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This Harvard Beets recipe is a classic New England side dish that has been around for generations. You’ll love the sweet and sour sauce!
I’ve been a beet lover all of my life. Even as a kid – I loved them! But it was only recently that I ate Harvard Beets for the first time. And clearly – I’ve been missing out!
About a month ago – while brainstorming Fall vegetable recipe ideas – my husband Jack mentioned the idea of sharing a Harvard Beets recipe here on A Family Feast. He kept talking about how much he loves them – and now, I love them too!
Harvard Beets are simply beets cooked with sugar, vinegar and butter (plus a few other seasonings). The combination of the sugar and vinegar creates a fantastic sweet and sour sauce that is a wonderful complement to the flavor of the beets. The butter – which gets melted in at the end – adds a luxurious, silky texture to the vibrant, rich sauce.
Harvard Beets are a traditional New England recipe, dating back hundreds of years. There are two schools of thought as to where the name comes from: Yankee Magazine writes that some history buffs attribute the name to the deep red color of the Harvard Crimson football team at Harvard University. Others say that the dish originated in an English pub called “Harwood” and overtime – through some name mispronounciations – the name became Harvard Beets.
Either way – this dish is fantastic! We recommend making your Harvard Beets with fresh beets, but canned beets would also do in a pinch. In researching this recipe, we also read that some people cook up a big batch of Harvard Beets when their fresh garden beets are harvested in the Fall – then freeze them in smaller portions to reheat and enjoy all winter long. (We haven’t tried that ourselves – but we love the idea!)
Harvard Beets would be a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving menu – or any special holiday meal! The sauce will ‘stain’ the other foods on your plate, so we like to serve our Harvard Beets in individual serving dishes as shown.
Enjoy!
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Harvard Beets
This Harvard Beets recipe is a classic New England side dish that has been around for generations. You’ll love the sweet and sour sauce!
Ingredients
2 1/2 pound fresh red beets, trimmed, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt for cooking water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, ground fine
1/2 cup water saved from cooking the beets
2 tablespoons corn starch
6 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Place beets in cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the one teaspoon of salt. Cook for 15 minutes. Ladle off and save ½ cup of cooking water and drain off the rest.
- Place beets back in pot along with the sugar, both vinegars, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat.
- Add corn starch to the ½ cup of beet water and stir into beets. Cook for five minutes over medium heat then stir in butter until butter has melted into the sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve.
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OHMY GOSH, this was the first time I ever tried to make this & it was so easy & delicious I can hardly believe it. I just now took the first taste as it’s still cooling down but to say it’s awesome doesn’t even come close to describing how good it is. Thank you so much for posting this recipe! YUM!!!
Thank you Dianna – glad you enjoyed the beets!
Recipe is easy to follow, taste is awesome! Will definitely make again! 🤗
Thanks Madonna!
Thus is a great recipe! It turned out perfect
Thanks Julie!
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. Good proportions and simple directions and layout. I’ll come back to look for more recipes. Thanks!
We’re glad you found us Lisa!
Eating these for lunch right now! Wanted to give them a try before I share them on Christmas Day….and they are everything I hoped for!
So glad you enjoy the recipe Nicole!
Can this recipe be canned?
Hi Beth – I don’t know. For safe canning, you’ll need to know if the dish has the proper acidity level – we don’t have a way to test that ourselves.
Can you use all white vinegar instead of cider vinegar?
Sorry Carol – No – the flavor will be different – white vinegar has a much harsher flavor.
The Best Ever
Thanks!
So good. Hard to stop eating right from the jar. Loved the sauce. A keep recipe for sure. Thank you Ruth
You’re very welcome Ruth – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’m off to the store for beets this morning . Have to try this recipe l love beets especially Harvard.?Many thanks.
Hope you enjoy the recipe Ruth!