The beet is a root vegetable, originally from North Africa, that is closely related to swiss chard. The most common variety is a deep reddish-purple color, but beets can also be white, golden, and even rainbow colored. While they are often served cooked (either boiled, roasted, steamed, or microwaved), they are also delicious when grated raw into salads and sandwiches. (Read more on World’s Healthiest Foods.)

Varieties

Beetroot, Red Beet, Table Beet, or simply the Beet is quite possibly the most commonly found beet variety in the United States.  A delicious treat, beets taste even sweeter when they are cooked, most commonly roasted.  Eaten warm or cold, the beet is an excellent accompaniment to salads and pairs well with leafy greens, nuts and dried fruit. In addition to its use as a food, beets made a natural colorant and are added to many other foods including tomato paste and jams.

Golden Beets are so named because of their gold hue.  Similar in flavor to the beetroot, they also have a narrow shelf life and are best kept in the fridge and eaten within a week of receving.  All beets can be preserved via pickling, which  changes their flavor profile while contributing to the length of the root’s shelf-life.

Chioggia Beets are a sweet-tasting Italian heirloom with distinct red- and white-striped flesh.  Betacyanin, the pigment that gives beets their color, is a powerful antioxidant.

Forono Beets have an elongated cylindrical shape and are as valued for their flavor as for their aesthetic.  The dependable shape makes for uniform slices and so forono beets are valued for their decorative properties. 

Preparation

There are various ways to prepare beets. The first step is always to trim off the ends and rinse under cold water.

Raw: Peel the outer skin and grate the beets into salads and slaws.

Roasted: Peel and chop beets for quicker roasting time. Alternately, whole, unpeeled beets can be wrapped in foil and roasted for about an hour. Once cooked, the skin should come off easily by rubbing with a papertowl.

Boiled/steamed: Again, depending on size, beets can either be boiled or steamed whole or in chunks, peeled or unpeeled. 

Storage Tips

To store beets, place them in a plastic bag, and keep them refrigerated. Beet greens are edible. If the beets arrived with the greens still attached, cut the leaves from the root, and store them separately. The greens will keep for a few days in a plastic bag put in the crisper section of the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Beets are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium and an excellent source of manganese and folate. They are also one of the few sources of betalains, which are phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. (Read more about beets and betalains on World’s Healthiest Foods and see more nutrition facts at Self.com.)

Recipes

Apple Beet Charoset
Baby Greens with Roasted Beets and Potatoes
Baked Beet Chips
Beet & Carrot Latkes
Beet and Blood Orange Salad
Beet and Cabbage Soup
Beet and Chickpea Salad
Beet and Quinoa Tabouli
Beet Hummus
Beet Salad Dressing
Beet Tartare
Beets, Spiced Quinoa and Yogurt
Best Beets Ever!
Boiled Beets with Tarragon Butter
Borscht (Beet Soup)
Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets
Chicken with Parsnips, Beets, and Sunchokes with Beer Pan Juices
Chioggia Beet Salad
Chocolate Beet Brownies
Chocolate Beet Cake
Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies
Deconstructed Beet Tower
Edamame, Sugar Snap Peas, Beans and Beet Salad
French “Peasant” Beets
Golden Summer Rice
Grilled Beet and Hummus Pita
Gumbo z’herbes
Healthy Buddha Bowl with Lemon Ginger Dressing
Jamie Oliver’s Smoked Beets
Marinated Beets and Delicata Squash
Mediterranean Beet and Yogurt Salad
Naturally Dyed Eggs
Oven Roasted Golden Beets
Oven-Roasted Potatoes & Beets with Garlic-Lemon-Thyme Dressing
Pickled Beets
Quinoa Salad with Beets, Daikon Radish and Feta
Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Chick Peas, and Orange
Raw Beetroosh
Roasted Beet Salad with Barley, Feta and Red Onion
Roasted Beets & Sauteed Greens with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese
Roasted Beets and Sauteed Beet Greens
Roasted Beets ‘n’ Sweets
Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint
Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme
Roasted Beets with Sage and Orange Glaze
Rosemary Roasted Beets
Rosemary Roasted New England Roots
Rustic Vegetable-Beet Soup
Slightly Spicy Beet and Apple Salad
Sprout Sandwich!
Sweet and Smoky Beet Burgers
Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt
Trusted Roasted Root Vegetable Recipe
Upside-Down Beet Salad
Watermelon Radish, Beet, and Mozzarella Salad
Winter Fruit and Vegetable Salad