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Beets are a super food. They are delicious and packed with nutrition. You can even eat the leafy tops which are rich in antioxidants, vitamin K and iron. Beet roots pack a punch of nutrition, too, with a wide variety of vitamin B, vitamin A, and potassium to name only a few.
When shopping for fresh beets at the local farmer's market or grocery store look for:
- Healthy looking leaves that are attached firmly to the roots
- Firm roots of similar size (smaller roots are more tender)
How to Grow Beets
Beets are easy to grow. They love the coolness of early spring and into fall, if you live in a temperate growing area, you they can be grown all winter. (Make sure you check what growing zone you live in first.)
Decide where to plant your beet seeds. This is important; too high of heat and your beet roots will be tough and flavorless. There are several heat tolerant varieties available. Watering in the evening with cold water, this will help keep your soil cooled.
Beets like sandy loose soil, dense soil stops the beets from being able to form full sized roots. It is simple to mimic these soil conditions. It is simple to do; I use a section of a raised bed and mix in sand.
Beets need room to spread out as they mature. Thin the beet plants to about 2 - 3 inches apart to give your growing beets the space they need. As an extra bonus is you can eat the green leaves of the pulled plants as you would micro-greens
Cleaning your beets is the starting place in to get them ready to eat - begin by cutting off the tops leaving 2-inches of stems. Scrub the roots well with a brush under cool running water.
How to Prepare Beets
Trim the leaves from the beets; be careful to leave about two inches of the leaf stalk intact. This is important to prevent bleeding while cooking.
Place the beets in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil.
Boil the beets until they are fork tender. When the beets are almost ready, fill a large bowl with very cold water, set it into the sink.
Drain the hot water from the beets, then plunge them into the cold water.
When the beets are just cool enough to handle, cup them in your hands and use your thumbs to push the skins from the beets.
Recipes for Beet Leaves
Don't throw away the leaves – you can use those too! Separate the leaves and wash well to remove any debris or sand. Toss your baby beet greens into a salad and drizzle with a light dressing. Apple Cider Vinaigrette is a perfect match.
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