Give beets a chance with these easy, tasty recipes

If canned beets or boiled beets have been your only experience with this divisive vegetable, it's time to branch out and try a few recipes that might change your mind.

If you fall into the camp of beet haters because of their smell, there's a scientific reason why you might feel this way. Geosmin, a naturally occurring microbial compound, is responsible for the distinctive "earthy" or "dirty" odor that many people dislike. And because your smell and taste buds are so intertwined, beets may taste like dirt, too.

Horticultural scientists have been examining geosmin levels of various beet varieties to breed specialty beets with less of this aromatic compound, such as the Badger Flame varieties developed at the University of Wisconsin.