How to Peel Beets: 2 Methods for Peeling Beets

Peeling raw beets can save your work surface and hands from red beet juice stains. Follow these steps to peel raw beets:

1. 1. Wash the beets. Rinse the fresh beets under running water to clean them of any dirt. You can also use a stiff-bristle vegetable brush to remove any dirt.
2. 2. Slice off the beet greens. Remove the beet greens from the beetroot, but leave two inches of stem intact.
3. 3. Peel the beets. Carefully run a vegetable peeler against the skin of each beet. Be sure to remove any patches of beet skin with crevices, which can hold dirt.

Boiling beets before peeling can ease the process of removing the skin. Follow these steps to boil and peel beets:

1. 1. Wash the beets. Rinse the fresh beets under running water to clean them of any dirt.
2. 2. Remove the beet greens. Slice the beet green leaves off of the beets. (You can use beet greens to make a salad or smoothie.) Be sure to leave two inches of stem intact to prevent the beet juice from bleeding into the water.
3. 3. Bring water to a boil. Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove and place the beets in the water with a slotted spoon. Boil the beets in the simmering water until a fork runs through the beets easily, twenty to forty minutes, depending on the size of the beets.
4. 4. Drain the beets. Using a colander, drain the beets.
5. 5. Cool the beets. Run the beets under cold water to cool them.
6. 6. Peel the beets. Using your fingers, peel the skin from the beets.

Beet skins can be tough, and beet juice can stain your hands and work surface. Consider these tips for a simple, clean peeling process:

1. 1. Use a paring knife. If parts of the beet skin are tough to peel off with your hands, use a small paring knife.
2. 2. Cover your hands. To prevent the beets from staining your hands red, you can wear latex gloves or use a paper towel to peel off the beet skin.
3. 3. Peel beets under cold water. Fill up a bowl with cold water after boiling the beets, and peel the beets under the water to prevent staining your hands.

To remove the red beet juice stains from your hands, spritz lemon juice on your hands and rub for ten seconds. Rinse your hands with soap and water. To remove red beet juice stains from the cutting board, scrub salt onto the cutting board, then rinse with soap and water.

You can pickle raw beets or blend them into smoothies. You can boil beets for salads, purée beets to make dips like beet hummus, or cook beets in soups, such as borscht. You can also roast beets in aluminum foil on a sheet pan along with other root vegetables in olive oil for a tasty side dish.

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