Beet Juice, Blended Raw (Three Ingredients)

Name: Beet Juice, Blended Raw
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 medium beets (raw, peeled and thinly sliced); Sugar, to taste; Water (as needed)

Two raw beetroots blended with water and sugar. Three ingredients, five minutes, and it stains everything it touches.

Total: 5

JUMP TO RECIPE

Raw beetroot blended with water and a little sugar. Three ingredients and five minutes, and the beetroot goes in raw rather than cooked.

Slice it thin first

Raw beetroot is dense and hard, and a blender struggles with chunks of it. Thick pieces get thrown around the jug and come out as grit no matter how long the machine runs.

Thin slices break down properly. It takes an extra minute with a knife and it is the difference between juice and something you have to chew.

Raw, not cooked

Cooked beetroot makes a sweeter, earthier and considerably duller juice. Raw beetroot is sharper and brighter, and it is what this recipe is built on.

It is also why the colour is so intense: cooking dulls betanin, the pigment responsible, and raw beetroot keeps it at full strength.

Cut the earthiness

Beetroot tastes of soil, which some people love and others cannot get past. That flavour comes from geosmin, the same compound you smell in the air after rain.

Acid cuts it effectively. A squeeze of lime or orange juice transforms the drink for anyone who finds plain beet juice heavy going, and it is the standard fix.

It stains everything

Hands, chopping boards, cloth, worktops. The colour on skin fades within a day; on a wooden board it may not. Work on a plastic board and rinse it immediately.

More juices

Carrot juice — the other root.
Beet and carrot salad — also raw and grated.
Pomegranate juice — also stains.
Colombian vegetables — how beetroot is used there.

Beet Juice FAQ

Should the beetroot be raw or cooked?

Raw, as written. Raw beetroot gives a sharper, brighter juice and a much more intense colour, since cooking dulls the pigment. Cooked beetroot makes a sweeter but duller drink.

Why is my juice gritty?

The slices were too thick. Raw beetroot is dense and a blender cannot break down chunks of it properly. Slice it thinly before it goes in, and strain afterwards if your blender is not powerful.

How do I make it less earthy?

Add acid. A squeeze of lime or orange juice cuts the earthy note considerably. That flavour comes from geosmin, the same compound responsible for the smell of rain on dry soil, and acid is the standard fix.

Do I need to strain it?

It depends on the blender. A powerful one gives a juice smooth enough to drink as it is; a weaker one leaves fibre that is better strained out.

Will it stain my hands?

Yes, and the colour takes about a day to fade. Chopping boards, cloth and worktops are more of a problem, so work on plastic and rinse straight away.

📖 Recipe