Beetroot
Fresh beetroot is a rich red colored, round shaped, root vegetable with long stems and green leaves. Beetroot greens are also edible.

History of Beetroot?
It is thought that beetroot originated around Roman times. This vegetable became increasingly popular throughout the world. It is related to mangelwurzels and sugar beet. Over the years, sugar production throughout Europe became a high demand and it could be extracted from beet! During times of famine, mangelwurzels became a popular food item in Europe.

Picking and Storing Beetroot
When picking beetroot, look for the freshest available. Try to select smaller beetroots with stalks that are at least 2 inches long otherwise the beetroot will bleed when it is cooked. To keep beetroot at its freshest, store it in a cool place. This vegetable will keep for up to several weeks if it is stored properly.

Preparing Beetroot for Cooking
Wash beetroot under cold water before preparing it for eating. Take care not to cut too much of the stalk off as this will result in the ruby red color of the beetroot bleeding away. Do not cut the stalk to less than 1 inch. When adding beetroot to salad, carefully peel the skin away. Grated beetroot is excellent and full of nutritional goodness! This vegetable can be cooked in different ways. For example, beetroot can be baked or boiled. Baking will take approximately 2 -3 hours and boiling will take approximately 1.5 hours. Beetroot is excellent for juicing and the juice will provide a lot of health benefits!

Cooking Beetroot Greens
The beetroot green (leaves) can be eaten and as stated above, they are full of nutritional benefits. They are very healthy and should be eaten when possible. The leaves taste similar to spinach but do in fact have a higher content of iron and calcium than spinach leaves! The beetroot green should be boiled for just a few minutes, drained well and served. The greens are excellent served with olive oil or butter!