Vegetable: Beetroot

Recipes:
Boiled Beetroot & their Greens with a Horseradish Dressing
Beetroot and Feta Salad
Beetroot Pate
Markus’s Root Veg Slaw
Beetroot Soup

Type: In the goosefoot family of plants, beetroot’s other close relatives include Swiss chard and sugar beet.

Vitamin and mineral content: Beetroot’s leafy tops are packed with nutrients, concentrated in vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene. The sweet tasting root is a rich source of carbohydrates, a good source of protein and has high levels of important vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, fibre, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and folic acid. It is a good source of dietary fibre, has practically no fat and no cholesterol.

Reputedly good for: Thought to be an excellent immune system booster, beetroot has been recommended to HIV/AIDS sufferers across Africa as a way to stay healthy. It’s also thought to be an active anti-cancer agent, particularly for those associated with digestion. In fact its digestion-related properties generally are well recognised.

Availability: Mostly available from late summer to early spring.

Storage: Store beetroot unwashed in the fridge where they will keep for up to four weeks. Cut the majority of the greens and their stems from the roots, so they do not pull away moisture. Leave about two inches of the stem attached to prevent the roots from ‘bleeding’. Store the unwashed greens in a separate bag where they will keep fresh for about four days. Raw beets do not freeze well since they tend to become soft upon thawing. Freezing cooked beets is fine; they'll retain their flavor and texture.

Preparation: Don’t cook beetroot for too long as studies show their anti-cancer activity is diminished by heat. Don't peel them until after cooking. Wash them gently under cool running water, taking care not to tear the skin since this tough outer layer helps keep most of pigment inside the vegetable. To prevent bleeding when boiling beets, leave them whole with their root ends and one inch of stem attached. They can also be eaten grated raw in salads.

Origins: Although beetroot in uncultivated forms is thought to have been around since prehistoric times, it seems that the Romans were the first to discover the virtues of the root. It took until the 16th century for beetroot to become established as part of the Northern European diet for humans as well as animals. In the nineteenth century, their popularity was again given a boost when their sugar content became known.