Harvard Beets
The origins of the name are a little murky, but if you like your beets half sugar-sweet and half vinegar-sour, then you’re already a fan of Harvard Beets.
By Yankee Magazine|Apr 14 2022|
Harvard Beets
Photo Credit: Aimee TuckerThe origins of the name are a little murky, but if you like your beets a little bit sugar-sweet and a little bit vinegar-sour, flavored with a hint of cloves and smoothed with a little butter, then you’re already a fan of Harvard Beets.
SEE MORE:
Harvard Beets Recipe and History
75 Classic New England Foods
How to Roast Beets
Yield:
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 medium beets, unpeeled
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Drop the beets into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook, uncovered, at a gentle bubble until tender. Drain in a colander set under cold running water. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
In a wide saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and cloves. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the beet slices and stir gently to coat each one. Add the butter and stir until melted. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.
This is one of my favorite special dishes. When we make it, it is served around a spinach mousse ring with the beets in the center.
Make this mainly at Christmas and Thanksgiving. I always cube the beets as my mother did. Can be canned and refrigerated for later use.
My Mom has been making this recipe for years! We seemed to always have ham with the beets!
Could these be water bath canned and if so, length of time required in bath? Thanks.
I’ve never seen a tested recipe for canning Harvard Beets. I would freeze them.
Love Harvard beets. Used to be able to buy them in the store but can’t find them any more. I live in Memphis, Tn. Any idea where I can buy them.
I used to be able to buy Harvard beets in the grocery store here but haven’t been able to for the past several years. Can you suggest where I can get them?
Walmart has them. They are made by Aunt Nellie’s. Also pickled beets and red cabbage!! Delicious!
Our family tradition and started with my grandmother. We use canned beets and just as delicious as fresh! My sis is the Harvard beets maker now. Hope the grandkids continue it!
You can water bath can pickled beets which are spiced, add the butter and cornstarch when you heat them up after opening the jar. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_beets.html
Glenn Big Y has Harvard Bets in the jar
My mom made something similar, it was an Eastern European recipe. She would bake the beets like a potato, wrapped in foil.
Does anyone know of any way to subsitute stevia for the sugar?
My Mom made Borscht often, she would also use the tops (green/purple) leaves and boil them while boiling the beets. The are actually great with lots of butter.
o.k. does anyone know how to do a sweet/vinegry beets to put into jars, without cornstarch!
Just leave out the cornstarch. I do add clove, one or two per can. If you only have ground clove add little at a time and taste. Salt and pepper to taste also. I use all of the liquid from the can and we like equal amounts of sugar and cider vinegar. Taste as you go. But go with what you like on that.
The lead in article calls for roasting the beets but the recipe calls for boiling. Am I missing something? Thanks!
1/2c stevia=1/2c sugar
One of my favorite vegetables. I roast them first covered individually in tin foil and them make a syrup with orange juice and balsamic vinegar. Leftovers are added to a salad the next day.
Love Harvard beets. Fondly remember my grandmother saying “if you eat your Harvard beets then you too can go to Harvard. So sweet.
Lotta folks I know like their Harvard Beets at the same temperature as the rest of their dinner. You like ‘em cold, leave out the cornstarch and make pickled beets. And canned beets are less work-intensive — quarter them because they’re usually fairly small, and proceed.