Why And How To Eat Red Beets
Red beets – loved and cherished for centuries in Eastern Europe and Russia – are often approached with skepticism in the United States, with many people proclaiming that red beets “don’t taste good”.
Only recently, with the introduction of several red beet—based products are Americans beginning to accept them for their health benefits. (Incidentally, red beets should be avoided by IBS sufferers and those prone to developing kidney stones.)
With that out of the way, there are quite a few foods that are either loved or hated, passionately. Those who love them, usually know how to eat them. Those who hate them, don’t. So, let’s start at the beginning.
Red beets (aka beetroots) contain many valuable nutrients, most notably Folate, Manganese, and Copper. (That’s in addition to Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C.)
The nutrients in red beets are credited with improving:
- cardiovascular health
- metabolism
- brain function
- oxygen and energy levels
- even the natural red beets color (betalain) has health benefits: it protects DNA.
Red beets help prevent stroke, cleanse and oxygenate blood, and stimulate production of red blood cells.
(Red beets are renown for benefiting anemia patients. Beets have a relatively low amount of iron – about 4% – but are very rich in folate which stimulates the body’s iron production.)
Popular resources basically recommend “hiding” red beets in your diet. I don’t. Anybody will enjoy homemade beet and fruit snacks!
Wash a couple of red beets well. Don’t peel them. Cook them whole: cover the beets with water, bring them to a boil, lower the heat making sure that they don’t stop boiling and cook for about 30-40 minutes till soft. Drain the water. Keep the pot covered. Let the beets cool down. Once the beets are cool, the skin peels off / slides off, easily. Next, grate the roots on a medium-size grater.
There are two different ways to prepare a tasty beet and fruit salad. Whichever you’ll choose, you’ll have an enjoyable fruit snack, low in calories and sugar and high in valuable nutrients.
1/ Cut a peeled orange into small pieces and mix one cooked, grated red beet with one cut up orange.
2/ Peel an apple (Granny Smith is best for this) and grate it on a medium-size grater. Mix one cooked, grated red beet with one raw, grated apple.
If you know and enjoy horseradish, one cooked and grated red beet mixed to taste with prepared horseradish makes for a sexy side dish and – if there is any left! – is an asset to any sandwich.
Last but least, the very same humble red beets can be used to make a powerful probiotic drink! Traditional Ukrainian “kvas” is a drink made of fermented beets. (Think sauerkraut or dill pickles.)
For the basic recipe, you’ll need a couple of red beets, salt and water. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Wash the red beets well and peel them. Cut the beets into small chunks or 0.5” thick slices. Put them into a well-sterilized large jar.
Bring four cups of filtered water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add two tablespoons of sea salt to the water, and stir well with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot water over the beets.
Two things:
1/ Many sources Online recommend fermenting red beets in tightly closed jars(?) Personally, I don’t like explosions and for this reason, I’m covering my jar with a clean coffee filter fastened to the jar with a rubber band. It allows the “kvas” to “breathe” while keeping its contents covered and clean.
2/ The recipe above is the simple one. In my household, we love garlic, so I’m adding 5-6 cloves of peeled garlic into the fermentation mix.
The fermentation time depends on the temperature in your home and your taste preference. It ranges from 5 to 10 days. Once the drink is tangy enough for you, strain it and store it in glass bottles in the refrigerator.
Drink half a cup a day. The Ukrainian “kvas” is a chockful of healthy goodness rich in good bacteria, digestive enzymes, and probiotics!
Discover the joy of red beets: to your health!
Photo credit: Nick Collins on Unsplash
