Harvard Beets

Recipe No. 568 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Beets — 20 pounds*
• Water, boiling — as needed
• Sugar, granulated — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Salt — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Cornstarch — 5 ounces (⅓ mess kit cup)
• Vinegar — 1½ pints (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Butter — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)

Directions

Key ingredients

Cornstarch

1. Remove beet tops about 3 inches from the beets, leaving tap root attached. Wash beets thoroughly without breaking the skin. If the skin is broken, juice will escape from the beets while cooking.
2. Add boiling water to beets. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. Drain; reserve liquid.
3. Cool and remove stems and skins with fingers. Slice.
4. Heat 3 quarts (3 No. 56 dippers) beet liquid to boiling point.
5. Combine sugar, salt, cornstarch and a small amount of cold beet liquid; stir until smooth. Add to boiling liquid; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add vinegar, butter and beets. Reheat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Allow to stand 10 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beets — 1 lb 9⅔ oz Water, boiling — to taste Sugar, granulated — 1¼ oz Salt — about ½ tsp Cornstarch — ⅓ oz Vinegar — 3¾ tbsp Butter — about 2 tsp

3 No. 10 cans beets may be substituted for the 20 pounds fresh beets.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 568, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.