The real prize that I'm focusing on this weekend, though, are the beets. Beets are as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat, and good for you, too! Beet roots boast folacin, vitamin C and fiber, but the real nutritional treasure lies in the green tops: they're packed with beta carotene, calcium and iron. I have two red varieties and one golden. We've eaten baby beet roots a couple of times this spring, and have eaten lots of beet greens, but I've been waiting for the roots to get a little size on them before digging them. For maximum flavor, both beet greens and roots should be eaten as soon as picked, but they will keep in the 'fridge for a period of time. Some beet tips:
- Pick up to 1/3 of the foliage from a beet plant at any time to use as salad/cooked greens.
- Harvest both roots and green tops when they're young and tender for best flavor.
- Pull or dig the roots when they reach the desired size for cooking or canning; this varies with the variety of beet and the spacing in the row.
- Store unwashed beet roots in plastic bags in your refrigerator's crisper section for up to three weeks; to increase storage life, remove the greens but leave at least an inch of stem.
- Store beet greens the same way and use them as soon as possible; they'll last only a few days.
- Keep unwashed beet roots long-term by covering them with sand or sawdust and storing in a moist, cool spot (35 to 40 degrees F).
Roasted Beets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean beets, trimming stems and roots to 1-inch. Do not peel. Place in a well sealed foil packet, or in a roasting pan with a tight fitting lid. Roast about 1 - 1/4 hours, until easily pierced with a fork. Adjust cooking time based on size of beets. Use in your favorite beet recipe!
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