Yes, you can eat beet greens and they taste great when you cook them right. Beet greens edible is a fact that surprises many gardeners who toss these tasty leaves away. The greens pack even more nutrients than the roots you grow beets for in the first place.
I was shocked the first time I tried cooking beet greens at home after years of tossing them in the compost bin. I expected bitter tough leaves but got something mild and sweet like spinach with a slight earthy hint. Now I grow extra beets just so I can harvest more of the greens through the whole season.
My kids refused to even try them at first because of the dark red color on the stems and veins. I mixed some chopped greens into pasta with cheese and they ate the whole bowl without a single complaint. That trick works great for getting picky eaters to try new garden foods.
The beet greens nutrition beats the roots when you compare what each part offers your body. Greens pack more vitamin A and calcium than the red roots under the soil. They also give you iron and fiber in every serving you eat from your garden harvest.
Roots still have their own benefits with vitamin C, folate, and manganese that greens lack. Eating both parts of the plant gives you the full range of what beets offer your health. This makes beets one of the best crops for getting the most nutrition from your garden space.
Young beet leaves taste great raw in salads when they measure just 3-4 inches long from stem to tip. The tender baby greens add color and mild earthy flavor to any salad mix. Pick outer leaves and let the inner ones keep growing so your plants stay healthy all season.
Cooking beet greens brings out their best flavor once leaves grow larger and tougher over time. Chop them up and saute in olive oil with garlic for a quick side dish that takes just 5 minutes on the stove. The stems take longer to soften so start those first before adding the leafy parts.
Stop wasting this free bonus crop that comes with every beet you grow in your garden beds. The greens alone make beets worth growing even if you don't care for the roots at all. Harvest leaves all season long and you get two great crops from one simple planting.
Read the full article: Growing Beets for Sweet Roots and Greens
