Peeling Raw Beets
Protect your hands and the cutting surface from stains. Beets will stain anything they come into contact with. If you don't want your hands to turn purple, wear gloves when cutting or peeling beets. Beets can permanently stain marble or wood, so it's best to cut or peel them on a plastic cutting board for easy cleaning.
Cut the stem, greens, and tail off of the beet. Place the beet on the cutting board and hold it firmly so it doesn't roll around. Use a chef's knife to chop the tail off of the bottom of the beet, then chop the stems and greens off of the top of the beet.
Wash the beets. Like other root vegetables, beets grow in the dirt, so they might still have dirt on them when you buy them. To clean off the dirt, place the beets under running water and scrub them with a vegetable brush.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin off of the raw beet. Hold the peeler with your dominant hand and the beet with your other hand. Slowly turn the beet against the blade of the peeler until you've removed all the skin.
Peeling Cooked Beets
Keep the beets from staining your hands or the cutting surface. The deep red color of beets will seep into anything and can be very hard to get out. A plastic cutting board is the best surface to use for cutting or peeling beets, as it can be much more easily cleaned than wood or marble. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when you cut or peel beets, as they will stain your hands.
Chop off the greens, the tail, and most of the stem. A bunch of fresh beets will have the greens and stems still attached to the top and will also have a tail on the bottom. Since beets are round, they can roll away quite easily when you're handling them, so be sure to firmly hold them against the cutting surface. Making sure the beet is secure, use a chef's knife to chop off the tail and all but 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stems. Leaving the lowest 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stems on beets during cooking helps keep them juicy.
Wash the beets. Like potatoes or turnips, fresh beets might still have dirt on them when you buy them. To remove the dirt, hold the beets under running water and use a vegetable brush to scrub them clean.
Roast the beets in an oven. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. You can put two or three medium-sized beets in one foil packet, but wrap larger ones by themselves. Place the foil packets on the middle rack of your oven and roast them for 50 to 60 minutes at 450 °F (232 °C). When the beets are done, you should be able to insert a paring knife into them without meeting any resistance.
Remove the skin from the beets with a paper towel. Once the beets have cooled, rub them with a paper towel. The skin should fall right off as you rub.
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