Beetroot

The beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in Canada and the United States as beets. At the same time, the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English and is also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet.

History

Beets were domesticated in the ancient Middle East, primarily for their greens, and were grown by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. By the Roman era, it is thought that they were cultivated for their roots as well. From the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for various conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. 

During the middle of the 19th century, wine often was coloured with beetroot juice.

Usually, the deep purple roots of beets are eaten boiled, roasted, or raw, alone or combined with any salad vegetable.

A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilized beets or pickles. 

In Indian Cuisine, chopped, cooked, spiced beet is a typical side dish. Yellow-coloured beetroots are grown on a very small scale for home consumption.

The green, leafy portion of the beet is also edible. The young leaves can be added raw to salads, whilst the mature leaves are most commonly served boiled or steamed, in which case they have a taste and texture similar to spinach.

Beetroot can be roasted, boiled or steamed, peeled, and then eaten warm with or without butter as a delicacy; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad. Pickled beets are a traditional food in many countries.

Beet juice is most stable in foods with low water content, such as frozen novelties and fruit fillings, when it is used.

Betanins obtained from the roots are used industrially as red food colourants, e.g. to intensify the colour of tomato paste, sauces, desserts, jams and jellies, ice cream, sweets, and breakfast cereals. Beetroot is also be used to make wine.

Nutrition]

Raw beetroot is 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% raw beetroot is a rich source of folate manganese.

Safety

The red colour compound betanin is not broken down in the body, and in higher concentrations may temporarily cause urine or stools to assume a reddish colour, in the case of urine, a condition called beeturia

Although harmless, this effect may cause initial concern due to the visual similarity to what appears to be haematuria. 

Cultivars

Generally, 55 to 65 days are needed from germination to harvest of the root. All cultivars can be harvested earlier for use as greens. Unless otherwise noted, the root colours are shades of red and dark red with different degrees of zoning noticeable in slices.

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)

Beetroot is a sweet, healthy vegetable loaded with antioxidants is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 vegetables grown in home gardens.

Planting seeds or seedlings

Beetroot can be grown from seeds or seedlings and has white and golden varieties.

Beetroot likes neutral, moist, fertile soil without too much lime or acidity (pH 6.5-7.0) and six to with hours sun, but it will tolerate part shade

A few weeks before sowing, it is best if a general granular fertilizer is raked into the soil in late autumn or early spring to let the nutrients absorb.

Beetroot can be grown in pots as long as they are at least 20cm (8in) in diameter and at least 20cm (8in) deep.

Fill the pot up to the top with loose, multi-purpose compost, sow the seeds thinly across the surface and cover with 2cm (0.75in) of compost. Then, when the seedlings reach 2 cm (about an inch) in height, remove the weaker of the seedlings and aim for about 12cm (5 inches) between seeds.

In the northern hemisphere, sow seeds after the last frost. In the southern hemisphere, sow seeds from September through February.

Sow beetroot seeds 2cm (3/4"-1") deep. Keep seeds or seedlings apart at a distance of at least 10 to 15cm (4-6"). It'll be easiest to plant them in rows.

For succession planting, sow beetroot every 14 days for a continuous harvest.

Caring for Your Seeds

In the beginning, your seeds need plenty of water to start the germination process but avoid overwatering, which causes beetroot to produce more leaves and less root.

I provide the plants with 7 minutes of water twice a day from my irrigation sprinkler system.

Once the beetroots have about 2cm (1 inch) of leaves sprouting, cut the weakest seedlings until the remaining plants are at least 10 cm (4 inches) apart.   Do not pull them by hand since this could disturb the roots of neighbouring plants.

I fertilize the plants every two weeks using a complete organic fertilizer according to the instructions on the packaging.

Applying too much nitrogen can cause lots of leafy growth and little root development. If you notice large leaves and smaller roots, reduce fertilizer applications or switch to a fertilizer with lower nitrogen levels.

Avoid using hoes or other sharp objects near the roots, or you might cut them. Hand weeding is best.

Harvesting and Storing Your Plants

When you can start seeing the root, you will have a good idea of its size.

The beetroots are ready to harvest when they are approximately the size of a small orange; too large, and they won't be as tasty. Do this by holding the top and leveraging the root up with a fork-like tool or spade.

Generally, they're ready around eight weeks after sowing or when the veggie reaches 2.5cm (1 inch) in diameter.

 Many people harvest alternately, picking out some of the beetroots now and leaving others to develop to full maturity, which allows the others to grow bigger more quickly. The ones with a diameter of about 7.5cm (3 inches) usually have the best flavour.

If desired, you can leave some beetroot in the soil until next spring, but you need to protect it. Cover it ina heavy mulch of hay or straw. Be aware that this can cause the beetroots to develop a woody texture.

Do not cut off the leaves; instead, remove them by twisting about 5cm (2") above the crown, which will help prevent bleeding and take away from the flavour and colour of the beet.

The tops can be saved, cooked, and eaten like spinach. Believe it or not, they usually have loads of flavour.

 Root vegetables store well, making them ideal for winter stocking up. Beetroots can be stored layered in sand in wooden boxes in a frost-free, dry environment.

To do this, take a container and line the bottom with 5 cm (2 inches) of sand—place in a layer of beets. Then, repeat until the container is full. The sand keeps them from sprouting and keeps their flavours fresh.