If you’ve been throwing away those greens on the tops of beetroots - like many of the supermarkets do so -, you’ve been missing out on some very serious health benefits. The greens of the beet are actually more nutritious than the beet itself, yes that is right.
Next time you buy beetroots don't toss the beet greens away! The greens and the stems are edible. They can be steamed, sauteed, braised, added to soups, and eaten raw.
Did you know?
There is 1309 mg amount of Potassium, K in 1 cup (1" pieces) (144 grams) amount of Beet greens, boiled, cooked, drained, without salt.
Health benefits of Beet Greens:
excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), vitamin C, copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin B2, magnesium, vitamin E, fiber and calcium. They are a very good source of iron, zinc, vitamins B1, B6, and pantothenic acid, as well as phosphorus and protein.
Similar to spinach these leaves contain lutein which is very good for improving vision and maintaining healthy eyes.
Rich in vitamin K , this is very important for the body to maintain healthy bone mass. This vitamin concentration will also help prevent osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease.
If you suffering with anemia eating beet greens regularly will help to combat the problem.
How to eat them?
The leaves should be crisp and fresh. If they are slimy then they are no good. The young greens are the best. You should wash the leaves and stems well before eating.
You can also store them in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an air tight container.
You can eat these by sauteing them in a pan with a little olive oil. Add them to your usual salads.
The stems might be a quite bitter so recommended to cook them in lime juice with honey for example.
You can boil them in hot water for a minute. It will give a slightly sweeter taste to the leaves.
Preserving Beet Greens:
I found a great article about how to preserve these nutritious greens step by step at http://montanahomesteader.com/preserving-beet-greens. Let's see.
"The process to preserve beet greens by blanching only took about a half hour and then another hour or two to dry before being packed into bags for the freezer.
Step 1: Cut the beet leaves off the beet and leave the stem attached. Discard any yellow/brown leaves. Tear off and discard any part of the leaf that may have a hole where a bug nibbled. Stack a bunch of leaves on top of each other on a cutting board. Slice the leaves into thin strips and the stems into bite size pieces.
Step 2: Place the sliced beet greens and stems in a blanching pot (this is the one we have and it works amazing!) Blanch the beet greens in boiling water for three minutes. Then immediately remove the inner pot filled with greens and run cool water over them. Pour them into a sink or large bowl filled with ice water to cool.
Step 3: Remove the cooled beet greens from the ice water and spread them evenly on a towel. Allow them to air dry for an hour or two.
Step 4: Pack the beet greens into plastic bags or if you have a vacuum sealer you can pack them that way. I’m still dreaming of the day when we own a vacuum sealer. For now I use the cheap DIY method of vacuum sealing: the straw method. If you’re not familiar with this, I’ll give you a quick tutorial. Pack the food you want to freeze in a plastic zip bag. Place half the straw in the bag on one side of the bag. Zip the rest of the bag closed.
Suck all the air out of the bag and as you do this, slide the straw up and out of the bag while simultaneously zipping the bag closed. It might sound tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it fast. You will be left with a nice air tight bag that looks similar to a vacuum sealed bag.
Step 5: Once the beet greens are all packed into air tight bags, they should be placed in the freezer. The less moisture they have on them when you pack them into bags, the longer they will last and not get freezer burnt. They should last for up to a year in the freezer if you don’t eat them all before then! "
Source: http://montanahomesteader.com/preserving-beet-greens
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