Beetroot

[Rosyred]

Can you eat the leaves on a beetroot? How would I cook them if you can?

[Rosyred]

[Jeannine]

yes, treat them like spinach

[manicscousers]

raw, in salads, never done them cooked but i reckon cook like spinach, very little steaming  :)

[euronerd]

Yes you can Rosyred. As you'd expect, they taste beetroot-y and I usually end up sautéeing them. You can treat them like any other leaf, i.e. steam or boil but the stems bleed pink just like the root. Sautéeing for no more than ten seconds doesn't give them time to bleed.  ;D

Geoff.

[Rosyred]

The beetroots are big enough yet so can I pick some of the leaves and eat them and let the root carry on or will it die without all its leaves? Never grown such lovely leaves normally they get eaten or have holes all over.

[euronerd]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't pick just a few leaves of each root. I've done it with turnips and other roots to no detriment, but never with beetroot. Now you've suggested it I'm going to try it for myself, unless an Expert comes on and says, Ooooh you mustn't do that.
It's such a shame about the leaves isn't it? They're near perfect at this stage but as time goes on mine get to look a bit like lace curtains.

Geoff.

[Rosyred]

The beetroot got the better of me and I had to go and collect some between the showers. Picked the beetroot so that we could have baby ones and the leaves are just perfect so I was thinking cooked beetroot and leaves salad tomorrow with our canelloni. ;)

[Hot_Potato]

can just picture that beetroot with canelloni - what a lovely contrast of colours :)

H.P.

p.s. I can't see my beetroot at the moment - cos I injured 2 vertebrae in my neck a few weeks ago, not been able to get to lottie much till this last week and weeds have swamped them! will be my next job on hands & knees.

[Tora]

Last year I cooked Chioggia and Boltardy leaves but it was really bitter. Is it supposed to be sweet?

[markfield rover]

Not sweet as such,a little earthy maybe, if you like chard then it is a bit sweeter than that, but pick them young.

[Tora]

Thank you. ;)

[Rosyred]

Tora - i'll let you know I did try a little and it was like spinach. I'll swamp in garlic  vinegarette and disguise the taste if bitter. haha