The Value of Beets

Over the past several years I have been experimenting with new fruits, grains and vegetables, and have discovered some wonderful foods I formerly knew little about. One such vegetable is the beet. Oh, I knew about beets, but all I knew was that I bought them in a can and put them in my salad. Going to Farmers' Markets has definitely improved my IQ when it comes to food knowledge.

Beets have been cultivated since the 2nd milllenium, however, their popularity declined when spinach became popular. In the 19th century, beets became a widely cultivated commercial crop and became the main source of sucrose extraction for producing table sugar. The beet is high in nutritional value and low in calories, can be eaten hot or cold, sweet or sour. The leaves can be eaten too, much like spinach. Beets contain potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium and Vitamin C. Today farmers are producing red, white, yellow and orange beets, all with similar nutritional value.

The difference between a canned beet and a fresh beet is similar to the difference between canned fruit and fresh fruit. Not only is the taste of a fresh beet so much better, but the texture is completely different. Fresh beets are firm, whereas canned beets are often soft and mushy.

Here's what I do with my beets. First, I buy both red and yellow beets to add contrast to whatever I'm making. I break the leaves off the top and save them for dinner. I wash them, steam them like spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, for a lovely side dish with any entree. To cook the fresh beets, follow this method for great results every time. Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil. Put the beets into the boiling water, reduce to medium heat, and cook for about 45 minutes (this is for medium- large beets). Rinse and cool, then pull skin off beets with fingers. Do not use a knife. There is no need. The skin is easily removed with your fingers.

So now, what are you going to do with your beets? Here are two ways I use beets in salads.

Pickled Beets

Take two beets, one red, one yellow and cube. They're slippery, so be careful. Place in plastic container. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of vinegar+ 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Mix into beets, then cover and store beets for up to 2 weeks in refrigerator. I use them on salads almost every day. They're absolutely delicious. If you're watching your sugar intake like me, substitute Splenda (or equivalent) for the sugar.

The rest of the beets I simply slice in rounds (similar to what you get in a can) and refrigerate for future use. I use them in salads or heat them and serve them as a side vegetable with dinner.

One final way to use beets is to take a raw beet, peel it (a big pain), then take the little kitchen instrument that you make curly carrots with and use it to make long, curly beets. It looks very pretty on a salad, but it's hard to do. It's much easier to just cook them and store them for future use. I've got some great recipes for salads using beets which I will share with you at another time. For now, my standard lunch salad consists of either spinach greens or a combo of lettuces, 1 cooked red potato cubed, lots of pickled beets, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, and a scoop of cottage cheese. I use an oil and vinegar dressing, or Paul Newman's low fat balsamic vinegrette, just a little and it's great. The salad is packed with every vitamin you can think of, it's low in calories and very satisfying. Enjoy.