What do beets taste like?

[uniqueenigma]

I've been debating trying to add beets into my diet (cooking them fresh, not using the canned variety). What do they taste like? I heard from my boyfriend, they taste sweet. Are they earthy in taste? By this I mean, do they taste like dirt. I've had the canned baby corn, and I hate it because it tastes like dirt to me.

[texasgirl]

Hmm, that is hard to answer. I love beets. DH HATES them. lol
They are sweet. I don't know that they have a dirt taste or not. I think taste is all up to the person. You will jsut have to try them.

[pacanis]

No idea. Never ate a beet in my life, unless it was force fed to me as baby food
But canned corn tastes earthy? Definitely a "unique" taste compared to frozen or fresh, but I wouldn't call it earthy.

[Jeekinz]

Umm........earthy fruit punch.

If you cook them, wear latex gloves and dont put them on a wooden cutting board. They stain everything.

[larry_stewart]

Raw , they are very sweet, with a carrot-like consistency. I guess cooked they have kinda like a cooked carrot-like consistency too. Personally, only use them when I make a cold beet soup ( borscht) . Ive heard they are good baked too. They do stain everything as mentioned above, and if u eat enough of them at once, your pee can actually be pinkish red in color. Scared the heck out of me the first time, thought I was bleeding internally.

[Jeekinz]

The DW makes a killer layered salad with carrot, potato, beets and scallions, I can eat a ton of it....

Originally Posted by larry_stewart

your pee can actually be pinkish red in color. Scared the heck out of me the first time, thought I was bleeding internally.

....ditto on that! Nearly passed out!

[quicksilver]

I love 'em hot or cold. Earthy?
I think they are sweet and sort of not tart, but I can't put my finger on it.
Earthy? Not quite sure what that means.
I think boiled or baked they are alittle harder in texture that a cooked carrot, but smooth/firm texture.
I add to salad, or just it's own salad of raw onion, salt/pepper, vinegar and oil, or hot - simple, just butter.

[CharlieD]

I use beets in my cooking, I love it in the borscht, I'd eat them raw, I like them in a fish salad I make, but would not touch beet salad my mom makes. It is really hard to say. You have to try it more than one way because they are completely diferent in a diferent dish.

[Barb L]

Beets just have their own taste, I can eat them in salad but love pickled beets, hubby likes neither - not earthy to me at all ! Gotta just try them both ways.

[David Cottrell]

They taste like ah... um, er ah like a root vegetable on the sweetish side, actually very good in a salad (just use your imagination, actually one of the best salads I ever had was made with beets and other veges by a Ukrainian young lady) and aw shucks, go ahead and buy a small can and try them. If they are on the right track for you try some fresh while they are in season now. I like to bake them - rub off the skin and add in small pieces as the last stage in bosch. You can wrap them in foil to bake. 350 degrees F for half hour or so - until a fork easily penetrates.

Actually they are good eats - do nicely pickled also.