The Cooking Method To Tame The Flavor Of Beets

Let's admit it: Beets have a deep earthy flavor that simply isn't everyone's cup of tea. Nevertheless, they are packed with important nutrients like iron, fiber, manganese, potassium, and folate, making them a great vegetable to incorporate into your diet. If a beet's intense flavor is the only thing stopping you from enjoying its many health benefits, fret not: There is a trick to tone its taste down. All you have to do is boil it!

There are several ways to cook beets, and each method affects the root vegetable's flavor in different ways. Boiling tames their punchy taste and makes it more palatable for those who don't quite fancy its earthy intensity. Besides, this method takes very little prep. Just clean the beet, trim off most of its stem as well as the bottom, and pop it in a pot of water. There's no need to peel it until after it's cooked — that's a beet mistake you're wasting effort on. Make sure to leave an inch of the stem on, as well: This will reduce the amount of purple pigment that bleeds from the veggie and leaks into the water, which could mute the vibrant hue.

To make the beets taste even better, consider adding some salt and red wine vinegar to the water as well. They will help balance the bitter and earthy flavor. In fact, it's a method that even pro chef Geoffrey Zakarian swears by, though he also adds coriander, peppercorns, and sugar to the liquid.

There are other ways to tame a beet's earthy bitterness and infuse it with more layers of flavor: just switch up the cooking method. Take roasting, for instance. Beets may be earthy, but they are also packed with natural sugars, and roasting is the best way to bring their sweet taste to the forefront. Or, slice up your beets and throw them on a hot grill. The high heat will infuse the vegetable with a deep smokiness, whilst the hot grill grates will sear the slices and add some caramelized sweetness.

You don't have to stop at changing the cooking method — pairing beets with the right flavors can make a world of a difference, too. Beets get their distinctive flavor from a compound known as geosmin, and acid can help mask this chemical. Give them a finishing spritz of citrus juice, or toss them in a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar instead. 

You could even turn beets into a creamy hummus with ingredients like cumin, lemon, and garlic, all of which can veil its intense flavor. Even beet haters might warm up to this dip. There's also the option of fermenting or pickling beets in vinegar, as both can make the vegetable's earthiness more subtle. Aromatics and spices like fresh chilis can add a spicy heat, like in this beet yogurt raita, to both tame and dress up the purple root.