GLUTEN FREE HARVARD BEETS

Do you love beets?  We have always loved beets in this household.  Back in the day, I used to buy canned Harvard Beets - thinking they were divine.  However, when you look at the ingredients and it says "modified cornstarch", that is definitely a no go in any gluten free household.  In Canada, fortunately all cornstarch is naturally Gluten Free.
In looking on the internet, I found a recipe that I used as a guideline, (keep paging down...it will show up) but then changed it up to add a "Danish" flare using some spices.  So yummmy!  This would be a lovely side dish to any meal, but I am thinking it may become a regular for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
3 cups organic beets diced
1 cup strained beet water
2 Tblsp. Organic Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Pure White Vinegar
1 1/2 Tblsp. Coconut Sugar
1 1/2 Tblsp. cornstarch
pinch of ground cloves and ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the top green parts off of the beets, leaving about 2 inches.  Scrub really well and place in a pot, whole, to boil.  I used about 8 medium sized beets.  (when cooking on a low steady simmer, lid on, my beets took 1 1/2 hrs. to cook - cooking time will depend on the size of your beets) Once cooked, drain the beet water through a strainer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Allow the beets to cool.  Once cool, peel and dice into 1/2 inch pieces.  In a medium sized pot, add the 1 cup of strained beet water, sugar, spices, salt and pepper, vinegars and cornstarch, whisking well to remove any lumps.
Place on medium low heat, whisking until thickened.  Add the diced beets, mixing well, and adjust for any seasonings.  Turn down to minimum stirring occasionally until ready to serve.

Ina Gawne
author
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10 comments on “GLUTEN FREE HARVARD BEETS”

  1. So that's what Harvard Beets are.... I make the like this all the time but I never knew it was an actual recipe LOL. Beets here come already cooked which makes them really handy for a quick vegetable.

    1. Katie: recently I saw vacuum packed cooked organic beets in our local store - we have never been able to buy them like that before. It would definitely save on time - which I might give a try next time.

    1. Thanks Kiran...the spice adds a whole other dimension of flavor. We love beets in this household, even without the spice they would still be yummy! 🙂

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December 11, 2014
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