How to store beets

If you are not cooking the fresh beets right away, you will want to ensure you are storing them properly so that they will stay fresh until you are ready to use them. If kept properly, they can last for over two months! We prefer to store them in plastic bags in the fridge. You can find all the details about how to store beets, as well as the beet greens, in the blog post linked below

How to cook beets

There are three main methods of cooking beets. You can roast them in the oven on a baking sheet, and many people will wrap each beet with aluminum foil before baking (similar to how you would a baked potato). Or you can boil beets in a large saucepan on the stove, or our personal favorite method is in the instant pot. We love that you can set it and walk away, and plus, the cleanup is so easy! In our opinion, this method yields the best beets. We can cook an entire pot full of whole beets and they turn out perfect every time with a tender consistency. All you need to do is add the steamer basket to your instant pot, add a small amount of water, and then fill it with your beets. For our step by step recipe on how to do this, check out our instant pot beets recipe with the link below!

Simple steps to remove the beet skin

After you’ve cooked beets by roasting them in the oven, boiling them, or using our instant pot method, you are ready to remove the peels. The best way to do this is while the beet is still a bit hot to touch. We will often fill up the instant pot with cold water and start by cutting the remaining stem off and rub your hands around to make the skins fall off, then cut the root end off if it does not break off on its own. 

Using a small paring knife makes this easiest so your knife can stay in one hand and your hands can still manage to peel the beets. I let all the peels fall back into my instant pot bowl and set the peeled beet in a different large bowl (trying to eliminate all the dishes, plus beets can leave beet stains on everything they touch!) 

After they are all peeled, I will quarter them all in the bowl so they are ready for eating or use in a variety of dishes. Some of our favorite recipes are listed below!

The best beet recipes

Harvard beets 

Harvard beets are made with vinegar and sugar for a sweet and tangy sauce. You add the sliced beets to the sauce mixture and then it is thickened with cornstarch. It is really simple to make and makes a very easy side dish that is packed with flavor. Here is our favorite recipe. 

Simple beets with butter

This is a super simple way our family loves to eat beets. All you need to do is heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and a little bit of butter. Then add in cooked beets cut into slices or diced, and saute until they are warmed through. This is a wonderful side dish to serve with a recipe such as our Simple Roasted Chicken! 

Simple beet salad

Beets are really great cold, too! You can add them to salads or create a simple beet salad with feta cheese. Slice or dice the cooked cold beets and sprinkle feta. You can add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and/or a little bit of olive oil if you like. Or, you can use any other type of cheese that you’d prefer, such as goat cheese. This is especially pretty when you use a mix of red and golden beets for a mix of yellow and deep red color. 

Pickled beets

We love making pickled beets! The vinegar pickling mixture pairs so well with the sweet beets! The first step in canning beets is to cook them first, and making them in the instant pot makes it super easy. Then, we love using this pickled beets recipe from the National Center for Home Preservation website, or canned beet recipes from any of these canning resources. Because the pickle mixture is acidic, pickled beets can be water bath canned, and it is easy to do! If you are new to canning and want to learn more about preserving your own food, check out our canning course, Yes, You Can! 

How to store cooked beets

To store the cooked beets, add them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days