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What to do with Beets

Submitted by Teresa Cheely from Slow Dog seasoning

Their beautiful color makes a great natural food coloring when cooked with or added to other foods. Throughout the years I’ve used beet juice for coloring Easter eggs, frosting, drinks and punches. Raw beets make great paper stampers for kids and face makeup (lipstick and blush). When cooking beets steaming or roasting retains the most nutrients. When using in soups, acid intensifies the color (lemon juice, vinegar). Salt dulls it and should be added at the end of cooking. They’re known as “beetroot” outside the U.S. and I was surprised to find a fat slice of cooked beetroot a standard item on a fast food type “Whopper” in Australia.

Borscht

In a large stockpot or slow cooker, combine all . Cube or julienne all vegetables.

1 c.onion
2 c beets
2 c carrots
2 c potatoes
1 c celery
1 c cabbage
2 c beef stock
2 T butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 T sugar
pepper to taste.

Cover all with water and cook until tender. Add salt to taste. Serve with a large dollop of sour cream on each serving. Note: beets are easier to cut up and peel (if necessary) if they are precooked.