There are plenty of ways to cook beets: Boil, roast, bake, and so many more.
While many people go for the traditional cooking methods, some prefer to microwave them thanks to their ease and fast cooking time.
However, can you microwave beets, especially raw ones?
If you want to know the answer, keep on reading.
Can you microwave beets?
Yes, you microwave your beets since it helps to keep more vitamins and cooks them significantly faster than any alternative technique.
Furthermore, if you can set the timer correctly, the beets will always come out ideally.
Before putting your beets into the microwave, choose beets that are similar in size or slice them into similar-shaped chunks so that they get microwaved uniformly.
Firstly, prick the peels of the beets in various areas to avoid steam from accumulating within your beets and causing them to break.
The fluids that you could subsequently use the juice to make stews or broths.
Get the skillet ready, ensuring that any dish, skillet, or bowl you use to put in the microwave is suitable for the job.
Plastics melt, papers may scorch, and certain glass varieties could break or fracture.
No metal should be used in this scenario.
Instead, pyrex or microwave-safe porcelain will give you peace of mind.
In most cases, a 2-quart baking tray will be enough.
A square ceramic container having a cover or microwave-safe kitchen roll is best, but a dampened paper cloth will suffice.
Big dishes or gauging glasses, such as Pyrex pie dishes, are ideal for microwaving veggies.
How To Microwave Beets In The Oven
Since all microwaves are different, heating duration might change.
It might cost a couple of attempts and failures to figure out how long your microwave needs to cook your beets to your liking.
Additionally, regardless of your recipe’s duration, as soon as you notice your beets smell, take it off the microwave and test a chunk since they are almost done.
It is critical to allow the beets to cool thoroughly once cooked.
Microwaving performs better for veggies in amounts of around 1 lb; or else, the heating might be inconsistent.
Nonetheless, it is frequently quicker to nuke 2 consecutive batches and put them together than to microwave your beets all in one round with lower heat and slower time.
Below are our 5 steps for successful microwaved beets:
- First, wash your fresh beets, which we have already chopped into chunks.
- Put them in a microwave-safe container. Arrange your chunks equally on or in the container. It’s best if you could use the containers we stated above.
- Pour into the container 1 inch of water. Then, place a dish or a lid over the container or a moist paper towel to wrap it.
- Nuke each beet for around 7 mins on high heat, based on the thickness of your beet. For every extra chunk, continue for another 2 mins. If you possess a rotating plate, rotate the beets around 180° midway through microwaving.
- Keep the lid or paper towel there for another 4 mins. In that time, the beets will keep cooking. Allow the chunks to cool before peeling.
Tiny to medium-sized fresh beets could be microwaved wholly without being sliced.
Set a similar period and heat; however, remember to rotate the chunks around several times from corner to corner to ensure uniform cooking.
To cook 3 standard chunks using your microwave, wait 12 to 15 minutes.
Then, check whether your beets are tender by pressing a sharp knife against them.
Leave them to cool and then remove the skin.
Wrapping Up
There you have it – the answer to your question.
Although other cooking methods are also effective, microwaving is still the fastest way to cook beets.
What’s even better when using this technique is that it retains the beets’ moisture, not drying out the chunks massively.
So, try it out and tell us how you feel.