Mr S loves beetroot and it is full of nutrients. We do grow 2 crops of beetroot but I don’t have enough room to grow as much as I would like. I do not like the taste of beetroot. In the past I have only really eaten it in chocolate cake. I can just about stomach it roasted with other vegetables as it tastes a bit sweeter. I know it is so good for us, and so I thought that I would try making some beetroot powders to add to bread, wraps, hummus, cakes, or anything really.
Health Benefits of Beetroot
The health benefits of beetroot are that it is full of fibre, is high in antioxidants, is great for cleansing the liver, and contains vitamins A,B,C and iron, manganese and potassium. Some may be lost in the process, and so I will continue to try to eat beetroot when it is fresh. I did like it roasted, cut in cubes, and baked in bread when I tried it last year.
Can you really make powder from cooked beetroot?
In the summer I will make it with raw home grown beetroot. Today I thought that I would try making it with cooked, vacuum packed beetroot as I have read on the internet that powder can be made with cooked beetroot. They were selling vacuum packed beetroot at the Company Shop for 30p each. They are not usually too expensive from supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi, anyway. Often there are 3 or 4 beetroot in a pack. Thankfully there are not usually any additives or preservatives in these as the vacuuming preserves them. It is worth checking the packet, though, as some do add a bit of vinegar, or regulators to keep the colour. 
Method, uses and storage
Basically all I did was to grate the beetroot and spread it out on a tray on some silicone to dry in the sun in my conservatory. We are experiencing some lovely warm days at the moment. It can also be dried in the oven at 50C (check regularly after a couple of hours as it can burn), or in a dehydrator. The dried beetroot will look brown when dry, but once ground it should be a burgundy or pink colour again.
Once it is dried and crispy, I grind it up in my coffee grinder, and then store it in a labelled recycled jam jar to later vacuum pack if needed. It should last at least 6 months. If I want it to last longer I will freeze it. This year it is my aim to build up some nutritional powders to use during next winter when we don’t have as much access to fresh vegetables. I think that they will also make things like our home made pasta look special and a lovely colour as well.
Beetroot can be messy, and when I make them with home grown beetroot, my hands are usually bright red. The skins can be left on but need to be scrubbed and washed really thoroughly. My hands were not too bad with the vacuum packs.
So far I have made wild garlic powder. I am hoping that these powders add flavour as well as nutrition to my food. In past years I have made onion powder out of onion skins before, and have also made tomato powder out of tomato skins. The fact that these are made from things that would probably be waste gives me a real buzz. I tend to add these to soups or casseroles in winter. My intention is to make a green powder from nettles and leaves from crops in the garden. As everything increases in price I need to start thinking outside of the box and using and preserving more free resources to insure that we stay well.
Do you make powders? I fancy making some fruit powders this year as well. I can maybe add them to milk shakes, icing (frosting), or make custards with them. Which powders do you make, and how do you use them?
Making powders is a bit beyond me. I do also grow beetroot and find the red ones a bit earthy in taste. I much prefer the golden ones and they are much nicer to put in a pot of mixed veggies, not giving off all that colour. I have no idea about the health benefits of these compared to the red ones and have decided not to worry about this. There is after all a value in the enjoyment of the food that one grows. I do however use the red ones in grated beet/carrot/apple/orange juice salads, where I find that the sweetness of the carrots & the orange juice balances the beet perfectly. I had a few oranges left over from Christmas & grated the peel and froze this in little sachets of plastic film for cakes and froze the juice in small containers just right for a generous portion of grated beet/carrot/apple salat & it has worked perfectly. Last year I had neglected the oranges after Christmas & they were wasted and I was sorry.
I have never tried grating it with the orange juice. Thanks for sharing. I will try that. I grow different coloured beetroot too. I think that all of the different coloured vegetables all contribute to our health. They say that we are supposed to eat a rainbow. Thanks for sharing your wisdom