Gourmet Golden Beets Side Dish

Golden beets have a good presentation as a vegetable side dish if prepared to preserve the color. Beets oxidize quickly, so using an acidic bath when peeling and boiling and an acidic marinade for roasting preserves the vibrant color. Preparing and marinating the beets in acidic mixtures also moderates the earthy flavor of beets that many find unpleasant. Golden beets have a yellow-orange variegated appearance that shows well when sliced into discs. You achieve a mellower and sweeter flavor of the golden beets by cooking them twice. Cooking well also improves the texture for a palatable, appealing gourmet vegetable side dish.

The Flavor of Red Beets

Most people associate the flavor of beets with the red variety, which can be a harsh "earthy" taste. The red beet taste is too harsh for many. The earthy taste comes from a substance in beets called geosmin, which you can smell even in minimal quantities. Geosmin is a substance often found in surface waters, such as lakes, rivers, streams, and reservoirs. The geosmin has an earthy, musty smell and taste.

The Flavor of Golden Beets

Golden beets have a broader flavor appeal, further moderating the earthy taste with proper preparations improves flavor. This adequate preparation gives the Golden Beets palatability to a broader audience. Double cooking, boiling, and then roasting are steps in this recipe. The beets are best peeled wet and sliced using an acidic water bath with lemon juice. You want to keep any sliced and cut golden beets wet with acidic water and temporarily submerge them in an acidic water bath to preserve color. The citric acid of the lemon juice in the water inhibits enzymatic browning and strengthens pectin to retain color pigments. Placing peeled and cut slices immediately into the acidic water prevents exposure to oxygen. Golden beets also level geosmin; the acidic bath and marinade neutralize the geosmin's earthy flavor.

Preventing Golden Beets from Darkening While Cooking

Both enzymes and oxygen contribute to golden beet darkening. The first cooking process, boiling, uses acidic water from lemon juice. The second, roasting, uses White Wine Vinegar to create an acidic marinade for roasting.

Ingredients for Making a Gourmet Side Dish of Golden Beets

2-3 golden beets, about 2-3 pounds
2 tbsp Bottled lemon juice
2 tbsp White Wine vinegar
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt
Coarse ground black pepper

Instructions for Cooking Golden Beets

Cut the tops off and peel, then submerge in water with a generous amount of lemon juice to prevent oxidation.
Slice 1/4" to 3/8" thick and immediately place in acidic lemon juice water.
Boil 7-10 minutes with 2 tbsp ref lemon juice in 4 cups of water.
Drain - dry - on a clean dish towel
Toss with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil
Season with salt and pepper
Roast on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 400° F for 30 minutes.

Tips for preparing, cooking, and Serving Golden Beets

Store overnight after boiling with marinade—this speeds meal prep to just roasting the day of serving the side dish.
To elevate gourmet flavor to the next level, skip the salt and use a balanced seasoning with a flavor enhancer. The recommended type is Aromat dry powdered seasoning. Season the beets just before roasting.
After roasting, you can top with Feta cheese for added flavor and appearance for serving. The crumbly Feta's white is a nice contrast to the variegated golden amber orange of the beets.

Roasted Golden Beets Recipe