Earthy Juice
Beet Juice Tastes Like Dirt
I don’t think I have had dirt before, but I assume I have because how would I know what dirt taste like? My mom introduced me to beet juice and the first time I had it, I was like nope, no way, no how, it tastes like dirt.
She doesn’t think so, but obviously, she has never had dirt as I have. I would like to make healthier food choices, and beets are packed with nutrients and vitamins.
According to Healthline, beets contains the following nutrients:
- Folate (vitamin B9). One of the B vitamins, folate, is important for normal tissue growth and cell function. It’s necessary for pregnant women
- Manganese. An essential trace element, manganese is found in high amounts in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
- Potassium. A diet high in potassium can lead to reduced blood pressure levels and positive effects on heart health
- Iron. An essential mineral, iron has many important functions in your body. It’s necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.
- Vitamin C. This well-known vitamin is an antioxidant that is important for immune function and skin health
As I sit here painfully drinking my beet juice, all I can think about is why couldn’t it taste more like pineapple or even grapefruit juice. Why do the foods that are packed with the best nutrients and vitamins taste bad or just mediocre?
Why isn’t cake, milk chocolate, or ice cream packed with good nutrients, ugh. Don’t worry, I’m not swapping my beet juice for cake or ice cream, but dammit, that sounds way better than this beet juice.
When your kids turn their noses up at beets, tell them it’s not the soil that gives beets their earthy flavor — it’s the geosmin. An organic compound produced by microbes in the soil, geosmin gives off a smell like freshly plowed earth or a field after a rainstorm. —Grow Wisconsin Magazine
Apparently, geosmin smells like dirt, and therefore beets taste that way. If geosmin is the reason for the earthiness of beets, then carrots must contain it as well because I feel the same way about carrots, they too taste like dirt.
Do you like beets or beet juice? I have seen beets in salads before but have not tried it. Actually, I have never eaten fresh beets; I have only had the juice. I will continue to drink beet juice, but I won’t like it.
Thank you for reading. I encourage you to drink healthy juices, even if they taste like dirt.
