CSA Pickup: Week of August 12, 2026 - Beet STEM Exploration
Updated: Aug 19
CSA pickup day has become one of my favorite weekly routines. We head to the farm, see what is growing, choose our vegetables, and then decide which one will give us something interesting to explore.
What started as a simple weekly pickup has become an anchor for seasonal learning. Each box gives us a chance to slow down, notice what is growing around us, explore a little STEM, and cook something together.
In this series, I'll share what we received, one simple STEM exploration, and an easy recipe we made with something from our CSA box.
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What We Received This Week
Carrots
Beets
Broccoli
Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Yellow Onions
Cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Celery
Dill
Quick Produce Notes
Carrots: Their crisp texture gives us an easy opportunity to notice water content and what happens when vegetables lose moisture. If a carrot becomes soft, soaking it in cool water can sometimes help it regain some of its crispness.
Beets: Their strong natural pigments make them perfect for exploring color, patterns, and what happens when plant tissue is cut.
Cucumber: Their many seeds are arranged the fruit in a neat oval pattern, making it easy to explore geometry in our natural world.
STEM Exploration: Beet Pigments and Patterns
Beets are one of those vegetables that make STEM impossible to miss. Cut one open and you'll immediately see rings, color variations, and strong natural pigments. A simple beet can become an opportunity to practice observation, compare patterns, and explore what happens when plant cells are cut and their pigments are released.
This is another great example of how we don't always need to create a complicated lesson. Sometimes we just need to cut something open and look closely.
What You Need
1 beet (golden or red)
A white plate
Knife (A child-safe knife may be appropriate depending on your child's age and skill, or have an adult do the cutting.)
A few drops of water
Optional: Paper, pencil, color pencils or crayons
Steps
Cut the beet in half to reveal the inside.
Place the beet cut-side up on a white plate.
Look closely at the colors, rings, and patterns.
Add a few drops of water to the cut surface.
Watch how the water interacts with the beet's pigments. Does the color spread or change?
Optional: If you have both a red and golden beet, repeat the activity with each and compare what you observe.
Optional: Sketch what you see, look at the different colors, rings, or patterns.
What to Notice
Look closely before explaining anything. What does your child notice?
You might see:
Rings or bands inside the beet
Differences in color from the center toward the outside
Darker and lighter areas
Tiny lines or structures within the root
Strong color transfer from a red beet
Different shades between red and golden beets
There isn't one “right” thing to notice. The goal is to observe, compare, and wonder.
STEM Concepts
The deep colors in beets come from natural plant pigments called betalains. Red and purple beets contain betacyanins, which create their red, purple, and deep pink colors. Golden beets contain more betaxanthins, which contribute to their yellow and golden colors. These pigments are stored inside plant cells. When we cut, crush, or cook a beet, some of those cells are damaged and the pigments can be released. That's why a beet can leave such a strong color on your cutting board, hands, or plate.
The rings inside the beet also give us something interesting to observe. They aren't exactly like tree rings that represent yearly growth. Instead, the bands reflect the way the root develops and how its tissues are arranged as the plant grows.
You don't need to explain all of that to your child, though. You can simply start with: "What do you notice?" Then let their questions guide the conversation.
Keep the Conversation Going
After your exploration, ask:
What did you notice first?
Are all the rings the same color?
Does the center look different from the outside?
What happened when we added water?
Which beet had the strongest color?
Why do you think the beet leaves so much color behind?
What do you think would happen if we cooked it?
What questions do you still have?
Sometimes the best STEM activities begin with a vegetable sitting on the cutting board and a simple question: "What do you think will happen?”
Kitchen Science: Beet Smoothie
A beet smoothie is a fun kitchen science activity because the transformation is immediate. You start with a collection of colorful ingredients, add a small amount of bright beet, and suddenly everything turns a beautiful shade of pink.
Roasting the beet first makes the flavor milder and sweeter, so that's the way I prefer to prepare it for kids.
Ingredients*
1 cup Almond Milk
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 frozen banana, or frozen banana slices that make up about 1 banana
1/2 cup roasted beets, diced (can do raw beets but the flavor will be stronger)
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
*You can easily adjust the amounts to fit your family's preferences.
If your family is new to beets, start with ¼ cup instead of ½ cup. You can always add more.
Directions
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender.
Blend until smooth**
If the smoothie is too thick, add additional almond milk a little at a time.
Taste and adjust the ingredients if needed.
Serve immediately or freeze for later.
**Don't have a high-speed blender? Then up the amount of Almond milk you use to help the blending process. Depending on blender you may need 2 cups.
This is also an easy opportunity to talk about fractions and measurement. What happens when you use ¼ cup instead of ½ cup? How much more fruit would you need to add if you want a sweeter smoothie?
How Kids Can Help
Washing the beets
Helping wrap beets in foil before roasting
Peeling cooled roasted beets with supervision
Measuring ingredients and adding ingredients to the blender
Predicting what color the smoothie will become
Taste testing
Deciding whether the smoothie needs more fruit or liquid
Kid Skill Highlights
Color observation: noticing how the beet changes the color of the smoothie
Texture comparison: comparing raw and roasted beet
Prediction skills: guessing what will happen before blending
Measurement practice: measuring and adjusting ingredients
Kitchen confidence: participating in a real family recipe, and learning to adjust it
Cooking Reflection
Pick two or three questions to ask after making the smoothie. If your child is enjoying the conversation, keep going!
What color did you predict the smoothie would be?
What happened when we added the beet?
Did the color change as we blended?
Could you taste the beet?
What happened when we used more or less beet?
Did roasting change the flavor?
What surprised you?
Cooking Observations and The Science Behind Them
Cooking and food preparation give us plenty of opportunities to notice changes without turning the kitchen into a formal lesson.
Color: Beet pigments mix with the other ingredients, creating a bright pink or purple color throughout the smoothie.
Texture: Roasting softens the beet before it goes into the blender. Blending then breaks the ingredients into very small pieces, creating a smooth texture.
Flavor: Roasting changes the beet's texture and flavor, often making it taste milder and sweeter.
Pigments: The strong color comes from betalain pigments in the beet. These pigments can be released when the plant cells are cut, crushed, or heated.
Science Words to Know
You don't need to memorize these words! They're simply useful vocabulary for describing what you're noticing.
Pigment: A substance that gives something its color.
Betalain: A group of natural pigments found in beets and some other plants.
Cell: A tiny building block that makes up living things, including plants.
Diffusion: The movement of particles from an area where there are more of them toward an area where there are fewer.
Texture: How something feels, such as smooth, crunchy, soft, or gritty.
Closing
This week's beets gave us another opportunity to slow down and look closely. A simple root became a chance to explore natural pigments, patterns, plant cells, color changes, measurement, and even a little kitchen experimentation. Then we got to drink the results.
We don't always need to create a lesson. Sometimes we just need to notice what's already in front of us.
Want to create your own colorful smoothie? I've created a free Smoothie Coloring Page for kids to use before or after making their own.
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