Beets are the beetroot, or the taproot portion of the beet plant. Usually beets are deep purple, golden, or red, though many varieties exist. The pigments that give beets their rich colors are called betalains. Other than as a food, beets are uses as a food coloring, dye, and for medicinal purposes.
The earliest sign of their cultivation spans over 4,000 years ago in the Mediterranean area. While they have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, they also come with an incredible amount of health benefits and medicinal uses. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals and compounds such as carotenoids, betaine, glycine, lutein/zeaxanthin, dietary fiber, iron, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and beneficial flavonoids called anthocyanins. It’s good for the stomach and digestive system, and skin, helps prevent cancer and heart disease, macular degeneration and anemia, and can reduce cholesterol… the list goes on.
How to eat Beets:
Beets are often eaten boiled, roasted, pickled or raw. They can be added to salads, eaten as side dish or made into soups, among many other recipes. The green, leafy portion of the beet is also edible.
Farms that grow Beets:
Kualoa Ranch
What else is in the bag?
Punalu’u Ahupua’a Farms members check here for this week’s bag items.
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