How to Boil Beets

• You can add beets to water that's already boiling or you can cover them with water in a pan before you bring them to a boil. You don't need to wash beets before boiling them for borscht, because you'll be peeling them and discarding the cooking liquid. Choose beets that are roughly similar in size, so they'll fully cook in about the same amount of time. Boil small beets for about half an hour, medium-sized beets for about 45 minutes and large beets for about an hour.

Peeling Boiled Beets

• When beets are cooked all the way through, their peels rub off easily with just a little bit of pressure. To test boiled beets for doneness, remove one from the water with a pair of tongs, run it under cold water to make the outside cool enough to handle, then test to see whether you can easily rub away the skin. If you can, drain the remaining beets. If you can't, return the beet to the pot and test it again in five minutes.

Adding Beets to Stock

• Peel the fully cooked beets by rubbing off their skins. Wear gloves if you don't want to stain your fingertips red. Cut medium-sized beets into quarters, cut small beets in half, and cut large beets into chunks about the size of walnuts in their shells. Add the beet chunks to the broth, then cook them for at least 15 minutes longer with the remaining borscht ingredients, such as onions, garlic and parsnips. Puree the soup using a blender, food processor or immersion blender.

Other Methods

• However you cook your beets before adding them to borscht, they should be fully done and very soft. Roast them with their skins on, and the skins will peel easily when the beets are ready, just as they do from boiling. Roasting beets usually takes about 15 minutes longer than boiling them. You can also peel raw beets with a paring knife, cut them into bite-size chunks, and steam them using a vegetable steamer basket. This method will take only about 15 minutes.