Description
Red beets are without tops or made up of both an edible root and edible leaves, 10-12 inch red and green leafy stems ascend from red beet's ruby red, smooth, bulbous root. Small or medium beets are generally more tender than larger ones. As beets have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, their flavor is typically sweet.
The Red beet, Beta vulgaris, is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family. The color of the Red beetroot is due to a variety of betalain pigments.
The betalin pigments present in beets have repeatedly been shown to support activity within the body's detoxification process, activating and processing unwanted toxic substances up with small nutrient groups.
Red beets are showcased best when slow roasted or steamed. They pair well with a wide variety of proteins, spices and other vegetables including cheese, bacon, smoked fish, walnuts, horseradish, chives and citrus. They can also be preserved by pickling, which offers an incredible flavor profile for the beets. The leaves are commonly used as a pot herb or as a braising green.
