How to Juice a Beet
Beetroots are related to spinach and chard, and have been cultivated and used for their medicinal properties since Roman times. The beet, or root, of the plant is an excellent source of folate and contains a significant amount of fiber, manganese and potassium.
Beetroots are related to spinach and chard, and have been cultivated and used for their medicinal properties since Roman times. The beet, or root, of the plant is an excellent source of folate and contains a significant amount of fiber, manganese and potassium. Although juicing the beet removes its fiber, you can boost the nutritional content of your juice by including the stem and greens. Beet greens are an excellent source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Juicing one beetroot with its stem and leaves yields almost 2 ounces, or about 50 milliliters, of juice.
Clean the beetroot, stem and leaves by gently rubbing them under cool running water. Scrub the beet with a vegetable brush if it's particularly dirty.
Remove the beet top by cutting the stem off about 1/2 inch from the root.
Cut the beet into pieces that are small enough to fit into the hopper of your juicer.
Put the beetroot pieces, stem and leaves through the hopper to juice them.
Turn the machine off. Check the pulp receptacle. If the pulp is still fairly wet, you can run it through the hopper a second time.
If you don't own a juicer, you can coarsely chop beets, then process them on the liquefy setting of a blender. Strain the processed beets through 4 layers of cheesecloth suspended over a bowl to obtain the clear juice, gathering the cloths edges and squeezing to extract all the liquid.
Serve immediately for optimal freshness and nutritional content. Beet juice will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Tip
Drinking large quantities of beet juice may result in an upset stomach. To avoid this, start with a small amount of beet juice, such as 1 ounce, and mix it with other fresh juices. Combination ideas include beetroot with apple, carrot, lime and ginger, beetroot with cucumber and pineapple and beetroot with carrot, celery and garlic.
If cutting the beets stains your cutting board or fingers red, use lemon juice to remove the stains.
warning
Beet greens contain high levels of oxalate. The substance also occurs in the root, but at lower levels. If you have kidney stones or are on a low-oxalate diet, you should avoid over-consumption of beetroots.
After drinking beet juice, you may experience a harmless condition called "beeturia," where your stool or urine is temporarily colored pink or red.