Vegetables for vitality: Brilliant ideas for beets

Ruby-red beets taste sweet because they contain more natural sugar than any other vegetable that we eat. They are, however, still low in calories, very low in fat and packed with important vitamins and minerals.

All this goodness is packed into 125 millilitres (half a cup) of cooked beets:

• about 37 calories
• magnesium, potassium and vitamin C, plus a significant amount of folate, which is important for growth and protein metabolism and reduces the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida

Availability: 

Beets are available all year long, but are at their best during the summer and early fall months, when baby beets are also available.

What to look for:

• Choose beets with their tops on; those that have been clipped have most likely been in storage.
• The leafy tops should look fresh and the roots should be firm, smooth and unbruised.
• Pick uniform-sized beets up to seven centimetres (three inches) in diameter.
• If you shop at a specialty food market, you may also see golden beets.
• They can be cooked and used the same way as the red variety, but their roots and greens are milder in flavour.

Storage:

•  First cut off the leafy tops, leaving about three centimetres (1 1/4 inches) of the stem attached to the bulbous root.
• Leave the long, stringy root intact. Store the greens and beets in separate plastic bags in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
• The greens should be used within a couple of days. The roots will keep for up to a couple of weeks.

Preparation:

•  Gently scrub beets under cold running water and dry on paper towels.
• Leave three centimetres (1 1/4 inches) or so of stem attached to the unpeeled root to prevent colour (and nutrients) from bleeding out during cooking.

Basic cooking:

•  To preserve their colour and nutrients, beets should not be peeled or cut before cooking.
• To retain the colour and flavour, baking, microwaving and steaming are the best methods of cooking.
• To bake, wrap in aluminum foil, place in a baking tin, and cook in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for one hour 30 minutes to two hours.
• Leave to cool just until they can be handled for peeling.
• Serve hot or cool and refrigerate for salads.

Best uses in recipes:

•  Cooked beets are eaten hot as a side dish and cold in salads.
• They are used in a borscht, a soup which can be served hot or cold.
• They are also pickled. Raw grated beets add crunch to a salad.

• Young beets up to three centimetres (1 1/4 inches) in diameter have tender, edible skin that doesn't require peeling. Baby beets also have the sweetest greens. The leaves and roots can be cooked separately and then served together. Steam the roots for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the greens in olive oil and butter. Drain the beets. Cut them in half and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place sautéed greens on a plate and top with the warm beets.
• Sprinkle hot beets with lemon juice, salt and pepper and dot with little pieces of butter.
• Serve hot or cold beets with a yogurt-horseradish sauce.
• Team cooked beets, sliced and chilled, with orange segments, thin slices of red onion and a handful of toasted walnuts. Add vinaigrette.
• Did you know that betalains, the bright red pigments in beets, can be extracted for use as a natural food colouring and dye?

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