Roasted Beets with White Balsamic Vinegar

I know that there are some folks out there who do not care for beets. I used to be ambivalent at best. Then I discovered roasting beets - wow! The long roasting caramelizes the sugars in the beets adding all sorts of awesome flavor.

The trick? Make sure the beets are wrapped in foil so they don’t dry out, and then forget to set the oven timer so you cook them 20 to 30 minutes longer than you think you should.

By the time I took these beets out of the oven, they had roasted for an hour 45 minutes. There was so much caramelization the peels were like candy. They were a little harder to peel, but wow, so worth it.

The orange zest and balsamic glaze? Double wow. Like orange-y beet-y balsamic-y fireworks in your mouth. Watch out though, talk about high glycemic. These beets are addictive. Pace yourself. They will last for several days in the fridge.

Roasted Beets with White Balsamic Vinegar

2 pounds red beets, medium sized, scrubbed clean, green tops removed
Olive oil
Salt
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F and line pan with aluminum foil.

Rub beets with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, place in pan, cover with foil.

Roast for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the beets and how old they are. After 1 hour, test every fifteen minutes by poking a beet with the tines of a fork.

Once the fork tines go in easily, the beets are tender and cooked. Remove from the oven.

While the beets are cooling, prepare the balsamic glaze. In a small, shallow sauté pan, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Heat on high until the vinegar has reduced to a syrup consistency. Remove from heat.

After the beets have cooled for several minutes, but are still warm to the touch, peel off the outer skins and discard. Cut the beets into quarters or more, bite-sized pieces.

Place beets in a serving bowl. Pour balsamic glaze over the beets. Stir in grated orange zest, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with a little orange zest to serve.

Comments

[Kayte]

These look fantastic. Going to try roasting the heck out of them like you did to see what that is all about...the color alone is fabulous!