Yeah? As might less sodium and alcohol...neither of which I am prepared for. So tell me more about beet root.

I like beets. They're purple and they taste good.

Stay away from my salt and scotch.

I bought some baby beets at a farmer's market a while back. Wasn't quite sure how to deal with them, so I washed them and peeled the outer layer off. I roasted them - following some recipe from the internet. They tasted like sweet dirt. Is that normal? I'm going to grow some in my fall garden and try again, but... any clues?

Not only that, but it has anti-cancer properties as well - has been traditionally used to treat tumours. It is also a great detoxifier.

It is beneficial to the blood, heart and digestive system. It helps get rid of bad breath, coughs and headaches. It helps to boost the immune system.

Use it to treat indigestion, gastritis and hearburn, skin problems, lethargy, constipation, to reduce blood pressure levels, to reduce cholesterol levels, hasten wound-healing.

Amongst other things, it is a good source of iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, antioxidants and folate.

As a rough guide, you only need about a cupful of beetroot or beetroot juice per day to produce medicinal effects. That's not a lot, when you think about it. It's more effective when used as fresh as possible.

Oh, and the claims for its medicinal benefits have been endorsed by scientific research.

trsinc wrote: They tasted like sweet dirt.

Well...yeah...kind of. I don't suppose I'd describe the flavor of beets in quite that way, but now that you mention it, it is kind of what they taste like.

Well, darn it! I guess I just don't like them. I'll grow a couple just to see, but not as many as I had planned. :(

I described them today as "musky", but sweet dirt is an apt description! I don't care for them as a roasted veggie, but marinated or cut up in a salad or with goat cheese is fine.

I love them in borscht! And it freezes well....

And Daisy.... 1 cupful a day? I think I could manage that!

Alexa

When you roast beets you don't need to peel the outer layer off. Just rinse under running water to remove any loose dirt, wrap each beet in foil and put the packets on the grill or in the oven with whatever else you happen to be cooking. Once they're cooked the skins slide right off. I peel the cooked beets under running water to make it a bit neater. You can store the cooked beets in the fridge in a covered container. Eat them hot, cold or at room temperature. Slice or cut into a medium dice, add a little mild vinegar, salt and caraway seeds for an interesting salad that goes with just about anything. Beets are earthy and very sweet. They keep in the fridge a long time after cooking and can added to any salad or to bottled borsht.

Sweet dirt works for me, I think that's a great description and that's why I don't eat beets :) Can't even stand the smell of them cooking!

Compumom, when you marinate or put them in a salad are they raw? I might like them better that way. I prefer carrots raw...I forgot about borscht. Guess I'll plant enough to experiment with. It's the only veggie I really dislike, so far.

"May" is the key word in about 99% of the claims I read about certain foods being good for your health. "May" IMHO opinion means "take it with a grain of salt." Having said that, I like beets, just not all of the claims about what fruits and vegetables are going to do for your health.

I like them fresh, shredded with equal amounts of carrots and apples, add finely chopped red onion to taste and dress with an orange dressing. Yummy and healthy!

Sweet dirt? Now I can explain why I don't like beets. I like almost every other vegetable, except onions and turnips. But I LOVE broccoli. And brussels sprouts. And liver.

beverlyal wrote: "May" IMHO opinion means "take it with a grain of salt."

"May" means to me that someone with a vested interest in a certain product selling well has funded a "research" project that had preordained results.

My husband never cared for beets until I served them one night. He'd only ever had canned, and simple fresh boiled beets, in butter, salt & pepper converted him.

trsinc, I have found that some beets taste "dirtier" than others. You may like golden or Chioggia (very pretty, white & pink) beets, which have a milder taste but are still sweet.

If you grow them, don't throw away the greens, they are delicious. If your soil is very fine, the stems can get a bit gritty, like spinach, but the green part of the leaf is very much like chard...a little sweeter and a little more dense. You can cook them as greens or shred them to add to salads.

If you like to pickle things, beets make a very nice pickle, and I think it cuts the "dirt" flavor a wee bit.

One of my favorite salads is sliced beets, al dente green beans, red onion rings and a vinaigrette, with some toasted walnuts and sometimes a wee bit of feta.

You may like golden or Chioggia (very pretty, white & pink) beets, which have a milder taste but are still sweet.

Good suggestion. I've tried to like regular beets but find the flavor too strong - even when made from fresh beets. But I like the golden ones. (Probably it will turn out that they have less antioxidants or vitamins or something.) I'll have to look out for the Chiogga too.

I also like that I can put the golden beets into a soup or stew without turning everything pink.

If you are looking for ways to lower your BP without meds, you will need a more comprehensive approach than a few servings of beets!

Cloud Swift, you are correct. The darker-coloured beetroot are the ones you need for medicinal purposes. They have more of the goodies in them. And for medicinal purposes, the pickled ones aren't so good, either.

Try juicing them with carrots to help improve the flavour. Other veges can be tossed in as well, according to your taste preferences.

Barnmom, yes, if you have a serious BP problem, you'll still have to be monitored. However, beetroot has been proven to be very helpful, so that it becomes possible for people to reduce the dosages of their conventional meds. That HAS to be a good thing!