They keep well in a cool dark place for up to a month and should not be refrigerated. When choosing your squash, look for a bright, firm skin, free of bruises.
Steaming, boiling, sautéing, roasting, and baking are all great ways to prepare both roots and squashes. They also do very well in stews, soups, and cooked in with beans.
Nourishing Values.
Root vegetables and squash are good sources of vitamins A, B, and C, as well as niacin, potassium, copper, magnesium, folic acid, iron, phosphorus and pantothenic acid (the values vary for each). Those especially deep in color contain the health-promoting antioxidants known as phytochemicals. Take the beta carotene, for example, found in the deep orange of carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.
“Like most vegetables, roots are low in calories, with about ten to sixty per half-cup serving, and contain negligible amounts of fat,” reports Dr. Jennifer L. Wilkins, a nutritionist at Cornell University. “Many root vegetables are good sources of fiber, providing one to four grams per half cup.”
Most plants have specific medicinal benefits, such as St. John’s Wort, which is mainly used to treat depression, but root vegetables in general have a broad range of uses.
Ginger, for example, is effective for digestive ailments, arthritis, and motion sickness. Garlic has many therapeutic benefits; it acts as an effective anti-bacterial compound, as an anti-carcinogen, and it reduces high cholesterol and improves blood circulation. Like carrots and burdock, it is considered a “protective” food.
Natural remedies have dominated health care for thousands of years. The primary source was non-toxic whole foods—and should still continue to be. Following are some medicinal applications of some of the roots:
- Radishes benefit the digestive tract by aiding in the excretion of harmful toxins
- The juice of red potatoes helps to alleviate stomach ulcers
- Burdock assists in the elimination of uric acid
- Parsnips are valued for their strong anti-carcinogens
- Beets promote liver, kidney, and spleen function
- Onions contain anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents
So go find your roots. They’re comfort—like home.
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