Dated: 7 January 2017 AD

These large, less-than-perfect beets came from my January garden!

The first two parts of this series discussed my introduction to beetroot powder and its significant health advantages. This installment will detail my recent experience producing beet powder.

Upstate New York Januaries are usually very cold with abundant snow cover. However, we had a brief period of warmer weather and rain a few days ago. I realized I still had beets in my garden.

Having beetroot powder on my mind, I wondered if these beets were still good. I knew beets could endure freezing and thawing cycles due to their high sugar content before becoming mush, their inevitable fate by spring. 

While straw cover would have preserved them through the spring, I hadn’t done that. The remaining beets were overgrown and past their prime. I’d always believed they weren’t worth the effort.

However, these large, less-than-perfect beets were in perfect condition. While their tops were frozen and slimy, the roots remained intact. I pulled a few, removed the decayed tops, and brought them inside, as pictured above.

Washing and trimming the tough stems made them look more presentable, as seen below…

I considered peeling them but opted to trim the roughest skin near the tops, resulting in the following…

My plan involved shredding the beets, dehydrating them in an Excalibur dehydrator until crisp, and then grinding them into powder. Intrigued by our new Vitamix blender, I decided to test its shredding capabilities. I cut the beets into smaller pieces…

Vitamix recommends partially filling the container with water, adding the beets, and pulsing until the desired shred size is achieved. I followed these instructions, and it worked effortlessly.

While it shredded beautifully, seeing the nutrient-rich beet liquid concerned me. Discarding it seemed wasteful, so I separated the shredded beets and kept the juice.

The reserved beet juice was potent. I drank a glass gradually, sensing its nutritional density and deciding against consuming too much at once. More on fresh Vitamixed beetroot juice later.

Shredding with the Vitamix and losing nutrients to the liquid didn’t seem ideal for making beet powder, so I spread the Vitamixed shreds on a dehydrator tray and hand-shredded the rest.

Hand-shredding was quick and easy, and I filled several trays.

Afterward, I had several beet “stubs” (visible in the above picture’s background). I combined these with the reserved juice in the Vitamix and blended until finely ground. This yielded a half-gallon jar of raw beetroot juice, which I refrigerated.

I’ve been drinking this daily since then, in small amounts.

Fresh beetroot juice has a distinct flavor. I drink a small glass each morning and afternoon. It’s grainy, earthy, and surprisingly delicious. I can feel my body reacting to this concentrated beet elixir with an almost energizing jolt. I initially gasped after each sip, similar to surfacing after being underwater for too long. There’s a definite energy boost, possibly an adrenaline surge like narrowly avoiding a car accident. I enjoy it in moderation.

I’ll definitely make more fresh beetroot juice with the Vitamix. It might become my daily winter beverage.

Regarding the beetroot powder, Part 4 will reveal the outcome of this Upland series. 

Click Here to go to Part-4 of this Series