Instant Pot Beets and Beet Puree

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If you are looking for a foolproof method for cooking those ultra nourishing beets and making beet puree, the Instant Pot is the way to go.

Beets seem to be one of those foods that people either love or hate. One of our favorite ways to get around that are turning them into a beet puree and using them in our favorite baked goods like chocolate beet muffins and beet brownies. When beet puree is paired with chocolate, even the most beet averse people, gobble them up.

Growing Beets

Root vegetables are my absolute favorite veggies to grow and harvest. I love putting seeds directly into the ground and being able to pull out or hunt for those delicious root vegetables months later. For that reason, we’ve grown a lot of beets, carrots, and potatoes the last few years. 

Conveniently, these root crops are also great for storing throughout the winter. So, if you are working toward a self-sufficient lifestyle, growing beets and other root vegetables are a great choice. 

This past year, our one row of beets produced a few hundred pounds of beets that we tucked away in an extra fridge. It’s almost March and we are still working our way through those beets. Golden, candy striped, or blood red, there are so many unique varieties of beautiful beets. Our favorites are the deep red beets that leave your hands and cutting boards hot pink after cutting them open.

Beet Nutrition

In general, the deeper and more vibrant color your vegetables are, the more robust they are in terms of nutrition. 

Therefore, we prefer the deep red colored beets to maximize the nutrients they offer. Beets are a rich source of magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamin C. This makes them a powerful antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory. They also contain folate, phosphorus, riboflavin, calcium and fiber. 

Additionally, when you are able to harvest and use the greens from your beets, definitely take advantage! Beet greens are a tremendous source of beta carotene, potassium, and vitamin C. Overall, this makes beets an excellent choice for including as part of a real food diet to aid in the prevention of diseases from asthma to cancers and heart disease.

Cooking Beets

I remember the first time I attempted to cook whole beets in the oven. Impatiently, checking over and over again after the advised time that google had told me was well past. The whole process felt like it took forever and was quite frustrating. 

Then I remembered the Instant Pot. 

After my first go around and only roughly 20 minutes of time from start to finish, the result was perfectly cooked and tender beets. While there can be some variability in cooking time with your beets in the instant pot depending on the size of the beet, the overall method is so quick and simple.

The Simple Steps to Make Cooked Beets and Beet Puree

1. Wash beets and chop off tops and bottoms of beets. No peeling necessary as the peel slips off easily once the beets are cooked.
2. Pour one cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot.
3. Place whole beets on the inserted rack inside of the Instant Pot.
4. Cook on manual, high pressure for 10 minutes for a medium sized beet (roughly 2 inches in diameter). Adjust cooking time more or less depending on the size of beets you are cooking.
5. Let the steam natural release (or quick release if you are short on time).
6. Peel (if desired) and either chop into cubes for quick salads or turn into a beet puree.
7. To puree, place beets in high powered blender. We prefer a Vitamix for this but a food processor should work in a pinch as well. Begin on variable 1 setting and slowly increase to high power and blend using tamper until you have a silky, smooth beet puree.

Instant Pot Cooked Beets

Instant Pot cooked beets are excellent for making cubed beets to chill and add to a salad. Alternatively, you could toss them into a pan of roasted mixed veggies or use as a stand-alone side dish. After the beets are finished, remove from Instant Pot, pull off those skins, and you have perfectly cooked, ready to go beets.

What would I possibly do with beet puree?

This one may surprise you, but there are actually many sneaky ways to include beet puree and the extra nutrition that comes along with it, into many household staples! 

When we were faced with having hundreds of pounds of beets to work through this past year, it was time to get creative in our uses for beets. While we love them roasted, fermented, or pickled, I wanted to experiment baking with beets and finding other less conventional uses for them as well. Apparently, beets and chocolate pair together perfectly, so this was the perfect opportunity to test that out!

Sneaky ways to add beet puree to everyday foods:

• Smoothies
• Soups
• Beet Ketchup
• Beet Sauce (a No-Mato sauce)
• Baked up in your favorite beet treat – Chocolate Beet Muffins and Beet Brownies are favorites around here.

How about you – beet lover or hater? What are your favorite ways to use and cook beets? If you are looking for other ways to sneak more veggies and nutrients into some of your favorite traditional dishes, check out our butternut squash enchilada casserole and butternut squash lasagna.

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Read more on how to preserve your garden harvest:

How to Preserve Nettle
How to Make Kale Powder With or Without a Dehydrator
How to Store Potatoes from the Garden Long Term
How to Make Red Pepper Flakes
How to Use Frozen Rhubarb

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