Beetroot has been gaining popularity as a health food. However that doesn’t mean its taste has suddenly become popular as well. This has lead to the creation of beetroot powder, so you can have the health benefits without the taste. But you can use it for other things as well.
Beetroots have been a part of the human diet since Neolithic times but it only became a super food in recent years. It can apparently cure anything from heart disease, to diabetes and dementia. I don’t know if there is any science to back these claims up but, to me, it doesn’t really matter. Beetroots are a tasty veggie that you should add to your diet anyway. As a baby, beetroots were among the first solid foods I ate. I loved them then and I love them now. For others, like my husband, the sweet earthy taste is more of an acquired taste.
They do have one side effect, that might give you a fright if caught unawares: beetroot can give your urine a reddish color. This is called beeturia but there’s no need to worry. It’s completely harmless. The red pigments that cause this are called betalains. It’s these that give the vegetable it super food status as well as its signature color.
Anyone who has ever cooked with beetroots will know it’s a messy affair. They are full of beetroot juice, which is very red and leaves big stains. Turning beetroots into powder is a great way of reducing the mess. The powder is very useful as a foodcoloring. I used it in our Valentine’s day cake. Another option is using it as homemade natural make-up. I haven’t personally tried this, but with its pretty fuchsia color, it could certainly work.
When using it as a food coloring, it’s a good idea though to keep in mind that beetroot powder is a natural color. Firstly this means that the colors you can achieve with it will never be as bright as with artificial dyes. Secondly, it has a limited shelf live. Store it in an airtight container, away from light. Even then, it will turn brown after a while.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
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- I used beetroots that had already been boiled. If you're using fresh beetroots, boil or steam them until they're soft.
- Put the beetroots into a blender or foodprocessor. Blend into a smooth purée.
- Spread the purée thinly onto a tray. Then dry it in a dehydrator or oven at 60°C (135°F). This will take about 10 hours.
- When the purée is dry, remove it from the tray and blend it to a powder. The beetroot powder will be very fine so don’t remove the lid immediately, unless you want to try inhaling it. Allow it some time to settle.
- Store the beetroot powder in an airtight container, away from light. One teaspoon of beetroot powder is equivalent to about one average sized beet.
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