We use frozen golden beets every day in our morning smoothie, which means we go through a lot of them. However, you can’t just buy frozen golden beets. This means I buy a giant produce bag full of raw golden beets every 10 days or so. Getting that big sack of beets from fresh-from-the-ground to frozen-and-ready-for-smoothies is a process I suffered through for months. I would carefully scrub, trim, slice, and roast the beets – and then spend about 30 minutes laboriously removing the peels from each piece by hand. This left my fingertips golden, my nails full of beets, and my patience worn thin.
I researched and attempted different methods. I tried peeling the beets quickly when they were still hot, but it wasn’t much easier. I read an online tutorial about steaming them and rubbing the skins off with paper towels, which seemed wasteful (we also do not have a gigantic steamer). I decided against boiling them, since you can lose a lot of nutrients that way.
Then, one weekend as I was dreading the beet preparation process, I realized there was a much easier way to make this all happen – peel the beets first! It’s so simple, but this is a real game changer, especially if you regularly roast and freeze beets for smoothies.
Wash the beets and trim the ends. Remove the peels with a knife or vegetable peeler. Halve or quarter the beets, depending on size. Place all the beets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast at 400 for 45-60 minutes, or until you can easily insert a fork. Cool and cut in to pieces. Place pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and freeze overnight. Break pieces apart (if frozen together) and store in a freezer-safe bag or container.
