Beetroot Powder
Whole beets, dried and ground to a fine powder. It turns anything you add it to a vivid, almost impossible shade of red.
What It Is
Beetroot powder is just beets with the water removed. That's it. The color comes from pigments called betalains, the same ones that stain your cutting board and your fingers when you roast fresh beets. The flavor is earthy and mildly sweet, noticeably beetlike but not sharp.
Beets have been a staple root vegetable across Europe and the Middle East for centuries, eaten roasted, pickled, and boiled. The powder form puts all of that flavor and color in a format that stores for months and skips the peeling and roasting entirely.
What To Do
Start with half a teaspoon and work up from there. It blends easily into smoothies, overnight oats, or plain yogurt. Stir it into hummus for a striking pink dip, or mix it into pasta dough with your eggs for red noodles that look like you spent hours on them. It also works as a natural food dye for icings and batters.
The flavor mellows when heated, so baked goods pick up mostly color. Raw applications, like salad dressings or dips, keep more of the earthy beet taste. Store in a cool, dry spot away from light and it will hold its color and flavor for a year or more.
