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This is a thread aimed at gardeners, as well as people who like fresh veggies. Many people who dislike beets (the roots, known in the UK as beetroot) hate them more because of the intense purple color than because of any flavor problem. Or, as likely, they are taught to hate beets by being forced as children to eat canned diced beets, which are an abomination to God. Fresh beets are just plain excellent, and easy to use, and if you detest the color, and the juice, which will color any other food cooked with them, you need to try golden beets, of which there are several varieties (one simply called Golden Beet, another Yellow Detroit). These are a rich yellow color and do not bleed that color all over everything else. They are excellent in stews and soups, as well as by themselves.
As a particular treat for gardeners, see if you can get seeds for Mangel beets. This is an ancient heirloom variety, with yellow skin, but snow-white on the inside. And they will grow to fairly large sizes without getting woody. I had superb results growing these last year, but have been unable to get seeds this year, dammit.
Aside from the roots, beet greens are just plain excellent in salads, or cooked as any other green. They retain firmness, as opposed to things like spinach, which turn into slime if you cook them very long. And are wonderfully nutritious. Swiss chard is nothing more than a variety of beet grown for greens and stems instead of roots. The native plant, which grows in northwestern Europe, is a seaside plant, and I've read it responds well in soil treated with a little pinch of salt, though I haven't tried that. It's also a cool-weather vegetable, so if you live somewhere near the planet Mercury, say in south Texas, etc., it might not do well for you. But in the northeast or northwest, it should be a must for any veg garden.
caw
As a particular treat for gardeners, see if you can get seeds for Mangel beets. This is an ancient heirloom variety, with yellow skin, but snow-white on the inside. And they will grow to fairly large sizes without getting woody. I had superb results growing these last year, but have been unable to get seeds this year, dammit.
Aside from the roots, beet greens are just plain excellent in salads, or cooked as any other green. They retain firmness, as opposed to things like spinach, which turn into slime if you cook them very long. And are wonderfully nutritious. Swiss chard is nothing more than a variety of beet grown for greens and stems instead of roots. The native plant, which grows in northwestern Europe, is a seaside plant, and I've read it responds well in soil treated with a little pinch of salt, though I haven't tried that. It's also a cool-weather vegetable, so if you live somewhere near the planet Mercury, say in south Texas, etc., it might not do well for you. But in the northeast or northwest, it should be a must for any veg garden.
caw
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