Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Beets
Beets are a love-or-hate vegetable; either you love them or you
have no desire to eat them at all. They are a great addition to any
home garden because they are easy to grow, have a long harvest,
take up a small amount of space in your garden, and can be stored.
They have more than one edible part and can be eaten raw or
cooked, so they are a very versatile vegetable. The young leaves are
used with other baby greens in popular salad mixes. The mature
leaves can be steamed for a nutritious side dish to add to any meal.
The roots can be harvested as sweet and tender baby beets or they
can be left to grow to maturity to be harvested as you need them all
summer and fall.
The many variety of beets give you more options than just a round
red beet. You can buy seeds that will produce elongated roots, which
have a milder taste. Beets can now be grown in a multitude of col-
ors. There are white, yellow, orange, and striped varieties.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Peeling beets can be messy and can stain your hands and cooking
area, so leave the peel on. Once the beets are cooked, just plunge
them into ice-cold water and the skins will just slip off. If you do
get stains on your fingers, rub them with a fresh lemon and the
red juice will easily wash off.
Beets like a fairly rich soil that is free of rocks and debris. Add in
aged animal manure and lime if needed when preparing your garden
bed. Make sure your bed is well prepared with at least a foot of
loose-tilled soil for the roots to grow. Remove any lumps, rocks, or
sticks from the soil so they don't impede the growth of the root.
