We’ve all heard the suggestion and we know in theory that it’s a good idea to peel your beets before juicing them but why? You might be wondering what the point of peeling them is when you can just use a scrubbing pad on the stubborn skins. Well, it turns out there are actually quite a few benefits to peeling your beets before juicing which I’ll go into in this post.
First, peeling the skin off the beets is much easier than scrubbing the skins with a brush or pad. The skin comes right off as opposed to being ripped off in small pieces. When you juice beets there is usually some beet juice left over in the pulp which might be pink or red in color.
If that beet juice gets mixed with your juice and then the mixture is mixed with water, the resulting color of your drink will be a light pink if you peel off all the beet skins, but it will be much darker red if you leave some of the skins on. If what you are juicing isn’t intended to have an especially strong color (such as carrot or celery juice) you might have no problem leaving some skin on.
You can also leave one or two beet skins on for aesthetic purposes, but if you don’t juice a lot of beets and use your beet juice in other ways like adding it to a smoothie and cooking with it, I recommend always removing the skin.
Next, peeling your beets before juicing means easier cleaning up. The skin doesn’t always come off cleanly after scrubbing and peeling is much easier to do than scrubbing.
Lastly, the skins of beets contain a substance called betalains. These are colors that occur naturally in many plants and fruits. They are not toxic to humans and can actually be beneficial for health which makes them very nutritious. In general, people who eat foods containing betalins have brighter eyes and improved vision, healthier skin and joints, a lower risk of cancer and heart disease, weight loss or leaner muscle mass etc.
Betalains are a protective measure of the plants against pathogens and other bad things. In fact, the betalains in beets are so effective that they can inhibit the growth of fungi, bacteria and viruses! Betalains in beet juice can even help reduce smelly bacteria on your hands after you wash them because they kill a lot of the germs.
You might feel the urge to scrub up well after washing your hands with beet juice because it really does kill germs. You should have no problem rubbing your hands together with a little beet juice on them and then sniffing your fingers and you’ll notice that they really don’t have much of a smell at all.
If you want some powerful juice to drink that is full of beneficial nutrients, raw beets without the skin are one of the best sources.
Relieve stress and promote peaceful sleep
Beets contain antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins which work together to reduce stress and promote a healthy sleep cycle.
These nutrients work best when you drink beet juice, but are also effective if you eat beets. If you want to enjoy the health benefits of beet juice regularly and don’t want to bother juicing them, then just eating cooked or roasted beets is much easier than juicing.
A few years ago it was difficult to find a store that sold beets that weren’t shriveled up and ugly looking, but these days you can find fresh beets in most grocery stores. If you go to a farmers market or a good food co-op, you can also find fresh beets there which are usually in season from June to September.
Besides fresh beets, frozen ones are also available.
The most common types of beets you’ll find at your grocery store are purple and golden varieties, but don’t be surprised to find pink and white ones on sale too. For best results, look for the fewest blemishes and the biggest, firmest looking roots.
The color of beets isn’t important, but if you can get some with nice leafy greens still attached to them, that would be even better.
You might think that the beet greens or tops are also edible, but they taste like dirt and don’t have much nutrition. Topping beets are actually the roots of beet plants that are too small to be harvested.
Which is better, raw or cooked?
Cooking doesn’t make any nutrients in beets less nutritious. It just changes the way that your body can absorb some of those nutrients and the way that they affect your health.
Raw beets are better for you in most ways, but to make sure that you get the most benefit out of them, peel them before juicing or eating them.
Cooking tends to ruin the color and taste of beets, but if you don’t mind their natural beet redness and staining potential then cook them like other root vegetables. You can also use canned beets for recipes. The shelf life on canned beets is only about a month so I would recommend buying frozen ones if possible.
For juicing though, raw beets are the way to go.
If you juice your beets and don’t want to drink the beet juice, you can always serve the juice as a drink or add it to smoothies, soups and stews.
How long can beet juice be stored?
Beet juice lasts for about a week in the fridge and if you cut off the greens of your beets before juicing them, then it won’t stain anything in your refrigerator.
Beet juice should be kept in glass if you can because that way it won’t leach any chemicals or toxins into the drink.
How long do beets last?
If you buy beets with their greens attached, they will last longer than beets without their greens. You can store them in a plastic bag in your fridge even if they have their tops still on and they’ll keep well until you are ready to use them.
How do you cook beets?
Beets can be boiled, steamed, roasted or fried. They also go well with sauteed onions, but they’ll turn brown pretty quickly if you don’t cut them up first.
One of the best ways to cook beets is by using the Boiling Water Bath Method. You should boil your beets covered in water for about 20 minutes or until they are completely fork tender.
If your beets are not tender enough, then keep boiling them in the water until they are.
For better results, use a pressure cooker if you have one. Just make sure to leave the lid off and properly vent it while cooking.
You can also steam beets with foil wrapped around them or roast them in the oven.