Natural form

Whole beets with leafy tops attached, showing deep ruby roots and soil-dusted skin.

Establishes the plant's recognizable shape, vivid color, and the taproot with attached greens that distinguish beet from other root vegetables.

Produce

Beet

Earthy, jewel-toned root for roasting, salads, and dips

Sweet and earthy, beets roast to a deep ruby tenderness, grate raw into salads, and blend into vibrant dips. They'll stain everything they touch. Keep them cold.

The beet is an earthy, jewel-toned root with a deep, sweet flavor that intensifies when roasted into ruby tenderness. Beyond the classic deep-red globe there are golden, white, and candy-striped varieties, each with the same mineral sweetness. Grated raw they add crunch and color; roasted or boiled they turn silky for salads, dips, and borscht. Bonus: the leafy greens are edible and delicious, cooked like chard.

Measured in: piece
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 21 days

Find it in

Produce

Types & varieties

Red (Detroit)

The classic deep-crimson beet; earthy and sweet

Golden

Mellow, less earthy, and won't stain; pretty in salads

Chioggia (candy stripe)

Pink-and-white rings; loses some color when cooked

Baby beet

Small and tender; roast whole

How to choose

Want firm, smooth beets that feel heavy, with unwrinkled skin. If the greens are attached they should look fresh and crisp — a sign of freshness — but they pull moisture, so detach them at home. Smaller beets (golf-ball to tennis-ball) are sweeter and more tender than giants, which can be woody.

How to store

Trim the greens (leaving an inch of stem to prevent bleeding), then store roots unwashed in the crisper for two to three weeks. Store the greens separately and use them within a few days. Don't toss them — they cook like chard or spinach.

Separate greens from roots
Leave a stub of stem on the root
Roots last weeks; greens, days

Cooking and the stain factor

In Spain, beets are most often sold pre-cooked and vacuum-packed (remolacha cocida), ready to slice straight into salads; raw beets for roasting are available but less common. Roasting whole in foil concentrates the sweetness and makes the skins slip off easily once cool. Beets stain everything — wear gloves, use a board you don't mind dyeing, and a splash of vinegar or lemon in the cooking helps fix the color. Golden beets sidestep the mess entirely.

Common uses

Roasted beet and goat cheese saladBorschtBeet hummus / dipPickled beetsBeet-cured gravlaxRisottoJuices and smoothiesSautéed beet greens

Tips & pitfalls

Roast wrapped in foil until a knife slides in, then rub off the skins under cool water
Wear gloves and use a plastic board to avoid pink hands and counters
Cook the greens like chard — sauté with garlic
A little acid (vinegar, citrus) brightens and balances their earthiness
Grate raw for instant color and crunch in slaws

Nutrition

43kcal

Energy

180 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 14%Carbs 83%Fat 3%

Protein

1.6g

3% DV

Carbs

9.6g

3% DV

Fat

0.2g

0% DV

Fiber

2.8g

10% DV

Sugars

6.8g

of which

Sodium

78mg

3% DV

Notable micronutrients

Folate27% DV

Potassium7% DV

Vitamin C5% DV

Magnesium5% DV

Vitamin B64% DV

Iron4% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Beets, raw

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In the shops

Matched grocery products

Cooked and Peeled Beetroot
450 g · Mercadona
€1.05
Bonduelle Sliced Beetroot
BONDUELLE · kg · Bonpreu
€3.05
Steamed Beetroot Bag of 2 Units
HUERCASA · kg · Bonpreu
€1.15

Good to know

Peak season: Fall through winter; available much of the year
Flavor: Earthy, sweet, mineral; sweeter when roasted
Origin: Mediterranean coast; bred from the sea beet
Nutrition: ~43 kcal/100g; notably high in folate (~109 µg/100g), plus manganese, nitrates, betalains
How to buy: Firm, smooth, heavy; fresh perky greens; small-to-medium are sweeter

Substitutes