Does your concept of beets revolve around something that comes out of a can, stains your teeth pink, and caused you to run away from the dinner table as a kid? In my family, we still laugh about the funny childhood memory of me stuffing whole baby beets in my cheeks and grinning a pink grin. I loved the sweetness then and have since graduated to buying fresh beets to cook in a number of delicious ways.
For those who are still leery of this beautiful low-calorie root vegetable, here are 5 tips for selecting and cooking beets:
- Choose round, firm beets that are 2-3″ in diameter and that still have the tops/greens attached. Larger beets are older, tougher, and take longer to cook.
- Beet greens may be chopped and cooked as you would any other green and pack a nutrient-rich punch to any meal.
- Store beets and greens in separate plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Wear latex gloves when cutting beets so your hands don’t get stained. There is no need to peel beets, however you can if you want to.
- The best cooking methods are steaming, pressure cooking, and roasting.
Easy Beet Recipes
- Classic Russian Borscht Soup
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Green Apple, and Honey
- Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens, and Pine Nuts
- Pickled Beets
- Spice-Crusted Roast Salmon with Ginger Beets
- Chocolate-y Beet Brownies
Beets are available year-round, though best from June-October. Whether you purchase gold beets, red beets, or amazing bi-color beets, your body will get a nice dose of Vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and folate from them. Beets also have great anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Give beets another chance to debut in your dinner. You’ll be(et) pleasantly surprised at this new world of veggie wonder!
