Beets offer many health benefits, but some people avoid them because of their taste. Here we answer the question: what do beets taste like? Let’s find out.
Beets are not only used as a food source but also as food coloring due to their red pigment and as a medicinal plant for their health benefits.
However, some people may claim that beets are gross – even if they have never eaten any.
If you want to know what beets actually taste like, keep reading.
What Do Beets Taste Like?
The taste of beets depends on how you prepare them. A lot of people use them as a salad garnish or make beetroot juice.
While some people complain about them having a “dirt-like” taste, raw beets usually have a sweet taste.
Since they are root vegetables, people assume that they have a dirt-like taste, even after being washed.
Beets have a sweet, earthy taste to them due to an organic compound called geosmin.
Geosmin is produced by microbes in the soil and gives an earthy smell, like that of a freshly plowed field.
Vegetables like mushrooms, lettuce, and spinach also contain geosmin.
How to Cook Beets
If you want to prepare beets so they don’t have a strange taste, follow these guidelines:
- Choose firm beets over soft, spongy ones
- Buy ones that have dark green, leafy tops
- Store them in your refrigerator and take them out when you’re ready to cook them
- Before you start peeling and/or cooking, rinse the beets thoroughly
Beet salad and juice recipes are popular. However, if you want to try more creative ways of using beets, try these tips.
By preparing and seasoning them the right way, you’ll have a delicious and healthy dish in front of you.
Regardless of whether you like to eat them raw or cooked, it’s all about being creative.
If you don’t like their earthy taste, try one of these methods when prepping them: roasting, boiling, or steaming them.
Roasting
Do you want your beets to taste sweet and be in a tender, potato-like texture? Try roasting them.
By roasting them, you’ll soften them and bring out their sweet taste in a concentrated flavor.
Boiling
If you want to prepare beets quick and easy, then boiling is the way to go.
Unlike roasting, boiling gives them a more subdued flavor, but still soft texture.
Steaming
The fastest way of prepping beets is by steaming them (although, it may not change their earthy flavor).
If you’re set on steaming them, try adding a little bit of coconut oil to change their flavor.
If you’re looking for ideas, try these 34 beet recipes from Bon Appétit.
Beet Supplements
If you want to get all the benefits that beets offer without having to deal with the taste, try HeartBeet Complete.
As a premium beet supplement, HeartBeet Complete provides all the benefits of natural beets and more.
This supplement even comes in a cherry flavor, so don’t wait and get HeartBeet Complete today.