Top interesting facts about beets - and beets recipes

1. ...sugar beet are the second most important source of sugar after the sugar cane?
   
2. ...commercial sugar beets variety was created in Germany? In 1747, German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf has discovered sugar crystalls in beets. During the selection process, German scientists increased sugar content of sugar beets from 1.3% to 20%?
   
3. ...Ukraine is one of the top world producers of sugar from the sugar beets?
   
4. ...Swiss chard is a type of beet?
   
5. ...beet greens are even better for you than beet roots? Add them to your smoothie, mix with cooked veggies or use in the salad
   
6. ... beets can regulate your bowel's health, detox your body, cleanse and improve your blood? Drink 1,5-2 glasses of fresh beet juice every day for 3-4 weeks to achieve maximum effect
   
7. ... beet can detox you not only from inside, but from the outside too?
   Are you sitting in front of the computer every day ? Want to improve appearance of your skin? Beet juice acts as a natural tonic for the dry tired skin that is losing its elasticity because of the electric-magnetic fields around you. Blend one beet root with 1/2 cup of cabbage, set some juice aside. Mix 1 tbsp of mayo or olive oil with beets and cabbage, add apply to your face. If you have wheat germ or hemp oil, use it instead of olive oil. Mix beet juice with water and freeze the ice cubes. use them to cleanse and tone your skin every morning and before the bedtime.
   

The health benefits of beats are multifold. Both the greens and the vegetable root offer fantastic nutrients. Of the two parts, the greens have higher amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron. The beet root by comparison offers manganese, fiber, potassium and folic acid. That's quite a powerhouse that includes valuable antioxidants that can support your immune system.

Anti-Cancer Properties

Betacyanin gives beets their dark red hue. This very same component is also an anti-cancer agent. In addition to lowering the risk of cancer, the Betacyanin in beets improve digestion and moderate cholesterol (particularly bad cholesterol) in the system.

By the way, beets are very low calorie (about 30 calories to a half cup) even though they have high natural sugar content. Beets have over 80 nutrients that our bodies can put to use particularly to keep our hearts healthy, lessen existing inflammation, and potentially even lower the risk of Alzheimer's.

Other Health-Related Notes

When you begin eating more beets you may notice that your urine or stool turns pink or red. Do not worry - this is not unusual and it's totally harmless. The only people who may want to avoid beets are those who have kidney or gallbladder problems because of the high amount of oxalates contained therein.

This is a high fiber, low-calorie, blood cleaning meal. To cut the calories, reduce the oil or use the juice from canned green peas instead.

Ingredients:

• 2 average size beets, boiled
  
• 2 average size carrots, bolied
  
• 5 average size potatoes, boiled
  
• 1/2 can of white or red beans ( variations include 1 can of green peas)
  
• 3 average size pickles
  
• 1 cup of pickled cabbage ( can be replaced with 1 extra pickle)
  
• 2 tbsp shredded onions
  
• dill, black petter, salt
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes and carrots together until potatoes are ready. Pull them out of water and let them cool.
   
2. Boil or bake beets.
   
3. Cut vegetables and pickles in small cubes when they cool down.
   
4. Shred the onions. Mix all ingredients together, salt and pepper to taste.
   

If you want to store this salad for a couple of days, it's taste only gets better. Just don't add vegetable oil right away - add it right before serving.

Good luck, and leave me a comment if you liked this salad!

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs beef or pork ribs
  
• 2 liters of water
  
• 4 potatoes
  
• 2 average-size beets
  
• 1/2 cup pasta sauce or 2 tomatoes
  
• 1 tbsp of sugar
  
• 1 lbs of cabbage, shredded
  
• 1 tbsp of flour
  
• 1 average carrot, shredded
  
• 1 red pepper, shredded
  
• 1 onion, shredded
  
• 2 garlic cloves
  
• 1 parsley root or 1/2 cup shredded parsley
  
• salt, pepper, dill to tasre
  

Directions

1. Make the boullion from the ribs: put ribs into cold water, boil, collect the foam from the top, reduce the heat and cook for 2 hours
   
2. Pull the meat out, clean it off the bones. Throw away the bones, and cut meat in pieces.
   
3. Add potatoes cut the French Fries style, and red pepper
   
4. Set two skillets on the high heat: one for beets, another one for the onions with carrots.
   
5. Collect the fat from the top of the boullion and place to one of the skillets. Add shredded beets, 1 tbsp of vinegar, tomatoes, sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, blanch the beets without fat.
   
6. On the other skillet, fry onions, parsley root and a carrot in one tbsp of the vegetable oil.
   
7. Add shredded cabbage to the soup and cook for 10 minutes.
   
8. By this time, potatoes should be cooked. Add the contents of both skillets to the soup.
   
9. Take 1 tbsp of flour, put in on the skillet, constantly mix it until the color changes to yellow. Add 1/4 cup of cold water and mix agressively until even consistency is achieved and water boils, and add this mixture to the borscht.
   
10. Add crushed garlic, pepper and salt to taste, meat, parsley and dill.
    
11. Borscht is ready! Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, garlic bread, or rye bread.
    

Borscht is a traditional meal in Russia and Ukraine. Every woman has her own family recipe. During the Easter fast, everyone cooks a vegetarian borscht.
I used to think that the best borscht in the world was the one with ribs and succulent chunks of meat. It turns out, vegetarian meatless version is just as tasty, and way healthier! Why?

• It contains no cholesterol,
  
• no saturated fat ,
  
• is a low-calorie, high-fiber meal
  
• takes a fraction of of time to cook,
  
• and is equally tasty!
  

This classical recipe produces bright colourful borscht because beets are added at the end. you will need two pans to fry the veggies; but you will be rewarded with a beautiful looks and great taste of your creation.

If you don't eat it as the Russians ( with the sour cream), this borscht is vegan. Enjoy!

Feeling constipated? Try this traditional recipe as a side dish. It regulates your bowels and cleanses your blood. Add toasted walnuts, and it will also feed your brain!

This dish is equally good cold or hot. It stores well and can be enjoyed with any type of meet, or on its own.

Ingredients

• 1 lbs (440 g) beets
  
• 1 cup dried plums (prunes)
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/4-1/2 cup of water
  
• (optional) 5 crushed toasted walnuts
  
• (optional) 1 tbsp of white vinegar or 2 tbsp lemon juice
  

Directions

1. Wash and grate the beets on the coarse side of the grater - or use the Borner mandolin slicer for quick and enjoyable experience
   
2. Heat the skillet with oil, add beets and fry on the high heat for 2-3 minutes
   
3. Add 1/4 cup of water, and prunes, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and stew for 20-30 minutes. Add more water if required.
   
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add white vinegar or lemon juice.
   

Variations: If you are into healthy cooking, do not use oil at all - blanch the beets in water. Serve with toasted walnuts or without, cold or hot.

Ingredients

• 4 beet roots, average size
  
• 2 onions
  
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
  
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
  
• salt to taste
  
• fresh dill
  
• water
  

Directions

1. Wash the beets and peel the skin. Cut then into 1-inch long thin pieces. Use mandolin slicer for the best effect. Slice the onions.
   
2. Heat the skillet, add onions and fry for 2-3 minutes or until they change color to yellow-ish
   
3. Add beets and reduce the heat to meduim; fry for 10-15 minutes, frequently mixing to prevent sticking.
   
4. Add water, reduce the heat to low, cover it with the lid, and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes.
   
5. Add balsamic vinegar, garnish with fresh dill.
   

Variations include:

• Adding fresh garlic and black pepper. Makes the dish anti-viral and anti-bacterial, but also improves the taste. If you are not in love with garlic, add it in the beginning of cooking, so the taste will not be as intense.
  
• Replacing vinegar with tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes. 1/4 cup of pasta sauce or 1 diced tomato.
  

Beets are native to Africa and Asia where it grew along seashores. Historically speaking the ancients seemed to have known that beets are excellent for cleansing. They naturally support the liver's detoxification process. By the time of Charlemagne all French gardens typically included beets. It was from this region that the beet became known to Germany and eventually to America. Napoleon used beets as a primary source of sugar.

Some of the more interesting folk traditions surrounding beets include:

- People eating beets for good fortune on Jewish New Year
- The Greeks using beets for beauty (based on the vegetable being consumed by Aphrodite for this purpose).
- A man and a woman eating of the same beet will fall in love
- Romans used beets to fight fever, while Greeks used it in medicine to cool the blood.

It's interesting to note that even today science shows us that beats build blood and balance the body's pH levels.

Best Time for Beets
Beets, like any vegetable, maintain their highest nutritional value when used fresh. The growing season for beets is generally June to October. Look for beets that have a deep color and good firmness (smaller ones are very tender). Any beet that has a wet spot is spoiled. If you're planning on consuming the greens, these should be fresh and bright.

Storage

1. Beets can stay in your refrigerator on average for three weeks (the greens are far more time sensitive and should be used within 3 days).
   
2. Beets store well in a dark, dry, cold pace, such as cantina or basement. Select perfect beets with no spots or signs of spoilage. Cut the greens out, place beet roots in the box, and add a bit of sand. They can store like this for the whole winter.
   
3. Another way to preserve the beets is to blanch and freeze them.