EcollegeY : About Us

Beets are notable for their sweetness--they have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, but they are very low in calories. Fresh beets have twice the folate (folic acid) and potassium, and have a distinctive flavour and a crisp texture not found in canned beets. Fresh beets also supply a nutritional bonus--their green tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, calcium, and iron.

The beets we eat as a vegetable (also called red beets, root beets, and table beets) are a root vegetable with two parts, the root and the edible green leaves. They belong to the botanical species Beta vulgaris, which also includes sugar beets (which are processed for sugar), mangel-wurzels (very large bulbs used as animal fodder), foliage beets, and Swiss chard (the latter two grown for their greens, not their roots). All these vegetables are descended from a wild slender-rooted plant that grew abundantly in southern Europe. In ancient civilizations, only the green leaves of the beet plant were eaten; the roots--which did not look like modern beets--were used medicinally to treat headaches and toothaches. Beets with good-sized, rounded roots, like those we eat today, were probably developed in the sixteenth century, though it took another 200 years before they gained any popularity as a food.

To reduce moisture loss from the roots, cut off beet greens before storing, but leave at least 1" of the stem attached (tiny leaf-topped baby beets can be stored for a day or two with their tops intact). Place the unwashed roots in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper for up to three weeks. Store the greens separately in the same fashion and use them as soon as possible; they are perishable and will keep for only a few days.

Generally speaking, to preserve their color and nutrients, beets should never be cut or peeled before cooking them in liquid; otherwise, they will "bleed" their rich red juices while cooking and turn an unappetizing dull brown. Scrub the beets very gently and rinse well, but be careful not to break the skin, which is quite thin. Leave at least 1" of stem and don't trim the root.

Beets are done when you can easily pierce them with the tip of a sharp knife. Once cooked, you can peel them; the skin of a cooked beet will slip right off. (However, it's wise to use a paper towel or wear gloves to keep the beet juice from staining your hands.) Then cut the beet in quarters, slices, cubes, or in long, thin strips--or, if they're small, serve whole.

Cooked beets hold their color better if some acid ingredient is added to the cooking water; vinegar or lemon juice, used in many beet recipes, will keep them a beautiful crimson.

Baking: Dry-heat cooking locks in nutrients and intensifies the natural sweetness of beets. It's not a quick method, though: To save time, cook a large quantity of beets at once, then chill some for later use in salads. You can also bake beets when you're baking or roasting something else. Wrap beets in foil, place them in a baking pan, and bake in a 350°F to 400°F oven until tender. Unwrap and let stand until they're just cool enough to handle, then peel them while still warm. Cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on size.

You can also slice peeled beets, then layer them with thinly sliced onions or apples in a casserole. Add a little broth or stock to keep them moist and cover tightly, then bake/braise. Cooking time: 30 to 60 minutes.

Boiling: This is the most common way of cooking beets, but some of the color (and nutrients) will be lost in the cooking water. Place beets in a pot of boiling water, cover, and simmer until the beets are just tender. Cooking time: 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size and the age of the beets.

Microwaving: Place one pound of whole beets in a microwavable dish with 1/4 cup of liquid. Cover and cook until tender. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Steaming: Beets can be cooked in a vegetable steamer over boiling water. Tiny beets can be steam-boiled with their leaves attached in a little water with lemon juice and herbs added. Cooking time: 40 minutes.