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There's a pot full of water left over after boiling beets.

I know beets are full of good stuff. I'd rather not throw this beet stock down the drain, but rather use it.

How can this beet water or beet stock be put to good use?

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  • 5
    For next time, you can bake the beets instead of boiling them. Neater (I peel them after they are cooked) and keeps more flavour in them. For this time, you could use it to start a beef stock (add some browned bones and simmer a while) that you will then use for borscht. My borscht needs about a litre of beef stock per pound of beets. Nov 14, 2011 at 21:03

16 Answers 16

13

You can use it as a base for risotto if you like the flavor. It will make lovely pink rice.

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  • Wow, I like this idea. Can't wait to try it.
    – JoeFish
    Apr 15, 2013 at 0:36
7

The best use for beet stock--the water you boiled fresh beets in--is to drink it. Make sure, of course, you wash the beets before boiling so your stock is free of unwanted icky stuff.

Beet stock is just one of the four ways you can use fresh beets. First, cut off the stalks and then cut the leaves off the stocks. The stalks, boiled or sauteed, can be eaten like asparagus or chard stalks. Same with the leaves--use them the same as chard. Then boil the beets, without cutting so you don't lose too much of their color to the water. After the beets are cooked, let the stock cool--overnight, preferably--before using as a beverage.

Beets are a food of which nothing goes to waste.

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The only use I know for beet water is in pickling things. For example, traditionally pickled turnips served with Lebanese food are colored with beet juice in the pickling brine. I don't have a recipe for it, but you can probably search one out.

4

I just took my cool beet juice, threw it in the vitamix with some ice and a blood orange and a dash of stevia..... Yuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm! Wowie!

4

Beet Lemonade.

No need for sugar. Just squeeze some fresh lemon, chill and sip. :P

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  • Add some honey you have a SweetTooth.
    – Dustin
    Mar 4, 2018 at 10:46
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You must make borscht. See for example here; you don't have to have meat in the recipe.

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I was puzzled as what to do wirh beet water, i added honey till it was to my desired sweetness and chilled it, even added vodka to a glass of it, delicious

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I enjoyed it with some carbonated water! Yum!

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We use leftover beet water in protein shake along with other veggies..too many nutrients to throw down the drain.

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  • It seems that a whole pot of water is a bit much to save for shakes; can you include a recommendation on how to maybe minimize the volume of water or something like that in the answer?
    – mfg
    Jan 23, 2015 at 1:19
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I use the beet water as a liquid replacement when I cook quinoia, farro, couscous, buckwheat. Excellent flavor! Season with salt & pepper.

1

If you make jams or jellies, use the beet water instead of plain water for a healthier version of your favorite jam/jelly (blueberry, strawberry, cherry or raspberry). Also, good in homemade vegetable soup or borscht. Can be used for some pickling as well.

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I peel beets, quick rinse, then boil in water and seasoning as I want to create the stock. After serving the cut beets, I throw the rinsed, cut beet greens (or any other greens on hand) into the stock while hot. Sometimes it's parsley, cilantro, spinach, kohlrabi, or even lettuce. From here, it can be eaten as is or used as the base for a complex soup.

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  • This seems more like a comment than an answer. This is interesting, but how does this help the person who asked the original question?
    – gnicko
    Aug 25, 2022 at 13:24
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Thank you, i just boiled some beets outside in my yard as it is summer in New England. I want to get the most nutrition from my veggies.
We will strain the beets for smooties and then have morning Nova Scotia Oat cakes and have some sweetened beet juice for breakfast.

0

The other day I made a gravy for a roast diner with beet stock. It worked as well as any other vegetable stock, and the resulting gravy was an amazingly vivid purple colour that I found it hard to believe was really derived from natural ingredients.

0

You can add some brown sugar boil it down until it is a bit thick but not syrup consistency yet.

Then then drink it like a natural beet flavoured cool-drink.

-1

I like to cut and quick boil my beets with pieces of ginger for about 15-20 minutes. Then, when tender, pour into a jar and pop into the fridge (beets, ginger, and stock). After a day, the beet juice becomes slightly more thick, sweet, and slightly spicey. The beet peices are saved very well and soak up the flavor very well. Add the beet tops too if desired for soaking and saving!

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  • 2
    How does this let the OP use his leftover beet stock?
    – user34961
    Aug 6, 2017 at 13:47

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