It is difficult to believe how the hardy, crunchy often rough looking exterior of raw beets can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery once they are cooked. While beets are available throughout the year, their season runs from June through October when the youngest, most tender beets are easiest to find.

Edible green leaves are attached to the tapered round or oblong root portions that we know as beets. While we often think of beets having a reddish-purple hue, some varieties are white, golden-yellow or even rainbow colored. The sweet taste of beets reflects their high sugar content making them an important raw material for the production of refined sugar; they have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, yet are very low in calories.

Storage

Beets can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about a week. You can tell a beet is still fresh if it is heavy and firm, not wrinkled or sprouting.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Beets are best when cooked whole, to retain the flavor, color, and nutrients. To prepare beets, cut off the green tops, leaving an inch of the stem to prevent bleeding and flavor loss. Scrub beets, wrap them in foil, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size, at 400°F (200°C). Let them cool slightly and then peel the skins off. Baby beets can be steamed whole for about 30 minutes, then peeled and sliced. Beet leaves have a rich flavor resembling that of spinach. If they are crisp and bright green, they can be steamed or braised with onions and garlic in a little olive oil.

Nutritional Highlights

Beets (root, raw), 1 cup (135g)
Calories: 58
Protein: 2.2g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Total Fat: 0.23g
Fiber: 3.8g
*Excellent source of: Folate (148mcg)
*Good source of: Potassium (442mg), and Vitamin C (6.6mg) *Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

(Most of the info above is quoted from MotherNature.com)

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