Anonymous wrote:Cube and roast

What size pieces? I picked up some GIGANTIC beets recently, and if I cubed (1"), cooked, and then peeled, I'd be peeling like 30 pieces from one single beet.

No, you peel first, then cube, then roast.
(Or if you want to roast first, then peel, you roast it whole, then peel, then cube it afterward.)

The advantage of peeling and cubing before roasting is that evenly sized pieces cook evenly, and smaller pieces cook more quickly. Plus, I find the raw beet easier to handle but YMMV.

What size cube depends on how you're using it. If it's a winter roast vegetable medley (with parsnips, rutabaga, etc.), 1" cubes or even a little larger would work. In springtime, though, you're going to be putting them in salads, sprinkling over goat cheese in endive leaves, and the like. I find a smaller cube works well for that -- 1/2" for salad, or even smaller for endive or other appetizer type uses.

You can eat them raw. Peel and grate, mix with some Greek yogurt and minced garlic. The garlic will kill the earthy flavor of the beats. It's a pretty pink dip that you can eat with pita, chips, anything.

How long can beets keep in the refrigerator? I've had some for about 10 days, meant to cook them, never got around to it.

[quote=Anonymous]Cube and roast :) [/quote]