When Life Hands You Beets…

It’s that time of year – there’s a chill in the air, and opinions run strong in two divided camps. I am full of anxiety as I wait to find out… will my farm-share this week include beets?

This is a heated debate that continues to split my family in two. My mother detests beets, and her twin sister adores them. I have never met a beet that I liked, but hope springs eternal, and I’m convinced that there’s a recipe out there that will finally get me to like them – or at the very least not hate them.

Beta vulgaris

Beets are incredibly healthy, and for that reason I really wish I loved them. They are packed with iron, folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Eating them can help increase blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and improve physical performance when exercising.[1] I always feel fantastic after I eat them, except for the lingering taste in my mouth and the disturbing colors in the toilet bowl.

They are absolutely beautiful in dishes, and I love observing the marbled layers as I slice or peel them – it’s like art, really. The biggest drawback is that the juice all over my hands and knife makes my kitchen look like a crime scene. The second biggest drawback is that, as I’ve said multiple times while cooking them, “ugh, it smells like beets in here!”

I’ve come around on many foods I hated as a kid, such as asparagus, sauerkraut, and capers, and I always hope that my opinion will change on beets… but, as with cilantro, I’m beginning to believe that we have permanently irreconcilable differences. It is possible that, as with cilantro, there are genetic factors at play.

The hatred of cilantro has been pinned on a gene that allows people to taste certain chemical compounds in the plant’s leaves and seeds.[2] These compounds are apparent to those of us with OR26A, as it is known, which is a “single nucleotide polymorphism” (or more simply a genetic variation)[3] that makes cilantro “bitter and excruciating.”[4] My mother and I have it; my husband and his family do not.

There are rumblings about a similar genetic variation that is responsible for negative reactions to beets, particularly to a compound they contain called geosmin, which gives them their earthy flavor. I was not able to find any such studies backing up that claim while researching for this post – just some strong opinions from the Obamas on the subject.[5]

Geosmin: Friend or Foe?

Where it gets interesting is that many people are already familiar with geosmin, even if they don’t know it. The earthy smell after rain called “petrichor,” which I adore, is thanks to geosmin. The compound itself is released by dying bacteria, hence the earthy scent.[6] The human nose can detect geosmin at five parts per trillion. (As a point of comparison, sharks can smell blood in the water at one part per million.)[7] Because we’re so sensitive to it, we can get overwhelmed pretty quickly – as can fruit flies, it seems.

Researchers in Germany studied reactions in fruit flies when exposing them to geosmin, which the flies recognize from mold and fungus that is toxic to them. In fact, they have a dedicated neural pathway from their olfactory receptors that tells their brains to avoid eating or laying eggs in substances that can hurt them. Any whiff of geosmin will put them off their food, no matter how tasty it may otherwise seem.[8]

Since geosmin is released by dying bacteria, it appears to be present in overripe or rotting fruit.[9] Going back to my family’s reactions to various foods, my mom (the beet hater) won’t eat bananas that have so much as a hint of yellow. Her sister (the beet lover) won’t eat bananas until they are brown. Is it possible that geosmin is a factor in their opposite reactions to beets and bananas? They are fraternal, not identical, twins, which also makes me want to know more about a potential genetic factor here… or does it just come down to preference?

Ultimately the thing that confuses me is that by all accounts I should love beets (and cilantro, for that matter). I love earthy flavors (give me the all the peaty Scotch you’ve got!) I love bitter things (dark chocolate, espresso, straight chicory coffee in New Orleans – milk is for wussies!) And with respect to fermented foods, which is just a nice way to say “decaying,” I love them all (Japanese natto, Korean kimchi, German sauerkraut, and French blue cheese… not to mention kombucha!)

So why my hatred of beets? I don’t understand it and maybe never will. All I can tell you is that I feel a sense of dread when they show up in my farm share. And for that reason, I have been trying to find a recipe that will make them tolerable – mostly because at this point I refuse to admit defeat.

After receiving my most recent bunch of beets, I decided to try three new recipes designed specifically for beet haters. The ingredient lists and directions are summarized below, but you can click on the original links for additional detail. (Fortunately, my in-laws love beets, so they were willing assistants in this experiment.)

Door #1: Roasted Beets with Apples

I had beets and apples in my farm share, plus onions in the kitchen already. It made the most sense to try this recipe first…

• 2 beets, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 apple, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 and mix honey, lemon, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Toss beets in the honey mixture. Reserve mixture and place beets in a casserole dish. Bake beets for 15 minutes.
Toss onion in the honey mixture. Reserve mixture and add onions to the casserole dish. Return to oven for 20 more minutes.
Toss apple in the honey mixture and add apples and remaining mixture to casserole dish. Return to oven for a final 10-15 minutes, depending on how soft the apples are.

Verdict: Marginally edible.
The beet taste was obvious, but the sweetness of the apples and onion, as well as the strength of the Dijon successfully offset it somewhat. Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning with the taste of beets in my mouth and immediately texted my mother-in-law to take the leftovers.

Door #2: Beet, Citrus, and Avocado Salad

The grapefruit and cumin dressing intrigued me and gave me hope that they might overpower the beet flavor, so I moved on to this one next…

Dressing:

• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs walnut oil
• 2 Tbs canola oil

Salad:

• 1 bunch beets (about 1 lb)
• 1 pink grapefruit
• 1 large ripe but firm avocado
• 2 Tbs slivered basil

Mix together the first four dressing ingredients, then slowly whisk in the oils.
Roast and peel the beets, then slice and toss with 2 Tbs of the dressing.
Arrange beets on a plate and cover them with slices of avocado and grapefruit until no one knows they’re there! Pour remaining dressing and any grapefruit juice over the salad and top with basil.

Verdict: Edible.
I could still tell the beets were there, but the other flavors were delicious and strong enough to compete. I will be using that dressing on my salads in the future. I probably could have powered through the rest of this dish myself but still sent leftovers to my in-laws.

Door #3: Grated Raw Beet Salad

I was extremely skeptical going into this one because of the raw beet component. I don’t think I had ever eaten raw beets, and I imagined they would be even worse, even beetier. It’s a North-African-inspired dish, which gave me a little hope, but I wasn’t holding by breath – just my nose…

• 1/2 lb beets
• 3 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbs minced chives, mint, and/or parsley
• salt to taste
• leaves of 1 romaine heart

Peel the beets and shred them in a food processor. Mix the orange juice, lemon juice, and oil. Toss with the beets and herbs. Season with salt. Lay out romaine leaves on a plate like boats and spoon the beet mixture inside.

Verdict: Good?
I was shocked to find that the raw beets tasted completely different than what I expected, almost like carrots and far less beety. The citrus and mint were a lovely combination and took front stage.
There really wasn’t much left over to give away.

In summary, I’m still not going to say that I like beets. I did enjoy the beet behind Door Number 3, even though it resulted in a little bit of an identity crisis. If beets arrive in the future, I’ll keep in mind that raw seems to be more palatable than cooked, and that citrus does a great job balancing the taste.

Where do you fall on the love/hate spectrum with beets? Do you have any recipes that do the trick?
Thanks for reading!

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[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/beetroot

[2] https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/02/25/why-can-coriander-taste-soapy-the-chemistry-of-coriander/

[3] https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/snp/

[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliewu/2018/02/28/why-genetics-may-be-the-reason-you-hate-cilantro/#293f6f5c5206

[5] https://www.businessinsider.com/what-food-michelle-obama-doesnt-like-to-eat-2017-8

[6] https://www.npr.org/2012/07/11/156370570/making-the-case-for-beets

[7] https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/07/28/geosmin-why-we-smell-air-after-storm-13240

[8] https://www.mpg.de/6656708/odour-activation-geosmin-fly

[9] http://thescientistgardener.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-love-smell-of-geosmin-in-morning.html

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