Beetroot
Taste
Sweet and earthy especially when roasted. Tastes just as good in a savoury dish or a pudding.
Eat
Round root: comes in a variety of vibrant colours-deep purple, red, striped pink, orange, white.
Leaves: Beet green tops are edible. The younger leaves are more tender and can be eaten raw in salads. The larger leaves can be sautéed or steamed. The tougher older leaves can be composted.
Health & Nutrition
Beetroots are a powerhouse of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and gut loving fibre. They are notably high in folate, manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, and B6..
Buying tips
Choose/pick beetroot that are firm, smooth and vibrant in colour. Larger rough beetroots can be a bit woodier so always cook these as opposed to the younger beets which can be eaten raw or cooked.
Storage tips
Stores extremely well in a cool and dark place. Remove the leafy tops and store the roots in the bottom of the fridge in a paper bag for several weeks. If you keep the leaves on they will soften quicker.
Cut the green tops of and store these in an airtight bag for up to 1 week.
Cooking tips
Preparing:
Raw: For smaller tender sweeter roots rinse dirt away and cut both ends off. Grate raw in to salads, yoghurt, kraut, cakes, slaws, risottos. No need to peel when young and the skin contains many nutrients and gut loving fibre.
Roasting: Cut of the tap root and the rough end and slice in to bite size pieces. Drizzle with oil and herbs of choice, season with salt and massage to combine. Roast in the oven until soft and starting to caramelize and sweeten.
Alternatively wrap in parchment paper or foil and roast whole with skin on. Once soft, peel the skin of and use sliced through vegetables/salads or in a home-made pickle.
Baking: Salt baked beetroot is delicious and brings out an incredible flavour as the salt insulates the beets, preserving all of that flavour and sweetness. Fill a baking dish with half an inch of salt. Rinse the beetroot but do not peel. While wet roll the beetroots in the salt to evenly coat. Spread the beetroots out in the pan and cover with baking paper or foil. Roast for about an hour or until the beetroots can be easily pierced with a knife and are soft. You can keep the skin on or remove if too salty. Slice or use whole in salads, soups, tarts, risottos, and pickles.
Boil: Keep the skin on to preserve the colour and nutrients and place in a pan of water until just covering. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40-60 mins or until soft and tender when pierced with a knife. Cool and peel to use in a vinegar pickle or sliced/diced through vegetables/salad.
Waste reduction tips
Do not throw away the green leafy tops as they are very nutrient dense and can be used instead of chard and spinach. If you have a glut of beetroot boil and pickle them in vinegar and spices. They will store in the fridge for weeks.
