Beets. I love them. I grew up picking them from the garden and watching my mom make a huge mess while she prepared them for freezing. They would feed our family all winter long. Beets have long been one of my favorite vegetables, but only if they are cooked the right way. I don’t like them cold or pickled, only cooked the way my mom used to make them! Because I harvested all the beets and carrots from my garden last week, I decided to post on how I prepare them (my mom’s way).

Step 1: Twist off the tops of your beets and give them a quick scrub to remove most of the dirt. DON’T CUT INTO THE BEETS/CUT THE TOPS OFF. Grab the tops (greens) and just give them a quick twist and they’ll come off.

Step 3: Dump the cooked beets into your sink and fill with cold water. Allow them to cool down.

Step 4: Take the beets one at a time and rub the skins off. They should easily slide right off. Get your fingernail underneath the tops and scrape them off as well.

Step 5: Gaze longingly at the beautiful beets that are all shiny and purple. Mmm . . .

Step 6: Take the beets and cut off the tops (above) and bottom roots (below) with a paring knife.

Step 8: Place cut up beets into freezer bags and seal. Don’t mind the moving box in the background, I was trying to finish my beets before everything in my house was hauled away! 

Something about preparing food to store for later is extremely satisfying to me. I love getting out one of these packages in the middle of winter and experiencing that fresh-from-the-garden taste.