Golden Beets
What are Golden Beets?
Goldenbeets are a milder, sweeter version of their cousin, the red beet. As you can see, they have a light reddish skin outside, and inside are lovely yellow circles resembling the age rings on a tree. I sometimes feel that the flavor of red beets can be a little overpowering, and even sometimes taste reminiscent of dirt, but the golden beet provides all the health benefits, with a milder, richer flavor, and none of the unavoidable purple stain of red beets.
Knowing that I had such a large quantity and needing to use them before they sprouted, I decided to try beet chips. This way, I could shrink up the large amount I had and let's be honest, anything with the word chip in it sounds good.
How to Make Beet Chips
To make beet chips, you can use any kind of beet, but a bigger size is helpful as you need to slice with a mandoline. Here is the mandoline that I have, which is a OXO handheld product. It's a cheaper version, but it works pretty well. The thinner settings are not as good as the thickest setting, but I find that for most recipes, the thickest setting is fine.To begin, wash the beets well to get off any excess dirt, then trim off the tops and sprouts. Use the mandoline to slice all the beets into thin circles. Watch your fingers and definitely use the finger guard as I can tell you from experience, the blade is certainly sharp!
Goldenbeets are a milder, sweeter version of their cousin, the red beet. As you can see, they have a light reddish skin outside, and inside are lovely yellow circles resembling the age rings on a tree. I sometimes feel that the flavor of red beets can be a little overpowering, and even sometimes taste reminiscent of dirt, but the golden beet provides all the health benefits, with a milder, richer flavor, and none of the unavoidable purple stain of red beets.
Knowing that I had such a large quantity and needing to use them before they sprouted, I decided to try beet chips. This way, I could shrink up the large amount I had and let's be honest, anything with the word chip in it sounds good.
How to Make Beet Chips
To make beet chips, you can use any kind of beet, but a bigger size is helpful as you need to slice with a mandoline. Here is the mandoline that I have, which is a OXO handheld product. It's a cheaper version, but it works pretty well. The thinner settings are not as good as the thickest setting, but I find that for most recipes, the thickest setting is fine.To begin, wash the beets well to get off any excess dirt, then trim off the tops and sprouts. Use the mandoline to slice all the beets into thin circles. Watch your fingers and definitely use the finger guard as I can tell you from experience, the blade is certainly sharp!
Once sliced, coat the beets in olive oil and salt. You could add other seasonings as you see fit. The secret is to let the beets sit in the oil and salt to macerate and let out their natural juices. After soaking for about 30-40 minutes, lay the slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake at 350 for about 45 to an hour.
Don't be alarmed when they shrink up by about half. Once they are done, it's best to let them sit out on the counter to harden up. Warning: It's very hard not to eat them all in one sitting! Enjoy!
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