Yes, you heard it right; do you know what do beets taste like? Talking about taste, it tastes wonderful. Beets are sweet and earthy. When you roast beets the natural sugars are enhanced. Beets are delicious. Beets are an amazing addition to any meal.
Add some feta, roasted beets and butternut (a type of pumpkin) and olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and you’ll have your guests begging you for your recipe. Beets are related to chard, spinach, and quinoa, and can be prepared in many ways. Each cooking method will change the flavor profile of the beet.
1. Choosing A Good Beet
Beets can be prepared a number of different ways. It’s important to choose a firm root without wilted leaves. Beets “bleed” easily; the highly pigmented juice can stain your fingers or chopping boards.
You can choose to peel the roots before cooking, or eat them with the skin on, or easily peel off the skin, after cooking.
Let’s find more about beets here in this video:
2. Earthy Taste: Geosmins
Beets are packed with nutrients–and adored by many – but to some people their “dirt” or earthy taste is intolerable. This is a genetic reaction. To some people, the taste will always be unpalatable.
Beets contain geosmins, an organic compound in the ground, which gives beetroots their unique deeply earthy flavor. Geosmins are safe to eat, but some people are more sensitive to this compound. To some people, beetroot simply tastes like dirt.
To others, the earthy flavor and smell are similar to the way the earth smells after the rain and is pleasant. It’s a built in reaction to the compounds in beetroot.
3. Traditional Beets: Pickles & Salad
Many people are familiar with pickled Beets, a popular salad that is sold in supermarkets, across the world. The sugar content of some of these products is quite high and masks the earthy taste of the beet.
There are many other ways to enjoy this nutrient-packed wonder vegetable, and enjoy their earthy goodness.
4. Raw Beets & Juicing
Beets can be added to salads, or eaten raw – but the flesh is quite hard. It’s a good idea to grate it or slice it thinly. Raw beets are especially earthy, and it’s better to cook or steam it, if the flavor is too strong, or you find it too hard to chew.
Beets are fiber rich, and are popular vegetable choices for juicing, and are often mixed with apples to make a great pressed juice. Beets contain a high level of phytonutrients, especially high levels of red and yellow carotenoids- more than any other vegetables, as well as high levels of magnesium, potassium and Vitamin C.
Juicing and smoothies are great ways to enjoy beets, but a warning – when you consume a lot of beets, your urine may be red. (The high pigments of the root may cause this. Do not be too concerned, if this happens to you. Not everyone will have red urine, but it is the case for some people. Do not be alarmed.)
5. Boiling, Roasting & Steaming
Beets are very versatile vegetables. Beets can be added to many dishes, or served with them, as an accompaniment
Steaming, and roasting, beets are one of the best ways to preserve the nutrients. Don’t steam your beets for longer than 15 minutes, or bake them at a high temperature. Roast them for no longer than an hour. Roasting, or baking, your beets will bring out their natural sugars. Boiling will rob the roots of some of their flavor but make them softer, and you can always add seasoning.
6. Beets And Baking
Beets can be used to add a new dimension to cakes, bread, and a lot of baked goods. The pigments will color your batter, and help to make your cakes moist. It is sometimes a “hidden” ingredient and can be used to enhance deeply flavored items, like chocolate cake. There are many recipes available that include this amazing vegetable, in new ways.
7. Beets, Herbs, and Spices
Many herbs and spices compliment, and enhance, the earthy root –regardless of the method you use to prepare it. Add herbs and spices, but remember that the vegetable has an earthy sweetness too. Herbs and spices that are too strong may overpower the flavor of the root. Use sparingly Eggs, garlic, ginger, curry, chilly, Rosemary, basil, and oregano to add flavor.
Conclusion- Beets Underrated Superfoods
Beets are packed with nutrients and can be enjoyed in savory and sweet dishes. Pickled, roasted, steamed and pressed- there’s an endless number of ways to enjoy these delicious root vegetables.
Forget about what do beets taste like? Just keep in mind that beets are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and help to detox, as well as clean our blood. It’s recommended to eat at least one serving of beets a week.