Do you need to peel beets before cooking? No. In fact, none of these methods require you to peel your beets before cooking. Beets are incredibly difficult to peel, so unless you plan to eat your beets raw, just leave the skin on.

Can you eat the skin of a beet?

Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling. (Some people are happy to leave the skins on; they are fine to eat.)

Should beets be peeled before cooking?

While some people peel beets, they're kind of messy and to be honest, it's not necessary to do before cooking. Once cooked the skins just slide right off. If the beets are large, cut them in halves or quarters so they cook faster.