Use it up · Vegetables

Beets

Have extra beets? Here’s how to choose, store and prep beets, plus 5 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Pick firm, smooth beets; small and medium ones are most tender.

Best season: Fall; stores well into winter. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 3 weeks (cut off the greens and store them apart)
Freezer: 12 months, cooked

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Roast whole, wrapped in foil, until tender, then rub off the skins. Beet juice stains, so use an old towel.

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: beets. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Beets. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	43 kcal	2%
Protein	1.6 g	3%
Total fat	0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.0 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	9.6 g	3%
Dietary fiber	2.8 g	10%
Total sugars	6.8 g
Sodium	78 mg	3%
Calcium	16 mg	1%
Iron	0.8 mg	4%
Potassium	325 mg	7%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 169145 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

5 recipes, the ones that use the most beets first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.