The Fresh Factor: How to pick, prep and store beets
Your average beet boasts a deep scarlet hue — bright and unmistakable amid a sea of root vegetable earth tones — like a flashy sports car that turns heads on the highway.
But the root vegetable is all too often sidelined and forgotten in the produce department, however, there are many reasons to toss these earthy-sweet and nutrient-rich fresh produce staples into your cart.
The Packer has teamed up with Healthy Family Project to share our favorite tips, tricks and produce inspiration about some of our favorite fruits and vegetables in 2023. In June, we’re spotlighting how to pick, prep and store beets.
Beet recipe MVPs
“The beet is a wonderful vegetable, but people resist it, partly because of its sweetness,” says James Beard Award-winning author Deborah Madison in her seminal cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." “When beets are treated to the acidic nip of vinegar and lemon or the warmth of spices, however, many take to them with enthusiasm.”
The humble beet is a chameleon when it comes to flavors. Anyone who’s tucked into a steaming bowl of borscht can attest to beets’ savory properties. At the same time, these ruby red root veggies can lend earthy sweetness to baked goods, salads and smoothies.
Record-braking long-distance runner and athlete Shalane Flanagan relies on beets not only for their delicious flavor, but also because beets are packed with nutrients — they’re rich in antioxidants and minerals, perfect for fueling her intense runs and workouts.
In her three cookbooks that focus on nutritious, whole-food recipes for athletes, Flanagan and co-author Elyse Kopecky tuck beets into dishes across the flavor spectrum and for every eating occasion — from hummus to smoothies to salads to muffins.
Their Can’t Beet Me Smoothie recipe is a vibrant smoothie and go-to breakfast favorite.
If you’re looking to enjoy your beets straight up, Mark Bittman’s raw beet salad with fennel recipe is a solid choice. The vinegar acid complements the earthy beets wonderfully and makes for visually stunning and bright salad with plenty of crunch.
How to select the perfect beet
Like carrots, beets can be sold with their leafy greens, bunched or loose, or without their green tops entirely.
Red beets are the most common variety to find in the produce aisle, but if you’re cooking up a colorful roasted root vegetable mélange, it’s worth seeking out a few golden beets to toss your cart. And if you’re looking to pull together a dreamy summer salad, the unusual cherry red-and-white-striped chioggia beet variety is a showstopper thinly sliced atop a bed of salad greens.
Regardless the variety, look for unblemished medium-sized beets for ease of handling. Smaller beats can prove tedious to prepare for little payoff and oversized beets can be cumbersome to store, cut and bake.
Storing beets
Tuck your beets into the produce bin for safekeeping. To hold the beets longer, remove any green tops and wrap in a thin produce bag.
Preparing beets
While these bright red orbs can be intimidating if you’ve never handled them before, a little prep can make them a favorite veggie on frequent rotation. After a thorough washing, the greens can be enjoyed fresh like salad greens or cooked like chard.
Beets can be cooked much like any root vegetable; they’re great steamed, roasted, boiled and baked. If you have a Vitamix blender, you can even puree beets raw — just make sure to peel the skin first!
With red and golden beets, avoid using wood cutting boards and have a sponge handy unless you don’t mind staining from the vibrant juices.
When handling and serving warm beets, use caution!
“The rule when plating beets is: Put them down confidently, and do not move them or they will stain, leaving a messy trail in their wake,” says culinary icon Samin Nosrat in the book "Salt Fat Acid Heat."
More from The Fresh Factor
What is your go-to beet recipe? Share it on one of The Fresh Factor’s posts or drop us a line at news@thepacker.com.
Stay tuned to learn more about mushrooms in July and check out other Fresh Factor highlights on asparagus, artichoke and kale on Instagram!
