They taste like dirt, in a really good way.
They are loaded with vitamins, including a lot of C.
They are antioxidant and have tons of iron in em. In fact there is more iron in beet leaves than there is in spinach.
(They can make you pee pink, which can be scary until you remember what you had for dinner!)
Forget an apple a day, let’s make it a beet.
Sometimes the density of beet root makes them intimidating to consider cooking, but while you can eat them raw there are actually some super easy ways to cook them. Try these methods to get more beets into your dishes and your diet.
PREP
You do not need to peel beets when they are raw before you cook them! Don’t waste your time! In fact, I think the less you cut them, the more you hold in the nutrients while they cook. They are also more stain-y when they are raw, so I suggest you skip the mess.
Start by cutting off the greens if they have them on. Don’t throw them out, though! Fresh beet greens are delicious and nutritious. See below for a simple and beautiful recipe including the whole beet. Storage beets will not have greens and will be pretty clean, but if your beets are fresh and they are dirty just give them a good scrub.
BAKE – best for really big beets
Wrap each beet in tin foil and stick them in the oven, right on the rack if you like, at 350 for an hour or until you can stick a sharp knife into one easily. Cool and keep the foil wrapped beets in a dish in the fridge until you are ready to eat them (trust me, you want that dish under there or they will bleed all over your fridge)
BOIL – better for smaller beets
Put your beets in a big enough pot to be able to completely cover them with cold water. On the stove, bring them to a boil and keep it rolling (put in more water if it gets lower than the level of the beets!) until a sharp knife sticks into one easily, or about 30 minutes. Drain and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
PEEL
Once your beets are cooked and cooled they peel easily. I suggest doing this in the sink, as red beets are messy. Your hands might get a little pink, but will wash off better if you do it right away and don’t let the beet juice sit on your hands.
Slice off the ends and root, and run your hands over the beet, slipping the skins off with your fingers.
Once your beets are peeled they are ready to go.
Try the recipe below, add them to a salad or just salt and eat
Yum!