Prepare the beetroots. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) so it is fully hot before the beets go in. Next, wash the beets well under running water, scrubbing off any dirt. Then trim the root tail and stem end with a knife. Leave about ½ inch (1 cm) of stem if you like, since it helps keep the color in.

Wrap. Wrap each beet in a piece of parchment paper cut to fit, then wrap it snugly in a piece of foil cut to the same size. Cutting to fit means less waste and a tighter wrap.

Bake. Place the foil-wrapped beets on an 18 x 13-inch (46 x 33 cm) rimmed baking sheet, a smaller 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) baking pan for smaller batches, or directly on the oven rack. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes for medium beets, or 75 to 90 minutes for large ones. They are done when a knife or skewer slides in easily. To maximize kitchen efficiency, you can easily add these packets to the oven while cooking another dish. Beets are highly adaptable to multi-tasking, so if you need to bake them at a lower temperature alongside your companion meal, simply extend the roasting time until a fork easily pierces the center of the largest beet.

Finish and serve. Once a fork easily pierces the largest beet, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes until safe to handle. Finally, peel the warm beets by rubbing the skins right off with your fingers or a paper towel to avoid pink hands, then serve them warm or slice and chill for later.