The Humble Beet: New Ways to Look at an Old Friend
Jodi Lew-Smith is the Breeding Coordinator at High Mowing Organic Seeds.
Many of us who grew up eating only canned beets have had the similar experience of trying a fresh beet and saying, “Wow, I never realized these could actually taste good.” Or, “Hey, these are sweet!”
The humble beet is used to being overlooked. But why scorn a vegetable that is not only beautiful, not only sweet, not only amazingly nutritious, but also incredibly easy to grow? Perhaps because it is so easy to grow – people end up with more than they can eat and decide to pickle them?
Beets for all Palates
In any case, I’d like to make a case for growing more and different beets and discovering new ways to use them. Not all beets are created equal of course. Beets contain differing amounts of a compound called geosmin that is almost solely responsible for the refrain that beets “taste like dirt.” The reason is that geosmin is similar to compounds made by soil microbes, thus the dirt taste, but not every beet contains the same amounts of these compounds. In general the darker red beets contain more geosmin than the milder yellow or orange beets, and even among the red beets there are variety-specific differences, where some have more dirt taste than others. Some people like this taste, and for them the darker red beets are probably a good choice. For those who really don’t like this taste, the yellow or orange beets can be thought of as “salad beets,” i.e. mild enough to eat raw.
Enjoying Your Beets
Regarding ways to use beets, every part of the plant is edible and you can choose different ways to harvest and store them. The tops, or beet greens, have a distinctive bitter flavor that many people like. As young leaves they can be eaten raw in salads, adding both an unusual flavor and texture to a salad mix. As older leaves they can be cooked either lightly or more heavily, often seasoned with some kind of smoked meat.
The roots themselves can likewise be harvested either young, as baby beets, or older, for long-term storage. Baby beets are best lightly steamed or fresh because they have a delicate sweet flavor you want to preserve. Older beets can be steamed, blanched or roasted and then eaten alone or incorporated into a frittata, quiche, or other type of casserole. Also, don’t forget you can always grate full-size beets into salads, just as you might a carrot.
Which Varieties are Right for You?
The way you plan to use your beets should influence your variety choices. If you expect mainly to grow them to full size and store them as roots, you’ll want to choose varieties that don’t get woody at the core, that are sweet at full size, and that make a generally uniform root size. Some good suggestions for this type would be Rhonda F1, Detroit Dark Red, or Subeto F1. If you expect to eat or sell beets at baby size, a variety that is quick to bulb out is a good choice, and Boro F1 is excellent for this slot.
Likewise, if you expect to eat or sell beet greens, a variety with strong and flavorful tops would be Shiraz, an open-pollinated variety developed for sweet roots and strong tops by combining several different heirlooms.
For a more unusual beet, Touchstone Gold is magnificent in color and very sweet and mild, while Chioggia has unusual striped roots and Cylindra has a long, narrow shape that’s easier to cut in rounds or strips.
And so, if you haven’t tried a beet lately due to excess childhood scarring, or you’re ready to try them a new way, beets are both incredibly forgiving and amazingly delicious. It’s not too late to plant some this year!
Posted On: June 16 2016
Posted By: Jodi Lew Smith
3 Comments
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