How to eat beet leaves. Carrot tops: benefits and harms, its composition, use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Beet tops are large, round leaves with a bright purple root, slightly curved and wavy. It contains no less useful substances than the root crop itself. Most often, summer residents use beet greens as animal feed, and only a few add it to food. But why not?

Modern beet varieties are descendants of a culture that once grew in India. The first mention of it was made by the Babylonian chroniclers. And surprisingly, the inhabitants of ancient states ate only leaves, and the root crop itself was used exclusively in medicine. And, for example, the Greeks used this plant in ritual sacrifices.

Beet tops contain valuable substances for humans. Moreover, after heat treatment, the leaves retain most of them.

The composition of the tops includes the following vitamins and phytocomponents:

  • vitamins A, PP, C, representatives of group B (including folic acid),
  • amino acids,
  • disaccharides,
  • betaine (derivative of choline).

Macro- and microelements are found in large quantities:

  • calcium,
  • chlorine,
  • sodium,
  • iron,
  • zinc,
  • copper,
  • cobalt.

Beet tops are a low-calorie dietary product. 100 g of raw leaves contain only 40 kcal, 8 g of carbohydrates, 1.5 g of protein and 0.1 g of fat.

Beneficial features

Young beet leaves have a complex healing effect on all organs and systems. Let's list the key useful properties.

  1. Improves digestion. The leaf has a mild laxative effect, which helps to cleanse the body of toxins. Detoxification is also facilitated by a high content of insoluble fiber, which, as it moves through the intestines, like a sponge, absorbs harmful substances and then removes them from the body.
  2. Gives a rejuvenating effect. Vitamins and minerals contribute to rapid regeneration and the emergence of new cells that replace the old ones. Thanks to this, the rejuvenation mechanism is launched at the cellular level: the skin is smoothed, the complexion becomes fresher, and the nails and hair are stronger.
  3. Carries out the regulation of metabolism. The active components in the composition of the tops speed up the metabolism and help the breakdown of carbohydrates with subsequent energy production.
  4. Heals the heart and blood vessels. The vitamins contained in the tops, and especially the B vitamins, increase the elasticity of blood vessels, making them stronger. This greatly reduces the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Harm and contraindications

Preparation for the winter

There are several ways to prepare beet tops for future use. Usually housewives use:

  • freezing,
  • drying
  • pickling,
  • salting,
  • fermentation.

More useful substances are preserved during freezing and drying, but the most delicious beet leaves are obtained by pickling and pickling. However, such food is not recommended for people suffering from gastritis or ulcers.

Beet tops is an unusual product in terms of its useful properties. No wonder humanity has been eating it for more than 3 thousand years.

Beets are a unique vegetable. In food, not only a root crop rich in vitamins is used, but also tops, the regular use of which normalizes metabolism, prevents atherosclerosis, and helps with gastritis and liver diseases.

The benefits of beetroot

Beet tops have a lot of useful properties, it contains more vitamins than the root crop. Dishes with tops are recommended to be prepared and included in the diet for people with diabetes and anemia, as well as those with problems with the heart and thyroid gland. In addition, it perfectly improves bowel function and helps to cope with constipation.

Vitamin P, which is part of the beet tops, is a good prophylactic against sclerosis and internal hemorrhages, increases the elasticity of blood vessels. Help regulate metabolism and activate hematopoiesis such beneficial trace elements contained in beet tops, such as phosphorus, calcium, manganese, potassium and iron salts.

Beetroot leaves and stems are also rich in vitamin U, which is effective in the treatment of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers. In addition, it is considered one of the effective means that slows down the aging process of the body.

Empirically established that beetroot leaves, stems and roots have an antitumor effect.

Dishes from beet tops contribute to weight loss and remove "bad" cholesterol. This is due to the powerful antioxidant betaine. And due to the high content of iodine and cobalt, regular consumption of beet leaves and stems improves memory and helps to concentrate well.

Due to the high sugar content, the root crop tastes better than the tops, which are often bitter due to the large amount of nutrients. To soften its taste, it is recommended to pour boiling water over the tops before use.

Beet tops are used in folk medicine and cosmetology, and it has also gained popularity in cooking. Toppings for pies and pies are made from tops, salads, casseroles and first courses are prepared, and they are also prepared for future use: dried, salted, pickled and canned.

Recipes for the use of beet tops

Beet tops are quite often used for cooking first courses, they are added to borscht, okroshka, botvinya, beetroot and even fish soup.

To prepare botvinia, you need to take:

1 liter of bread kvass; - 250 milliliters of white kvass; - 3 young beets with tops; - 2 cups sorrel (scalded); - 1 glass of young nettle (scalded); - ½ lemon; - 1 tablespoon of horseradish; - 1 teaspoon of mustard; - 1 cucumber; - green onions; - fresh dill; - sugar; - salt.

First of all, very well, rinse the beet tops and root crops from all sides. Then chop the tops with a knife and pour over with boiling water. This will make it tender and soft and completely destroy the specific aftertaste that may not be to everyone's liking. After that, cut the root crop into small pieces and put it together with the tops in a small amount of water.

Finely chop pre-washed and scalded sorrel and nettle and mix with prepared tops and beets. Wash green onions and dill, chop, rub with salt and add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix bread kvass with light kvass. Scald the lemon, grate the zest and sprinkle it with sugar, and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Add lemon zest and juice to kvass, put mustard and grated horseradish, as well as beets, tops with greens and finely chopped cucumber. Mix everything well and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to infuse.

To prepare vitamin okroshka with beet tops, you need to take:

3 bunches of young beets along with tops; - 3 cucumbers; - 2 eggs; - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; - 1 liter of kefir; - 100 milliliters of sour cream; - 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill; - salt.

Separate the beet leaves from the petioles. Wash young root crops thoroughly and grate on a coarse grater. Cut beetroot stalks into cubes. Put everything in an enamel pan, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, pour hot boiled water over it and heat everything together for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Then remove from the stove, let it brew for 10-15 minutes.

While the broth is cooling, thoroughly rinse and cut the beet leaves into strips. Peel hard-boiled eggs and chop finely. Wash and cut cucumbers into thin strips. Then combine all prepared products and transfer to a saucepan with broth. Mix a liter of kefir with half a liter of cold boiled water, season with salt and pour vegetables with tops with this mixture.

Serve vitamin okroshka with sour cream, sprinkled with chopped dill.

Beet tops are an ideal ingredient for dietary salads. It goes well with cucumbers, radishes, spinach, nuts. As a dressing, you can use vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar

Delicious and appetizing is a pie stuffed with beet tops, for its preparation you will need:

500 grams of flour (wheat); - ½ cup of vegetable oil; - 1 cup of warm water; - 200 grams of beet tops; - 1 onion; - 2 cloves of garlic; - 150 grams of suluguni; - ground black pepper; - salt.

The first step is to understand in more detail the benefits and possible harm that beet tops carry. The useful properties include a huge amount of vitamins contained in it (B1, B2, B6, B9, A, PP, U) and the necessary chemical elements (Ca, Mo, Fe, Al, S, P, Mg, Mn, Cu, Na , Cl). In addition, it contains oxalic, ascorbic and folic acids, as well as carotenoids.

Beet leaves will be of great benefit to people suffering from anemia and constipation. It should be in the diet of a person who is on a diet or fasting. Harvesting for the winter from beet tops is necessary for those who have a disease of the heart or blood vessels, as well as the thyroid gland and stomach.

The beneficial properties that beet tops possess are simply innumerable! By the way, the beets themselves were originally grown for the sake of the leaves, and only then they tried the root crop. In the old days, people treated headaches by applying leaves to the forehead in the form of a gruel, and to the eyelids in case of conjunctivitis.

For cosmetic purposes, grated beet leaves were applied to the face, thanks to which they got rid of age spots and freckles.

But there are some contraindications. Beet tops are not recommended for people with kidney and genitourinary diseases. Also, you can not eat it for those who have gout, hemorrhoids and a diseased liver.

Harvesting beet tops for the winter - cooking methods

Having dealt with the properties of beet leaves, you can proceed to their preparation. In order to independently make a delicious and healthy preparation for the winter from beet tops, you need to figure out how to properly pickle it, preserve it and ferment it. Let's start with canning.

In order to make pickled beet tops, we need the following list of ingredients:

  • beet leaves with stems;
  • garlic;
  • parsley and dill;
  • onion.

To prepare the marinade, you need: sugar, salt, 1 liter of water, cloves, peas, apple cider vinegar. Pickled beet tops are prepared as follows: beet greens are washed and cut into strips. To it we add chopped dill and parsley, garlic and onion, cut into half rings.

Put the resulting salad in pre-sterilized jars. From the above ingredients, cook the marinade. Then we pour it into banks. After holding for about 5-7 minutes, pour back into the pan and boil for 4 minutes. We refill the jars with the marinade and roll them up. By the way, how, you can also read on our website.

Other methods of harvesting beet tops - drying, freezing, sourdough

In order to prepare pickled beet tops, you need to have: 1 kilogram of beet leaves (with stems), a few cloves of garlic, currant leaves, a teaspoon of salt, dill umbrellas. We cut the washed leaves coarsely, lay them in layers on the banks. Between each layer we put dill, chopped onion rings, garlic and herbs, a little salt.

We put oppression on top of the salad and keep the workpiece under it for 3 days in warmth. After that, we take it to a cool room for storage. The fermented product is ideal for fish and meat dishes, as well as a snack. Salting beet tops for the winter, as you can see, will not take you much time. But if, nevertheless, these methods do not suit you, you can apply another, namely, drying. Beet leaves are dried in the same way as other greens, that is, in a secluded place in the shade.

Another way to harvest is to freeze beet tops for the winter. To do this, just rinse the leaves and stems under running water, then cut into pieces. After that, we lay out the workpiece in bags and put it in the freezer. It will stay there for quite some time. But how in the apartment and in the country, you can read in a separate article.

Late spring and early summer are the season for young vegetables. The counters at this time are full of rich colors, among which it is difficult not to notice young beets, especially if they are sold along with juicy tops. Unfortunately, many housewives immediately cut and throw away the leaves, not at all understanding how useful they are and how many delicious dishes you can cook from them.

Beneficial features

The first question that housewives often ask is: "Why cook from beet tops at all?" Scientists gave the answer to this question a long time ago, proving that the leaves of this plant contain no less useful substances than the roots. Beet tops are rich in ascorbic and folic acids, vitamins of groups B and P, such trace elements as calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C in the leaves is many times more than in the root crop.

Dishes from this vegetable are useful for people with heart and thyroid problems, patients with diabetes and anemia. Scientists have noted a huge content of substances that inhibit the growth of cancer cells, so oncologists recommend to patients that beet tops be included in their diet. What to cook from this vegetable depends on the culinary preferences of the person. But the abundance of recipes allows absolutely everyone to find something to their liking.

Role in world culinary

In many countries of the world, dishes are prepared from juicy beet leaves. In Russia, they cook borsch from it, in America they cook stew, Georgians love pkhali, and Armenians wrap meat and cereals in beet leaves, like in cabbage rolls. Beet tops, recipes for which have been passed down from generation to generation, are famous in almost all parts of the world. Do you want to try cooking a national Russian dish or an overseas delicacy in your own kitchen? Dare! A few simple recipes will help with this.

Borsch

Let's start with borscht. To prepare it, you will need a pound of young beets along with leaves, 4 potatoes, 2 small young zucchini, 3 ripe tomatoes, carrots and onions. In addition, we will prepare the oil for frying the frying and a little vinegar. And to add flavor to the dish, we use seasonings. What - you decide. Any favorite spice will do. Well, you can’t do without sour cream, it is used when serving.

This dish is lean, it is suitable for vegetarians and those who are on a diet. But it is quite acceptable to cook it with meat, and add chopped lard to the frying.

Let's start cooking by grinding the ingredients. The first to go to our future borscht is beets, cut into small slices. It is followed by cubes of potatoes. While the vegetables, carrots, tomatoes and zucchini are fried in oil, add a little vinegar and simmer. As soon as the vegetables become soft, we overload the frying into the pan and send the tops cut into strips there. Cook for another 15 minutes, add spices and salt. And when the borscht is cooked, it needs to brew - for this it is best to wrap the pan with a towel and leave it on the switched off stove for at least 30 minutes.

Love sharper? Feel free to add pepper and crushed garlic to the borscht!

tops

The birthplace of this recipe is Karachay-Cherkessia. To make a pie, we need the following products:

  • flour - 200 g;
  • homemade soft cheese (brynza, suluguni) - 170 g;
  • onion feathers;
  • beet tops - a bunch;
  • salt.

Wash the raw leaves and cut into smaller pieces, add cheese and onions to them, mix thoroughly. Knead a soft dough from flour, salt and water. Roll out several circles, according to the size of the pan. Now we form pies: put a layer of dough on a greased pan, distribute the filling on top. We will bake in the oven. tops are served to the table, cut into pieces.

Stew

A very popular product for cooking vegetable stew is beet tops. The recipes for this dish are complemented by ingredients such as: potatoes, peppers, legumes, spinach, carrots, cauliflower and more. Let's try to cook stew in one of the most common ways. To do this, take a large bunch of tops, an onion, a few ripe bell peppers (preferably multi-colored), oil, herbs and seasonings. Now fry the chopped vegetables separately, transfer to a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Before serving, season with garlic and seasonings.

Vegetarian cutlets

Such a dish can please not only those who observe a strict fast or do not eat meat for some reason. Beetroot cutlets can be a wonderful side dish! They go well with smoked bacon and bacon, fried sausages, salted lard, ham. You can also serve them as an independent dish, for example, with sauce or adjika. This dish turns out to be very juicy and fragrant, you can’t immediately say that it is based on beet tops. What to cook for cutlets and how to serve them is up to you. So let's get started.

Wash beet leaves (big bunch) and cut into smaller pieces. We drive in a raw egg, sprinkle with flour. The amount of flour and eggs depends on the juiciness of the greens, and on its quantity. The result should be a dense mass that allows you to form cutlets. They need to be fried in hot oil.

Soup

This vegetable is often used for cooking first courses. Let's try, for example, to cook soup with beet tops. To do this, cook a light chicken broth, add finely chopped potatoes, grated carrots and onions fried in oil. When the vegetables are cooked, put the tops cut into thin long strips into the broth. Boiled eggs are also very suitable for this recipe, quail eggs look especially impressive in plates. This soup can be served with croutons or crackers.

vitamin salad

Recipes with beet tops do not always involve heat treatment. Salads made from fresh leaves, which store a maximum of vitamins and useful microelements, are also very popular. The only effect of high temperature is a second immersion in boiling water, which is necessary for the tops to become soft. Beetroot leaves in salads go well with cucumbers, radishes and radishes, cabbage, watercress, spinach, lettuce, herbs. You can add boiled eggs, roasted nuts, olives, flaxseed or sesame seeds. Scalded raisins give a completely unusual taste to such salads.

For dressing, vegetable oil is often used, seasoned with fruit vinegar, lemon or pomegranate juice. Sour cream or mayonnaise is also great.

Dolma

In the East, the word "dolma" refers to any dish consisting of a vegetable base stuffed with a mixture of rice and meat. And the usual Bulgarian pepper with minced meat, and cabbage rolls in grape leaves, and even considered options. Of course, among all the variety there was a place for the option with beet tops.

For the preparation of phali, young beet leaves with cut legs are used. There is no strict recipe for the preparation of the filling (as, indeed, for the dish as a whole). In order to make minced meat, beef, lamb, pork or poultry meat is used, as well as their mixture. Be sure to add finely chopped or grated onions. In the East, it is customary to put quite a bit of rice in the filling, no more than a quarter in volume.

Dolma wrapped in leaves is pre-fried in a frying pan, baked in the oven until half cooked or immediately placed in a large cauldron. To prepare the gravy, a mixture of fried vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic) seasoned with tomato can be used.

Dolma is served on a large platter, along with gravy.

The old confrontation between lovers of tops and admirers of roots is now leveled by an instructive story with sowing carrots. Once upon a time, this plant was eaten exclusively by its aerial green part and seeds. Then it turned out that in gastronomic terms, the underground part of the carrot clearly wins, and the dispute between benefit and pleasure was resolved by the victory of the latter. Perhaps this can be explained by the lack of awareness of the population in the true healing values ​​of the parts of the carrot. But today, when science has reached unprecedented heights, and it has become clear that many times more vitamins and other useful substances are hidden in the tops of a vegetable than in the root crop itself, the situation began to change dramatically.

As unbelievable as it sounds, but carrot tops there are five thousand times more vitamins than in the orange carrot itself. The green part of the vegetable is literally saturated with the B vitamin group, retinol, that is, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid, no less known as vitamin C. It also contains more rare vitamins K, E and PP.

Solidly represented in the tops and minerals in the form of macro- and microelements:

  • potassium;
  • gland;
  • cobalt;
  • calcium;
  • lithium;
  • sodium;
  • phosphorus;
  • Selena;
  • aluminum;
  • fluorine;
  • sulfur;
  • iodine.

There are also other valuable ingredients in carrot tops in the form of coumarins, chlorophyll, essential oils, lysine, tannins and even caffeine.

Did you know? In the European Union, carrots are considered a fruit, because the Portuguese make jam from them, and according to European standards, jam is made only from fruits.

The pronounced antioxidant qualities of carrot tops are mainly due to the solid presence of the mineral selenium in them. As a result, the use of tops contributes to the optimization of the activity of the cardiovascular system, inhibition of the emerging process of early aging, and improvement of reproductive qualities. Selenium is so well represented in the tops that just a couple of stems are enough to get its daily dose.
And chlorophyll, paired with calcium, is responsible for such a valuable quality of tops as the ability to cleanse the body's circulatory system of toxins and poisons.

Potassium and vitamin K optimize the activity of the heart, successfully lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients and normalize metabolic processes.

The retinol present in carrot greens really helps to improve vision, increases its sharpness and prevents eye diseases, both among nearsighted and farsighted people.

Carrot tops should be especially in demand among those who want to lose weight. Infusions from it stimulate the digestion process, activate intestinal motility, which, with a properly structured diet, leads to weight loss.

Such a wide range of medicinal qualities of carrot tops, of course, could not be left without the attention of traditional healers. For example, the presence of phytoncides in it makes it possible to effectively use it in the form of compresses during the treatment of wounds, ulcers, frostbite and other similar problems.
The same ability of carrot tops as a mixture of its juice and honey to fight pathogenic microflora is used in the treatment of throat or stomatitis.

The antioxidant properties of this remedy, which help to cleanse the blood vessels of bad cholesterol and return their walls to flexibility and elasticity, help prevent stroke and heart attack.

A significant presence of potassium and vitamin K contributes to a decrease in blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and the presence of calcium in the remedy prevents the occurrence of osteoporosis.

One of the most valuable qualities of carrot tops lies in its unique ability to effectively deal with such an ancient human scourge as hemorrhoids, even in the most advanced cases and at any stage of this problem.

This remarkable quality is explained by the ability of the elements contained in greens to act in the body at the cellular level, stimulating redox processes and activating the ability of cells to recover, which leads to recovery.

These qualities of the remedy plus its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic, analgesic properties also help to cope with problems in the gastrointestinal tract, the genitourinary system in general and in the female reproductive system in particular.

Carrot tops are also able to improve potency in men, strengthen teeth and gums in children when changing teeth, eliminate swelling, treat severe coughs, calm the nervous system after stress, eliminate insomnia, and even really help with alcohol intoxication, cleansing the liver and blood from poisons.

With diabetic problems, carrot tops can make the process of sugar absorption into the blood smoother. Containing 10 grams of sucrose per 100 grams of product, carrot greens can fully compensate for sugar in the body.
And the dietary fibers present in it, enriching the vessels with microelements that prevent the breakdown of sugars, contribute to the fact that glucose, which breaks down with the help of enzymes, does not affect blood sugar saturation in any way. As a result, everyone is fine: both the vessels, the body, and the person himself.

While the townspeople at the word "carrot" immediately imagined an orange root crop, in the villages the aerial part of this vegetable was no less widely used. And here, not only the traditional frugality of the villagers was manifested, but also the old recipes inherited from their ancestors.

For example, the once very popular botvini. In addition, carrot tops were certainly used in the manufacture of various kinds of pickles, for example, when pickling tomatoes or, which gave the products a spicy spicy flavor.

Today, culinary specialists use this product most actively in the preparation of salads and soups. Many housewives are happy to make fillings for pies and pancakes, vegetable cutlets and casseroles from it.

In summer, you need to cook not only sleds, but also carrot tops, more precisely, in the middle of summer, when orange root crops are pulled out of the beds. Greens should be separated from them, and it is greens. Yellowed and twisted stems are categorically not suitable for harvesting and storage.

Then the tops are thoroughly washed and laid out in a thin layer (preferably on cotton fabric) and sent for drying, which is best done in a dry and shady place.

Important! In no case should carrot greens be dried in the sun, because as a result, many useful substances can be missed in it.

It is best to store the product in a glass container or in cotton bags in a dry and dark place.

Freezing greens has become very popular recently. To do this, well-washed tops should be dried for a couple of hours, finely chopped and, placed in a container or plastic bag, sent to the freezer.

Possible harm and contraindications

Carrot tops are not able to cause any harm to a healthy person. However, if someone has temporary or permanent health problems, then there are natural contraindications that regulate the intake of this product:

  • first of all, this applies to persons who have an individual intolerance to the product;
  • people who are exposed to allergens should also be wary of this product;
  • it is not recommended to use tops for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract during an exacerbation of peptic ulcer, with increased acidity of gastric juice, with an inflammatory process in the large intestine, with ulcerative colitis and with intestinal upset;
  • the ability of this product to lower blood pressure is fraught with trouble for people suffering from hypotension;
  • people who have very sensitive skin, with tactile contact with the leaves, due to the furocoumarins present in it, can get skin irritation or even inflammation.

Important! Pregnant women are forbidden to take funds with the presence of carrot tops. Its ability to increase the tone of the uterus can lead to miscarriage or premature birth.

How to take carrot tops

There are three types of taking this remedy for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

To make tea from this product, you need to take a teaspoon of finely chopped tops for each cup of water - fresh, dry or thawed. Pour freshly boiled water into the teapot, then let the tea brew for ten minutes.
It is not recommended to drink more than three glasses of this tea a day, as it is not only a pleasant drink, but also a remedy that, with regular use, can prevent many of the diseases listed above and even cure them. For example, such as varicose veins and hemorrhoids, or visual impairment.

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