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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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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. –  Kate Gregory Nov 14 '11 at 21:03

8 Answers 8

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 '13 at 0:36

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.

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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!

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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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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 at 1:19

I enjoyed it with some carbonated water! Yum!

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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.

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