Harvard Beet Cake Recipes

GRANDMA'S HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minute. Add the beets to the liquid, and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir in butter, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve warm or chilled.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Drain the beet liquid into a medium saucepan. To the liquid add vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; stir in beets and cook until heated through.

QUICK HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, place raw beets and enough water to cover. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. (If using canned beets, drain and reserve 1/4 cup juice.) , In another saucepan, combine sugar, flour, vinegar and reserved beet juice. Cook over low heat until thickened. Stir in beets, salt and butter. Simmer for 10 minutes.

FRESH BAKED HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Trim all but 1" off the stem and root ends of the beets, do not wash, do not peel; remove any dirt with a paper towel; place in a baking pan and seal tightly with aluminum foil; bake at 400° for 1 hour.
• When beets are cool enough to handle, remove roots, stems and skins; cut into 1/4" dice, there should be about 3 cups; set aside.
• Mix sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking; whisk until thickened, about 30 seconds; remove from heat and whisk in butter.
• Add the beets and heat through; add salt to taste; serve at room temperature.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• 1. Simmer the beets, covered in salted water, until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid.
• 2. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut the beets into a 1/4-inch dice. You should have about 6 cups of diced beets. Set aside.
• 3. In a medium-sized pot, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and reserved beet liquid. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Whisking constantly, cook for 30 seconds or until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted.
• 4. Stir in the diced beets and cook to heat through. Season with salt. Serve at room temperature.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• In a 2-quart microwave-safe casserole with a lid microwave the beets with the water, covered, at high power (100%), stirring every 2 minutes, for 6 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork, transferring them as they are cooked to a cutting board, and let them cool. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid in the casserole. Peel the beets and slice them. In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the vinegar and stir the mixture into the reserved cooking liquid with the sugar and salt to taste. Microwave the mixture at high power, stirring after 1 minute, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened, stir in the beets and the butter, and microwave the mixture at high power for 1 minute, or until the beets are heated through.

HONEY HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Drain beets, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set beets aside. In a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and reserved juice until smooth. Stir in the vinegar, honey and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the butter and beets; heat through.

CANNED HARVARD BEETS (SWEET)

Steps:

• Wash beets thoroughly, leaving 2" of tops & roots.
• Cook beets in boiling water to cover for about 15 minutes.
• Plunge into cold water 2 times to prevent bleeding.
• Remove skins & cut top off level & root.
• Combine water, vinegar & sugar in large saucepan & bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Add beets & heat, but do not boil.
• Pack in sterilized jars. Cover with hot juice to neck of jar.
• Place lids & bands on jars.
• Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.
• Serve hot as a vegetable or cold on relish trays.
• Peggi's note: I use larger beets sometimes , but just make sure when you cut them in half or quarter them that they are all the same size so they cook uniformly. We eat them cold as a side. This recipe never said if you put them in quarts or pints, but I always can mine in pints.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Pare and dice raw beets.
• Cook in covered pan until tender.
• Mix cornstarch and sugar.
• Add liquid slowly, stirring into a smooth paste.
• Cook over low heat until slightly thickened.
• Add vinegar and butter.
• Stir to blend and pour over beets.