Beetroot (beta vulgaris)

Beetroot Why plant

Easy to grow and store.

Important health giving properties.

All parts can be eaten.

Interesting uses

One of the earliest known benefits of beetroot is its use as an aphrodisiac during the Roman times. And it wasn’t all folklore as it has been found to contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.

Beetroot contains betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind and is used in other forms to treat depression. It also contains trytophan which is also found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being.

You can use beetroot juice to measure acidity. When added to an acidic solution it turns pink but when it’s added to an alkali it turns yellow.

If you boil beetroots in water and then massage the water into your scalp each night, it works as an effective cure for dandruff.

Beetroot can be made into a wine that tastes similar to port .

Origins

The origin is wild seabeet, a native of coastlines from India to Britain and the ancestor of all cultivated forms of beet. Sea beet was first domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, although it was only the leaves that were eaten at that time.

The ancient Romans were one of the first civilizations to cultivate beets to use their roots as food. The tribes that invaded Rome were responsible for spreading beets throughout northern Europe where they were first used for animal fodder and later for human consumption, becoming more popular in the 16th century.

In early times, the medicinal properties of the root were more important than its eating qualities and it was used to treat a range of ailments including fevers, constipation, wounds and various skin problems. At that time, the roots were long and thin like a carrot. The rounded root shape that we are familiar with today was not developed until the sixteenth century and became widely popular in Central and Eastern Europe 200 years later. Many classic beetroot dishes originated in this region including the famous beetroot soup, known as borscht.

Beets' value grew in the 19th century when it was discovered they were a concentrated source of sugar and the first sugar factory was built in Poland. When access to sugar cane was restricted by the British, Napoleon decreed that the beet be used as the primary source of sugar, catalyzing its popularity. Around this time beets were also first brought to the United States, where they now flourish. Today the leading commercial producers of beets include the United States, the Russian Federation, France, Poland, France and Germany.

Health benefits

Beetroot is one of the newest ‘super foods’ to hit the headlines. Packed full of nutrients, it provides a rich source of carbohydrates, protein, and has high levels of important vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. Just three baby beetroot equal one of the five portions of fruit and vegetables that The Food Standards Agency recommends eating a day.

It is a great source of potassium, magnesium, folic acid, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, niacin, biotin, betaninBeetroot nutrients and beta-carotene. It also contains the important vitamins A, B6 and C, plus powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre.

Beetroot is one of the richest sources of folic acid, something that is essential for normal tissue growth. It can protect against high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Folic acid is crucial to the development of a baby’s spinal cord during the first three months of pregnancy and can help prevent spinal cord defects such as spina bifida. Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive can get 75% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of folate from three raw baby beets. Expectant mums must remember though that cooked beetroot has lower levels of folic acid than raw beetroot.

Research has shown that beetroot can help lower blood pressure. Because it contains the mineral silica it helps the body to utilise calcium, so is therefore important for musculo-skeletal health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple crimson colour betacyanin, is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent. Beets' potential effectiveness against colon cancer in particular has been demonstrated in several studies.

Varieties

Chioggia is easy and fast to grow but not so suitable for boiling as the colour leaches out.

Bolthardy is globe shaped and resistant to bolting.

Burpee’s Golden produces globe shaped, golden coloured beetroot. It seems to be more difficult to germinate and not as prolific as the others. Remember to cook it separately from other varieties to retain the yellow colour.

Planting

Although preferring medium to light soil, beetroot can cope with heavy soil as well. What should be avoided is planting in recently manured soil, unless you like misshapen roots!

Plant a small amount of seeds every fortnight from mid April (or when the risk of hard frost has passed) through to mid July in rows about 2.5cm (1 inch) deep and 30cm (1 foot) apart, plant the seeds 5cm (2 inches) apart in each row. Cover with soil and water in.

The seedlings will take about two weeks to appear. If you have a clump of seedlings growing remove the weakest leaving the strongest seedling. Once about 5cm (2 inches) high you can thin or replant to their final positions of 10cm (4 inches) apart for round varieties, 15cm (6 inches) apart for long varieties.

Aftercare

Young seedlings may attract the attention of birds. If your area is troubled it’s best to cover the seedlings in netting for a while. Clear plastic plastic bottles with the top and bottom cut off and placed over the seedlings when they emerge is a good method if you plant only a few seeds.

Beetroot will definitely appreciate a thorough watering if the conditions become dry. This will encourage them to grow quickly and the roots will be more tender and tasty.

Harvesting

Harvesting of globe beetroot can begin around nine weeks after sowing the seed. At this stage the bulbs will be about 2.5cm (1 inch) in diameter and they will be at their most tender, important for salads. These first pickings should be evenly applied over the growing area to give the remaining beetroot good room to grow larger.

Continue to harvest as required until the beetroot reach about 8cm (3 inches) in diameter. At this point it’s best to harvest all the beetroot and store them. If they’re left in the ground much longer they’ll become woody and not taste so good. Another sign that the roots are ready for harvest is when the foliage starts to go limp.

When harvesting beetroot, especially if they will not be eaten immediately, cut the leaves off about 5cm (2 inches) above the root. This will keep them fresh longer and prevent them from 'bleeding'. Use a trowel to dig gently under the bulb and gently tease it away from the soil. Avoid damaging the root in order to keep them fresh for long time.

Store the beetroot in boxes with layers separated by sand or peat in a cool dark place such as the garage or shed. They must be kept free of all but a very light frost.

Recipes

Creamy beetroot risotto

Honey roast beetroot

Beetroot shots with tarragon yogurt ice cubes

Balsamic beetroot with roquefort

Beetroot, horseradish and crème fraiche dip

Common problems

Beetroot are generally problem free.


This post has been submitted to the Spring 2011 competition of 'How to Find Great Plants' on Appalachian Feet

I hate cats!

Cat hater

Came back from a few days of glorious weather at Hunstanton… funny, baby robins aren’t in the nest. Thought they were still too young to fledge. But a bit of investigation told a tale of woe… appears a cat must have come along the top of the fence, pushed its way behind the protective berberis bush and from the vantage point of bird box roof has managed to scoop the babies out. Confirmed when I then saw one of the baby robins in the border. What a shame!

I’ve tied the berberis against the fence now so nothing can get behind it, and taken out the nesting material in the hope another pair of robins might start another brood… it has been known for them to have up to four in one season.

Cats avoid our garden like the plague. Much rushing out like a screaming banshee by yours truly ensures they give it a wide berth, and some of the troublesome ones have passed away to the great cat basket in the sky. But since getting back from holiday I’ve noticed a new cat in the close who I suspect is the culprit and will be getting the treatment until it stays well away.

Anyway, the holiday in Hunstanton was fantastic. Lots of walking, sunshine and long evenings.

The Hill Rise Allotment Association wildlife event went really well. Lots of visitors. The bird boxes were popular and there were so many cakes made only about 50% were eaten. Made £55 and three new members.

Still not made much progress on the fruit cage/polytunnel… to much planting to do. Really need to get moving since I want to plant the tomatoes, butternut squash and pumpkins under cover.

In praise of ‘Just a Minute’

Just a minute Oh boy, do I love my radio. I certainly spend more time listening to radio than TV and the purchase of a Pure Evoke-3 just over a year ago revolutionised things for me. Besides easily reviewing what’s on over the next week and timer recording all programmes that sound interesting to an SD card, I can save the best to my PC to listen again in the future.

The best by far is on BBC Radio 4. I’ve included links to a few of those I’ve most enjoyed below. My absolute favourite is a good episode of Just a Minute. Paul Merton is extremely funny, but you can’t beat Gyles Brandreth on a flight of fancy, double entrendres spilling out all over the place. So it should be no surprise my favourite comedian appears in both the Just a Minute clips below.

The game is extremely simple in concept and derives from when a daydreaming Ian Messiter was asked by a schoolteacher to repeat everything his teacher had said in the last minute without hesitation or repetition. To this Messiter added deviation to create the panel game that has been running for three decades under the chairmanship of Nicholas Parsons.

If you haven’t heard the programme before treat yourself by clicking on one of the links below and then selecting ‘Download’… there may be a few seconds of BBC intros or news on some clips.

'Just a Minute' with Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton and Graham Norton

‘Just a Minute’ with Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton and Pam Ayres

‘Anatomy of a Car Crash’… listen to this to ensure you drive more carefully in future!

‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ with Jack Dee

‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ with Rob Brydon


This week the focus has been on making bird boxes for our allotment association’s wildlife and coffee morning on Sunday. I’ve got a left arm like Popeye’s after cutting up wood for fifteen bird box kits. The idea is members will make them up themselves on the day. We’ve also got boxes for bigger birds made up and members will make bug bedsits. Add to that a treasure hunt for kids and the promise of a warm sunny day and it looks like being a lot of fun. I might round it off with a barbeque lunch on the plot for the family accompanied by home brew wine.

Bit of a disaster on the competitions front. Lost again to David at squash, so I’ve got to win the remaining four matches this month just to draw. Lost the pool/darts to David as well. Still the pitch and putt champion, see how I get on this afternoon against the sons.

Had a great walk across the fields to Woodhurst yesterday morning with Linda. The village is tiny and most people visit only to drive through on their way to somewhere else… and yet it’s one of the best examples in England of a Saxon ringed village. So the footpaths we followed across the fields have been used for centuries as villagers walked to St Ives for the markets. You can find the details of this walk along with others at Cambridgeshire Walks.

Off to Hunstanton next week for a few days on a caravan, weather looks really promising. So the next post is likely to be a bit late. Lots of images below.

 

A world without cars

Saw an interest couple of video clips on TV last week showing a village high street in the late 1940s, and that street today. The most noticeable difference was the lack of cars in the earlier clip, and the STIFLING effect of the cars in the later clip, with vehicles jostling for position down the centre of the route as well as those parked either side.

What would the world be like without cars? Well, a lot more people would have live to a ripe old age rather than die early. About 3,000 people die per year in the UK alone from road accidents, thankfully reduced from more than 10,000 per year in the 1960s. But as many as 50,000 early deaths per year may be caused by air pollution, much of this from inhalation of sooty particles mainly generated from burning diesel and other fuels. Don’t even think about the misery caused by  bronchitis and asthma and the cost of treatment.

But that’s nothing compared to the mass poisoning that ran from the 1920s to 1999 when the practice of adding lead to petrol to avoid engine vibration finally ended (even though by then modern engines no longer needed the additive). It was known from the 1960s that forty years of breathing petrol fumes with added lead had increased the lead content in the average human by 100 times. The UK Government had promised in 1982 to end the practice but took another seventeen years to implement the change. The fumes were especially toxic to children, causing brain damage.

Here in beautiful St Ives, local campaigners have been trying to get permission for restaurants and bars to put tables and chairs in Bridge Street (judging form the lack of cars the picture in this link must have been taken on a quiet Sunday), a lovely historical street flanked with old buildings and leading to the wonderful St Ives chapel bridge, to create a cafe atmosphere. No success so far, no doubt due to the need for cars to park down the street and spoil the whole effect.

Finally finished the Spring newsletter for our allotment association, click here to have a read. New format of a web site rather than a standard four page document seems to have worked well, with eleven readers liking it and one not bothered either way. Probably did save me a bit of effort first time around, but I’m hoping now the format is set up it’ll be really quick for the next issue.

Really making progress on the allotment, mainly driven by my wife Linda’s interest and encouragement. A couple of times a week she’ll suggest what to plant next and I make sure that happens before returning home. Provides some focus, rather than my natural inclination to amble around generally constructing the next big thing. So this week I’ve managed to get the strawberries bedded out, put in three rows of giant sunflower plants at the front of the plot, planted and covered loads of cabbage seedlings and yesterday got 25 broccoli plants out and covered.

Not made much progress on the new fruit cage/polytunnel, but have already decided on the next (and final!) construction project… a wildlife pond. Got a reasonably big space for it so I can have a boggy area, pebble beach and lots of reeds and waterside plants to attract dragonflies and frogs. Will be lovely to sit beside on a warm summer’s day and watch things happening. Won’t be ready until next year.

Although I’ve got much less grass to keep in check now that most of the raised beds have been lifted and the paths in between dug over, still getting fed up with spending the first 30 minutes of each visit strimming. So arranged for the local carpet fitter to drop off some carpeting and underlay. Managed to carpet in between about half Barry’s vines plus all of the path on the back plot. Also carpeted where the inside of the fruit cage / polytunnel will be… intending to leave the carpet in place for at least a year to kill off all the couch grass and just plant through the carpet.

Little happening in the robin’s nest. Mum still sitting on the eggs. Should hatch out this week.

Scrabbling my way back to wins in the pool/darts and pitch and putt competitions against sons David and John. Soooooo close at squash this month against David… if I can win on Sunday I’ll achieve my ultimate aim of holding all the family cups at once.

 

Sammy and Izzy on holiday at Sheringham

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David’s dog Jazz singing the backing vocals to ‘How much is that doggie in the window’.

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Video footage below of the Normal battles held as part of St Ives 900 year celebrations.

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