tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55988418452587940412024-03-25T14:05:57.448+00:00Stephen Nottingham's Food BlogThe food scene in Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan (Wales), with an emphasis on Local Food. I also tweet @sfnottinghamStephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-56655994017231502952018-05-02T15:18:00.002+01:002018-05-02T15:18:43.882+01:00Community Garden in National Garden Scheme 2018<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span>Nightingale Community Garden in Dinas Powys is opening as
part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) for the third year in a row, over the weekend of Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July 2018. It will join four other Dinas Powys gardens this year, all accessible on a walking tour of the
village. </span></div>
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</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>For further details of gardens open in Dinas Powys visit the
NGS website:</span></div>
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<span></span><a href="https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/30309/">https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/30309/</a></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Nightingale Community Garden will be open from 11am to 5pm
on the two days. There is a combined admission price for the six gardens of
£5.00, with children free. The Community Garden will have volunteers and
plot-holders around all weekend to answer questions. The garden openings raise money
for the local charity, Dinas Powys Voluntary Concern.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>From the 2018 NGS guide:</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: ngs_regular,Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"6 years ago the gardens were created on an old derelict playground with funding from Tidy Town Wales. 27 Gardens were created including 2 raised beds for the physically handicapped. Many local residents, young and old, grow a variety of vegetables, fruit and flowers. In season excess is donated weekly to the local Food Bank. We share 3 Greenhouses, 2 sheds and a communal area for activities. "</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: ngs_regular,Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 28px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span> </span></span><span>“Nightingale
Community Garden, Sir Ivor Place, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QZ</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>How to find us: Along pathway between Sir Ivor Place &
Nightingale Place. At T-lights on Cardiff Rd, turn R by school if driving from
Barry, or L if driving from Cardiff/Penarth. Continue, then take 2nd R at Camm's
Corner. You may park here.”</span></div>
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</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 14.46px; line-height: 21.69px; position: static; width: auto;"><span>Timeline for
Nightingale Community Garden, Dinas Powys, on this blog:</span></b></div>
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</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>Jan 2012</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>The initial idea and looking for funding</span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Feb 2012</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>The involvement of Creative Rural Communities and the first
plan for the site</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Aug 2012</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>Oct 2012</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html</a></span></div>
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<span>Funding in place and residents are briefed on progress</span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>Jan 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html</a></span></div>
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<span>Work starts clearing the ground</span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>Feb 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/creating-community-garden-6.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/creating-community-garden-6.html</a></span></div>
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<span>Building contractors on site.</span></div>
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<span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>March 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/creating-community-garden-7.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/creating-community-garden-7.html</a></span></div>
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<span>Topsoil is spread and the first garden visit occurs </span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>April 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-community-garden-8.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-community-garden-8.html</a></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span>The plots are marked out and allocated, the first plants go
in</span></div>
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<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; position: static; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; width: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Utopia,"Palatino Linotype",Palatino,serif; font-size: 14.46px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.69px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span></div>
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<span>June 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/creating-community-garden-9.html">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/creating-community-garden-9.html</a></span><span></span></div>
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<span>Photos of the garden flourishing in its first year</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Sept 2013</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/creating-community-garden-10.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/creating-community-garden-10.html</a></span></div>
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<span>The official opening of the community garden, with guests
including Jane Hutt AM and Derek Brockway</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>May 2014</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/creating-community-garden-11.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/creating-community-garden-11.html</a></span></div>
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<span>Progress report a year after opening – a highly productive
local food growing area</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>July 2014</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/nightingale-community-garden-links-up.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/nightingale-community-garden-links-up.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>The Community Garden links up with the local food bank </span></div>
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<span>July 2015</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/the-two-year-old-community-garden-and.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/the-two-year-old-community-garden-and.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>One of the Community Garden’s youngest gardeners, Dan Tailby
(age 6) who grew his first plants in the communal family plot in the garden, is
a finalist in the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Young Gardener of the
Year Awards</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Feb 2016</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/nightingale-community-garden-joins.html" style="color: #cc3300; text-decoration: none;">http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/nightingale-community-garden-joins.html</a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span>Nightingale Community Garden joins the National Gardens
Scheme for first time</span></div>
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Photo from NGS open day in Nightingale Community Garden in 2016</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-22383597258718315532018-02-21T17:55:00.001+00:002018-02-21T17:55:21.961+00:00Beetroot: Contents
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Contents</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">1. Introduction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">2. History</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">3. Classification and Botany</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">4. Cultivation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">5. Colour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">6. Health and Nutrition</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">7. Cuisine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">8. A Dictionary of Cultivated Varieties</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright Stephen Nottingham, 2004</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">"Stephen Nottingham's meticulously researched online book, <i>Beetroot</i>"
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<i>The Times</i> (London), 15th August 2005 </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><b>Please note: The information contained in this book is not intended to be used as a
basis for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is recommended that a doctor is
consulted if in doubt about treatment for medical conditions. </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT75gSvXMA-a611-i8A1D2jRQEvDPgrUptInSZAfxxn4z2PDH5YZ2QUmEd4gI5ZuidW4q6TlfT41vou10Gcd0lOzBHDGEjBL3Ks9Z2kgj3QzDy2_ShMUPo0qcut48sfgbydYNpdmKgr4E/s1600/bulls1+growing+plant+cover+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT75gSvXMA-a611-i8A1D2jRQEvDPgrUptInSZAfxxn4z2PDH5YZ2QUmEd4gI5ZuidW4q6TlfT41vou10Gcd0lOzBHDGEjBL3Ks9Z2kgj3QzDy2_ShMUPo0qcut48sfgbydYNpdmKgr4E/s400/bulls1+growing+plant+cover+shot.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">August 2004 SFN. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><img alt="1" border="0" height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/STEPHE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_6" width="1" /></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-31808983220753796932018-02-21T17:52:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:52:07.151+00:00Beetroot: 1. Introduction
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright: Stephen Nottingham 2004</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">1. Introduction</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This
book is about an extraordinarily useful plant called <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. In
particular, it concerns one of this plant's cultivated forms: beetroot (beet,
table or garden beet). The other cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> are
leaf beets (spinach beet and Swiss chard), fodder beet, and sugar beet. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wild
sea beet is the ancestor of all cultivated beets. It grows in coastal areas
in Europe, North Africa and Asia. The leaves of sea beet have probably been
consumed since prehistoric times in Europe. <i>Beta vulgaris</i> was first
domesticated for its leaves and leaf stems (petioles). Cultivated leaf beets
were eaten throughout ancient times. The Greeks described colourful chards, a
special type of leaf beet with elongated, broad and fleshy leaf midribs and
petioles. In Roman times, chard was called beta. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
Romans were the first to take an interest in the root of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>,
which they utilized for their medicinal properties. It was not until the
sixteenth century that beetroot became known as a root vegetable. A wide
range of beetroot cultivars were bred from that time onwards. The cultivation
of beet for sugar production started at the beginning of the nineteenth
century. Today, around half the world’s sugar is obtained from sugar beet.
Chapter Two is about beets in time, tracing the history of cultivated <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> from ancient times to the present day. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
classification of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is the subject of Chapter Three.
Within the taxonomic system of binomial nomenclature, established by
Linnaeus, cultivated beets are currently considered to be within the
subspecies <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i>, while ancestral sea
beet is considered as <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i>. The
different cultivated forms of beet are considered as distinct varieties. A
complementary horticultural scheme, however, is usually applied for
within-species (infraspecific) classification of beets. This scheme uses the
concepts of cultivar and cultivar group. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
botany of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is also considered in Chapter Three. Beetroot
is a biennial plant grown as an annual for its storage root. Disparities
between commonly used and botanical terms are clarified. Beetroot seed, for
instance, is technically a fruit containing several true seeds. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
cultivation of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is described in Chapter Four, with an
emphasis on beetroot in gardens and allotments. From sowing seed to harvest
and storage, each stage of cultivation is considered. Problems due to bolting
(going to seed) and from pests and diseases are described, while ideal
growing conditions are discussed. The chapter concludes with a look at
biotechnology, considering genetically-modified sugar beet and how beet
cultivation may be further modified in the future. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
characteristic colour of beetroot is investigated in Chapter Five. The
pigments in beetroot, the betalains, are restricted in distribution. Therefore,
beetroot has a distinct value as a dye source and for the health benefits
arising from compounds related to these pigments. Beetroot red or betanin is
extracted from beet roots on an industrial scale for use in food products
(E162 in Europe), while beetroot colouring has been used as a dye since the
sixteenth century. Betalains are usually taken up efficiently and processed
in the human body. However, some people excrete red-coloured urine after
eating beetroot, due to an inability to breakdown betanin - a condition
called beeturia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
composition of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, with respect to its health and
nutritional value, forms the basis of Chapter Six. <i>Beta vulgaris</i> has
been considered a medicinal plant since ancient times, while the
seventeenth-century herbalists ascribed many beneficial effects to its leaves
and roots. Scientific research is confirming some of the benefits derived
from beetroot, although other claims for it have to be regarded as 'old wives
tales'. Beetroot juice has been advocated as a stimulant for the immune
system and as a cancer preventative. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chapter
Six concludes on a lighter note with a section on beetroot and sex. Although
long associated with rude good health, from its depiction in Pompeii’s
brothels to Montgomery exhorting his troops to “find favours in the beetroot fields", do beetroot’s aphrodisiac properties
really stand up? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
myriad uses of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> in the kitchen are related in Chapter
Seven. Descriptions of dishes are given in an historical and cultural
context. The first section looks at cooking with beet leaves and chard.
Spinach beet (perpetual spinach) can be cooked like spinach, for instance, while
Swiss chard is good steamed and covered in sauce. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot
has been a staple winter root vegetable in Central and Eastern Europe for
centuries. Many of the classic beetroot dishes originated in this region,
including the most famous beetroot soup called borsch. Ukrainian borsch is
described in this chapter, along with the side dishes that traditionally
accompany it. The production of smaller globe-shaped beetroot varieties in
North America and Western Europe led to beetroot’s increasing importance as a
summer salad crop. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
different ways that beetroot are used in salads, as a hot vegetable to
accompany meat and fish, and in pies, risottos and gratins are described
here, in addition to methods for their preservation such as pickling.
Beetroot juice is common in health drinks and it makes a good wine. Beetroot
has enjoyed a revival in recent years in Europe and items on fashionable
restaurant menus are noted throughout this chapter. A new generation of chefs
has revived and updated traditional recipes, and in the process found new
ways of using beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot
is one of the most commonly grown crops in gardens and allotments, and there
are numerous cultivars to choose from. Chapter Eight takes the form of a
dictionary of cultivated varieties. It lists all the cultivars encountered in
popular seed catalogues, and a range of heritage varieties obtainable from
specialist suppliers. For each cultivar, information on history, size and
shape, colour, resistance to bolting and disease, eating properties, and
other characteristics are given. Additional information will continually be
added, including photos and tasting notes based on my experience of growing
and cooking a wide range of beetroot cultivars from my allotment in
Stevenage, England. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright Stephen Nottingham, 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">sf.nottingham@btinternet.com </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br />
<span style="background: white; margin: 0px;">August 2004 SFN. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><img alt="1" height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/STEPHE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_8" width="1" /></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-1291637063418890272018-02-21T17:48:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:48:40.497+00:00Beetroot: 2. History
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright: Stephen Nottingham 2004</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">2. History</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wild
sea beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> subspecies <i>maritima</i>) has thrived around
the coastlines of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia,
since prehistoric times. The leaves of sea beet have probably been collected
and used as a potherb since humans first started experimenting with edible
green plants. Sea beet was first domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean
and the Middle East. It is the ancestor of all the cultivated forms of beet (<i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subspecies <i>vulgaris</i>). This chapter traces the history of
beets from ancient times to the present day. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ancient"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Ancient World</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> was
initially valued for its leaves and for the fleshy elongated leaf midribs
that characterize chard. Leaf beets, including chard, have been popular food
plants in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East since the start of
recorded history. Beet (silga) was mentioned in an Assyrian text as growing
in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world,
in around 800 BC. It was also referred to variously as selg, silq, silig,
seig or salk in Middle Eastern areas from ancient times. The ancient Greeks
and the Romans cultivated leaf beets for use as a potherb. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Greeks presented beet as
one of their offerings to the sun god Apollo in the temple at Delphi. The
earliest Greek name for beet was teutlon or teutlion, probably because its
foliage was thought to resemble squid tentacles. The plant is mentioned in two
comedies (<i>The Acharneans</i> and <i>Peace</i>) by Aristophanes (around
444-385 BC), which were performed in Athens in about 420 BC. Aristotle
(384-322 BC), the first philosopher to attempt to classify the natural world,
described a red-coloured beet. His pupils Theophrastus (370-288 BC) and
Eudemus (350-290 BC) also left accounts of beet. Theophrastus described a
white or light-green kind called Sicula (after Sicily where it was first
grown) and a black or dark-green kind. Sicula or cicla has been used as a
taxonomic term for leaf beets (as opposed to beet roots) up to the present
day. Theophrastus described beet as being a garden plant with many uses. The
Greek physician Dioscorides also records two types of beet in the first
century AD. Eudemus was not so farsighted in identifying future leaf and root
beets, however, and he distinguishes four kinds: white, sessile, common, and
dark or swarthy. Roman and Arab writers noted a variety of different colours
in leaf beets, including pink and yellow coloured forms. The old varieties of
chard available today are identifiable in the descriptions of colourful
leaves and stems handed down in ancient texts. The Greeks ate the leaves of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> and utilized them, and occasionally the roots, medicinally. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Romans consumed leaf beets
in the same way as the Greeks, but they called the plant beta. Many Roman
writers mention betas, including Apicius, Cato, Cicero, Columella,
Dioscorides, Galen, Palladius and Pliny the Elder. The two main types of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> known to the Romans were white and black, which correspond with
the two types described by Theophrastus. However, Roman descriptions of beet
put more emphasis on the roots than did Greek texts. The Romans were the
first people to become interested in the root of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> both as
a medicine and as a food. Roman black beet represents beetroot in an early
stage of development. Different types of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> would have
hybridized freely in Roman gardens, with the seed from plants producing
swollen roots being preferentially selected for future planting. The Romans
were therefore the first people to cultivate beetroot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Romans were primarily
interested in the roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> as a medicine. By the third
century AD, the first recipes for preparing the roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
appear. The roots of both white beet and black beet were used medicinally.
Roman recipes for beetroot were mainly for curative broth, to treat fevers
and other ailments, but some were aimed at the epicureans of the day. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Recipes for both medicinal
broth and adventurous culinary dishes have been handed down in Apicius' <i>The
Art of Cooking</i>. The Roman gourmet Marcus Gavius Apicius lived in Tiberius
in the first century AD. However, the book that bears his name dates from the
late forth or early fifth centuries AD, because it was compiled by another
author, who confusingly also wrote under the name Apicius. He combined two
original texts by Apicius, on general recipes and on sauces, with a book on
agriculture and domestic science by Apuleius (second century AD) and material
from other sources. Apicius’s cookbook was edited and translated in 1958 by
Flowers and Rosenbaum, under the title <i>The Roman Cookery Book</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the third part of <i>The Art
of Cooking</i>, which is thought to have derived from Apuleius, there are
five different recipes for broth to be used as a laxative. Three of these
include beetroot. In one of these broth recipes, cleaned black beet roots
(negro betacios) are either cooked in mulsum (a honey and wine mixture) with
a little salt and oil, or boiled in water and oil with salt. The broth is
drunk, presumably warm. It is noted that the broth is even better if a
chicken has been cooked in the water first (i.e. chicken stock). Marcus
Terentius Varro (116-27 BC) is acknowledged as the source for this
description of beetroot broth, which occurs in later Roman versions of
Apicius. Varro was a noted scholar, the first librarian of the public library
in Rome, and was said to have written more than six hundred books on a wide
range of subjects, including an important work on agriculture. The laxative
recipes in Apicius are discussed further in Chapter Six. Varro's broth made
with stock is a precursor of beetroot soups such as borsch. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The first boiled beetroots were
probably the leftovers from the making of broth, but were then regarded as
food in their own right. In a recipe for boiled beets (Betas elixans), they
are said to be good to eat served with a dressing of mustard, a little oil,
and vinegar. This appears to be an early beetroot salad, comparable to the
modern beetroot salads described in Chapter Seven. While Flowers and
Rosenbaum, Giacosa, and other writers translate Betas in this recipe as
beetroot, however, others suggest that Apicius meant only beet leaves.
Unfortunately, the text is unclear in this regard, although I favour the
beetroot interpretation. Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), in his <i>Natural
History</i>, also suggested mustard dressing on beet, although again it may
be to beet leaves rather than beetroot that he is referring. The
oil/vinegar/mustard dressing, already used on beet leaves, may have been the
first dressing used on beetroot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Apicius included beets in
recipes for soup, stew and stuffed sucking pig. In his barley soup, the
leaves of beets (betae) and other finely chopped greens are added to a soup
pot with legumes. Barley is used to thicken this soup, which is a forerunner
of minestrone. In turnover stew, small white beets (albas betas) are boiled
with leeks and various meats. Sucking pig stuffed with herbs is a recipe that
derives from Apicius the gourmet. The stuffing includes meat from chickens
and thrushes, snails, various sausages, stoned dates, flower bulbs, a wide
range of herbs including beets (betae), peppers, pine kernels, fifteen eggs
and liquamen sauce. The pig is sown up and smeared with wine, honey, oil,
herbs and spices, before being roasted in a large oven. In this recipe, both
the leaves and roots of beta may have been used. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It should be emphasised that
the roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> were not commonly eaten as food in Roman
times, while leaf beets were frequently part of a meal. However, the leaves
of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> had a reputation for being somewhat insipid. Martial
(Marcus Valerius Martialis, approximately AD 40-104), the writer of short
poems, reflected this in a description of the crops growing on an estate
outside Rome in one of his epigrams: <br />
You could have seen there cabbages with noble heads <br />
And leeks of either kind and lettuces like stools <br />
And Beets that have some uses for a slow stomach. <br />
Martial recommended a dressing of pepper and wine for beets. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Although <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
appears to have been widely prescribed for its medicinal value, not everyone
in the Roman world was convinced of its benefits. Pliny the Elder noted that
although beets were easily digested, there were doctors who claimed them more
harmful than cabbage. The influential physician Claudius Galen (AD 131-201)
and Oribasius, the court physician to Julian the Apostate (Flavius Claudius
Julianus, AD 332-363) were notable sceptics. Their view was that beetroot
needed boiling twice, unless you wished to suffer from flatulence and stomach
aches, that it was no more nutritious than any other plant of its kind, and
that it was ineffective as a laxative. However, beetroot is still valued for
some of the benefits extolled by the ancients, as we shall see in a later
chapter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Anthenaeus, writing in the
third century AD, quotes Diphilus of Siphnos to the effect that the beet root
was good in taste and a better food than the cabbage. Anthimus writing in the
sixth century, within the same culinary tradition as Apicius, describes
beetroot as being suitable for both summer and winter use. This presumably
refers to both the leaves and roots in the summer, with the roots providing winter
sustenance. The Romans probably took white and black beets to various parts
of their empire, starting the spread of cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> into
northern Europe and beyond. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet appears in the gardens of
Charlemagne (724-814), the ruler of an empire that included Gaul, Italy and
large parts of Spain and Germany. In a 'Regulation concerning landed
property' (Capitulare de villis), issued by Charlemagne around 812, Beta is
registered as a plant to be specifically cultivated in the grounds of the Imperial
estates. <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is well adapted to the cooler climate of
Northern Europe; cultivated forms generally grow best under cooler
conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">From Eastern Europe and the
Middle East, cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> was carried on trade routes to
East Asia. Beets were consumed in Asia Minor in ancient times and in India by
classical times, and were known in China by AD 850. Sturtevant notes that
leaf beet (chard) is recorded in Chinese writing from the seventh, eighth,
fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. In Asia, as in Europe, Beta vulgaris
was originally cultivated for its leaves. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="middle"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Middle Ages</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Leaf beet was a popular potherb from Roman times
to the sixteenth century, although beetroot was much less frequently consumed
as a foodstuff during this time. <i>Beta vulgaris</i> was grown for its roots
throughout the Middle Ages, when it was usually referred to as Roman beet,
particularly in monastery gardens in France, Spain and Italy. Medieval
herbalists and gastronomes consumed beetroot and advocated its benefits. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) wrote down
details for preparing beetroot. Hildegard is nowadays mainly revered for her
sublime sacred music, but she was also an abbess, a healer with a good
understanding of herbs, a writer, and something of a visionary. In her book <i>Naturkunde</i>,
translated into modern German by Peter Riethe, she describes a white beet
that needs to be peeled (therefore, a root). This is said to be more
beneficial cooked than raw. Many of Hildegard's ideas were radical in her
time, so her descriptions of beet root do not imply that it was widely
consumed in the twelfth century. She also specified the roots of white beet,
which has often been used medicinally but has rarely been eaten as food.
Another key herbalist of the period, Albertus Magnus (c. 1200-1280) mentions
a chard-like leaf beet, but not the roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, in his
observations on plants in the thirteenth century. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In contrast to beetroot, leaf beets gained in
popularity during the Middle Ages. From the old Roman Empire, they flourished
in cultivation throughout the Arab world. The Portuguese adopted the Arabic
for beet (selg) as acelga or selga. Leaf beet was known as acelga by the
thirteenth century throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Leaf beet, especially
chard, is known today as acelga in Portuguese and Spanish. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet roots were long, thin and roughly
turnip-shaped in the Middle Ages, rather than the swollen and succulent roots
we know today. There is little written proof for the existence of fleshy
roots in <i>Beta vulgaris</i> before the sixteenth century. After the Roman
era, in fact, there is little mention of beetroot in manuscripts until the
fourteenth century. Then the word Bete occurs in an English recipe of 1390.
Barbarus (d. 1493) mentions a single, long, straight, fleshy, sweet root of
beet that was good to eat. This description was reiterated by Ruellius
writing in France in 1536 and Fuchsius in 1542. In his plant guide of 1919,
Sturtevant notes how Fuchsius amends the description of Barbarus to include
several branches and small fibres on the roots. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The fifteenth century Italian physician and
gourmand Platina (Bartolomeo Sacchi), who has been described as the Dr.
Atkins of his day, wrote his influential volume <i>De Honesta Voluptate et
Valitudine Vulgare</i> (On Right Pleasure and Good Health) in 1460. This has
been credited as the first modern cookbook, which sets out the basis for modern
Italian cuisine and the ‘Mediterranean diet’. Platina included recipes for
white chard, and a recipe for green sauce that includes leaf beet, parsley
and wheat to thicken. He describes how beetroot, roasted in a coal fire,
helps to sweeten the breath when it is eaten with garlic. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="16"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sixteenth Century</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">By the end of the fifteenth century, different
cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> would have been found throughout
Europe. In contrast to the Romans, who primarily took the root medicinally,
from the sixteenth century onwards people consumed beetroot mainly as a
vegetable. New beetroot varieties were developed that were suited to the
table. From the 1530s onwards, detailed descriptions of beet roots start to
appear. Caesalpinus distinguishes four types of beet in his book <i>De
Plantis</i> of 1538, one of which had red roots. Matthiolus describes a new
beet (<i>Beta rubra</i>) in Germany in 1558, which had red turnip-like roots
that were good to eat. This beet was said to be quite distinct from the white
and black beets commonly grown in Italian gardens of the time. These were
among the first descriptions that specifically commented on the redness of
the root. Pena and Lobel in 1570 also describe the new red beet, as related
by Sturtevant, but they also note its rarity. Lobel illustrated the new beet
in 1576 and emphasized its improved form, with the root being swollen at the
shoulder. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Italians developed different types of
beetroot during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A number of these
early beetroot types were introduced into northern Europe from Italy by the
sixteenth century. Camerarius describes a shorter and thicker form from Italy
in 1586, for example, which might represent a prototype for cylindrical or
half-long shaped roots. Daleschamp also records this type in 1587, in his <i>Historia
Generalis Plantarum</i>. In addition, Daleschamp describes an important new
improved long-rooted type known as Roman Beet (<i>Beta romana</i>). It is
generally recognized as the prototype of modern beetroot, giving rise to both
long turnip-rooted and stout globular-rooted varieties. Roman Beet was the
first improved beetroot variety with a distinctly swollen root, for which there
is good documentation. The name Roman Beet suggests that it originated in
Italy. Its first recorded appearance, however, was in Germany in about 1558,
followed by a description in England in 1576. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">New beetroot types were enthusiastically
cultivated in Germany, where gardeners played a key role in developing it
from the late Middle Ages onwards and promoting it as a food. From Germany,
beetroot's popularity as a root vegetable spread eastwards to Poland,
Lithuania, Russia and the Ukraine, and northwards to Scandinavia. Beetroot
started to become an important vegetable in Central and Eastern Europe by the
end of the Middle Ages. It continues to be a staple today in this region,
especially in rural areas. Its first use in Ukrainian and Slavic cookery is noted
in cookery books dating from between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Borscht, the classic beetroot soup from Poland, Russia and the Ukraine,
originates from this time, as do other beetroot dishes such as Scandinavian
herring and beetroot salad. Large long-rooted beetroots would have been
harvested in the autumn for consumption during the winter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In France, Ruellius described a new type of
beetroot or betterave in 1536. This may be Roman Beet, which was known in
French gardens by 1631, according to Sturtevant, growing under the name <i>Beta
rubra pastinaca</i>. The French agronomist Olivier de Serres describes a type
of beetroot in his <i>Théâtre d'Agriculture</i> of 1629 as, 'a kind of
parsnip which has arrived recently from Italy'. He records that it has a very
red and rather fat root, with thick leaves, and all of it is good to eat. He
especially recommends the root as a choice food and notes that the juice it
yields is like a sugar syrup, which is very beautiful on account of its
vermilion colour. The cultivation of beetroot was described in the popular
gardening book <i>Le Jardinier Solitaire</i> in 1612. Beet roots have been
fed to cattle in France from the early 1600s onwards. Rouge Crapaudine or
Crapaudine, one of the oldest known table beet varieties, was first
cultivated in France. Its long roots have a distinctive black or dark purple,
pock-marked and rough skin. La Varenne, who is credited with inventing the
system used in modern French cookery, described the preparation of beetroot
in his book <i>La Cuisine Français</i> in 1651. In his recipe, pre-cooked
beets are peeled, cut into rounds, and fried in butter with a chopped onion
and a dash of vinegar. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="17"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Seventeenth Century: The Herbalists</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Roman Beet reached England in the late sixteenth
century. John Gerard in his <i>Herball or The Historie of Plants</i>, first
published in England in 1597, notes the distinction between white beet (<i>Beta
alba</i>) and red beet (<i>Beta rubra</i>) and provides an early description
of Roman Beet. All cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> were called beet
in Gerard's day. Up until the Elizabethan era in England, white beet was the
only type of cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> commonly grown. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">John Gerard (1545-1612) was the superintendent of
Lord Burleigh's garden in central London, amongst other things. His views on
plants were highly respected and Queen Elizabeth I was said to have had a
high opinion of him. It was also said that Shakespeare, who lived around the
corner from Lord Burleigh’s garden for a number of years, might have been
inspired by the plants in it when writing his early plays. <i>Gerard’s
Herball</i> was updated in 1633 by Thomas Johnson. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the <i>Herball</i>, Gerard describes the
common white beet as having great broad leaves and large, thick and hard
roots. It is clear from his description that the white roots of this plant
were not consumed as food. Gerard described the cooking of leaves of white
beet, 'a cold and moist pot-herbe', which 'quickly descendeth' or wilts when
boiled. He concludes that it 'nouristheth little or nothing'. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gerard explains how a merchant, Nicholas Lete of
London, gave him a novel type of red beet from a place beyond the seas,
although that place is not named. He grew it in his garden in 1596. Gerard
describes this red beet, 'which hath leaves very great, and red of colour, as
is all the rest of the plant, as well as root, as stalke, and floures full of
a perfect purple juyce tending to redness: the middle rib of which leaves are
for the most part very broad and thicke, like the middle part of the cabbage
leafe, which is equall in goodness with the leaves of the cabbage being
boyled'. He suggests that the greens of this red beet 'may be used in winter
for a sallad herbe, with vinegre, oyle and salt, and is not only pleasant to
the taste, but also delightful to the eye'. Gerard then refers to the greater
red Beet or Roman Beet, which he regards as distinct from the novel red beet
just described. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">On Roman Beet, Gerard writes that, 'boyled and
eaten with oyle, vinegre and pepper, is a most excellent and delicat sallad:
but what might be made of the red and beautifull root (which is preferred
before the leaves, as well as beautie as in goodness) I refer unto the
curious and cunning cooke, who no doubt when hee had the view thereof, and is
assured that it is both good and wholesome, will make thereof many and divers
dishes, both faire and good'. Gerard therefore recognized the potential of
beetroot as a vegetable. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">One detail of Gerard's description of his novel
red beet or chard (which he saw as distinct from Roman beet) has sown much
confusion. He describes the plant that he grew from material the merchant
gave him and records that it grew to eight cubits in height. Some
commentators have taken this to be the height of the green tops, which is a
very improbable height. However, it refers to the height of the long flower
spike put out at the end of beetroot’s second year of growth, on which the
seeds form. This is undoubtedly a very long flower spike. A cubit is around
45 cm and so Gerard’s flower spike is 360 cm or 12 feet in height. <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> flower spikes can easily reach 120 cm or 4 feet in height.
However, 360 cm or 12 feet is an exceptionally tall flower spike. Some
writers have wondered if the spike was measured correctly or whether Gerard
was exaggerating. Even in its day, Gerard's <i>Herball</i> was known to be
error-ridden, and we should take his description with a pinch of salt. It is
probable, however, that his novel red beet bolted and set seed prematurely.
Its roots are depicted as being long and thin in an illustration in the <i>Herball</i>.
Gerard gave some of the seeds of the novel beet to his friend John Norden and
kept some himself. They both found that, although the original plant was only
red, the seeds produced plants of 'many and varied colours'. This variation
is till typical of unimproved coloured chard today. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">John Parkinson (1567-1650), who knew Gerard,
sheds more light on varieties of beet in <i>A Garden of Pleasant Flowers:
Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris</i> (1629), probably the most famous
English gardening tome of the seventeenth century. Incidentally, the title
contains a pun of the author’s name (Park in Sun). Parkinson was apothecary
to King James I and later the first royal botanist to Charles I. He notes a
number of varieties of beet in England by 1629: 'some white, some green, some
yellow and some red. The leaves of some are of use only, and the root not
used, others the root is only used and not the leaves'. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The common white beet was the most common type
known in England up until this time. It is the same white beet known to the
Greeks and Romans, which was originally found in Sicily. Only the leaves are
eaten as food. Parkinson describes it as having many great leaves next to the
ground, of a whitish-green colour. The flower stalk of this chard is great,
strong, ribbed and crested, bearing leaves and flowers. The flowers are small
pale green and give prickly seeds. Parkinson describes the root as being,
'great, long and hard', and being of no use at all. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Parkinson describes a green beet, in addition to white
and red beet. This is said to be like white beet, but with a darker green
colour. John Tradescant found it on the salt marshes near Rochester. There is
a possibility that this could be a form of wild sea beet, which is known to
grow in maritime marshes in parts of England. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Parkinson differentiates between the common or
small red Beet and the larger Roman red Beet. He suggests that the small red
beet is a direct descendent of the black beet known to the Romans. The small
red beet is used for its leaves and not its roots. Parkinson describes that
it, 'differeth not from the white Beete, but only that it is not so great,
and both the leaves and roots are somewhat red'. The leaves of some plants
are redder than others. Some plants only have red leaf veins, while others
have dark red leaves. Parkinson concludes his description of common red Beete
by noting, 'The roote hereof is red, spongy, and not used to bee eaten'. The
common red beet is therefore a chard that differs from the white variety
mainly in colour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Roman Beet is used for both its leaves and
roots. Parkinson's account makes it clear that it is the first beetroot to be
utilized in England. Romane red Beete is, ?the most excellent Beete of all
others: his rootes bee as great as the greatest carrot, exceeding red both
within and without, very sweet and good, fit to be eaten'. Parkinson
describes how this beet grows higher than common red Beet, while the leaves
have a better taste. The roots of Roman Beet are said to sometimes be short
like a turnip and sometimes long like a carrot. The seed is said to be like
that of small red Beet. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Another variety of beet decribed by Parkinson is
Italian Beete, but this classification seems to have been erected mainly to
encompass the, 'great red Beete that master Lete a merchant of London gave Master
Gerard'. He repeats Gerard’s description of the great leaves and makes no
mention of the roots. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Parkinson describes how the leaves of all the
types of beet described can be put into the pot among other herbs to make
pottage. They can also be boiled whole and served with meats, which he notes
is popular in France and England. He notes the roots of the common red Beet
are used by some adventurous cooks, but are not usually eaten. However, the
roots of Roman Beet appear to be a new fashion in 1629, 'the Romane red Beete
is of much use among cookes and is grown of late dayes into a great cuftome'.
Cooks used them to garnish dishes of meat and fish and may have used it to
colour dishes also. He describes how, 'rootes of the Romane red Beete being
boyled, are eaten while hot with a little oyle and vinegar'. It is accounted
a delicate salad for the winter, which can also be eaten cold. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In his celebrated Herbal, Nicolas Culpeper
(1616-1654) adds little to the descriptions of beet made by Gerard and
Parkinson, but he does compiles an extensive list of medicinal uses of chard
and beetroot. In <i>The English Physician, or Herball</i> (1653), Culpeper
notes that White Beet and Red Beet are the two best known sorts of beet. For
White and Red Beet, Culpeper repeats the descriptions found in Parkinson. He
does not mention Roman red Beet, but as a doctor he was interested in readily
available herbal remedies rather than food plants. The medical uses of beet
described by Culpeper are considered in Chapter Six. Incidentally, medical
herbals from Germany from this time had started linking plants and astrology.
Culpeper followed this practice, becoming a trained astrologer. In his <i>Herball</i>,
white beets are considered to be under the influence of Saturn, while red
beets are under Jupiter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">While Roman red Beet appears to have been newly
fashionable when Parkinson wrote his famous book, by the time Robert May
wrote <i>The Accomplisht Cook</i> in 1660 it appears to have become an
established vegetable in England. John Evelyn in his book <i>Acetaria</i> of
1699 writes that cold slices of boiled beetroot make a 'grateful winter
sallet' eaten with oil and vinegar. He adds that the French and Italians had
contrived beetroot into curious figures to adorn their salads. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="18"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Jane Grigson notes that around 1760 the word
vegetable starts to be used in its modern sense, as a herb or root grown for
food. Vegetables at this time were no longer mainly seen as medicinal herbs
or the preserve of herbalists, but as pleasurable food in their own right.
However, the idea that vegetables are good for us has persisted to the
present day, with sound reason. Beetroot became one of the plants listed for
vegetable growers in what evolved into the seed catalogue. Lovell had listed
Red Roman Beet in 1665, although in 1726 it was still the only type of
beetroot listed in England by Townsend the seedsman. However, Sturtevant
notes that Mawe and Bryant both listed a second type, Long Red, in 1778 and
1783, respectively. This variety is also referred to as called common Long
Red and was described by Vilmorin in 1885 as Long Blood Red. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Back in Italy, gardeners were cultivating
distinct varieties of beetroot. Bassano was found in all Italian markets by
1841. Vilmorin described it in 1885. It has a prototypical cylindrical or
flat-bottomed red root and it may be the prototypic cylindrical beetroot
described by Camerarius and Daleschamp in the late sixteenth century.
Cylindrical beetroot are also referred to as intermediate because they are
believed to have been a halfway stage between the original long-rooted
beetroot and modern globe-rooted varieties. Bassano was named after a town in
the Venetian Alps. Incidentally, the town of Bassano is also famous for its
asparagus, which has been grown there since the sixteenth century. Another
early Italian variety of beetroot is Barabietola di Chioggia, which was first
grown in market gardens around Venice around the sixteenth century. This
variety has a distinctive red and white circular bullseye pattern. The town
of Chioggia is situated at the southern end of the Venetian lagoon and is a
major fishing port on the Adriatic. Beetroot was cultivated here many centuries
ago, in sight of the sea, under conditions similar to those where its wild
ancestor is still found. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot varieties were also developed in other
European countries. The white-fleshed Blankoma, for example, was an early
Dutch introduction. Dutch plant breeders have subsequently produced many new
beetroot varieties, including Bikores, Libero and the recent hybrid Pablo. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
uncontrolled hybridization between leaf beets, chards and early long-rooted
beetroot produced a wide variety of forms. <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is primarily
outcrossing and reproduction is by cross-fertilization rather than
self-fertilization. This favoured a wave of hybridization, providing the raw
material from which modern beetroot varieties have arisen. Roman Beet and
possibly other early long-rooted types became variable in leaf and root
morphology due to hybridization with leaf beets, chards and other beetroot.
Root shapes other than long appeared and where selected for in gardens. By
the nineteenth century, a wide range of cylindrical, flat and globular
varieties were introduced to growers, particularly in Northern Europe.
Cylindrical forms are also called intermediate, because their root shape is
midway between long-rooted and globular. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In comparison to beetroot, leaf beets have been
relatively unchanged since ancient times. The word chard derives from the
Latin and French words for thistle (chardon, charde), an unrelated plant to <i>Beta
vulgaris</i>. The French writer Bauhin describes, in 1596, dark (black),
white, red and yellow chards, along with chard having a particularly broad
stalk, and wild sea beet. His chards were very similar to coloured chards
described by writers in the ancient world. From the start of the 1800s,
however, plant breeders started to produce a range of improved chard
varieties. These types became more compact in appearance through selective
breeding. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Although initially adopted to describe
broad-stemmed leaf beet, chard gradually became a generic term used to
describe the succulent stalks or leaf petioles of globe artichoke, cardoon
and other vegetables. The term Swiss chard derives from nineteenth century
seed catalogues. The Swiss pre-fix was used to distinguish <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
with broad leaf petioles from other plants labelled generically as chard. It
is unclear why chards were considered to be Swiss, although some commentators
suggest that it was the Dutch who were responsible. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In 1885, Vilmorin describes White, Swiss, Curled
Swiss, Silver and Chilean varieties of chard. These are described as being
vegetables for the table and as garden ornamentals. Silver or silver-leaf
chard (Poiree blonde a carde blanche Vilmorin 1883) is described as a light
green form of Swiss chard, with shorter and much broader leaf stalks. Chilean
chard is a form usually grown for ornamental purposes. They have very broad
leaf stalks that are often twisted. The leaves can be puckered like a Savoy
cabbage, as also occurs in Curled Swiss chard. Ornamental Chilean chard was
probably introduced in Belgium in the early to mid nineteenth century. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Only one variety of beetroot was listed in the
USA prior to 1806, a long-rooted red beet in McMahon's seed catalogue.
However, Sturtevant noted that, in 1826, Thorbum had listed four varieties in
the USA: Long Red, Bassano, Egyptian or Flat Egyptian and Detroit. The Long
Red appears to be the same variety recorded in England since 1778. Bassano
was imported from Italy, where it was commonly grown over a hundred years
previously. Flat Egyptian is an American production, although it may be
derived from material originally imported from Egypt and the Middle East. It
was first grown around Boston in about 1869. Detroit is another American-bred
variety, which was introduced in 1897 and is still widely grown today. Detroit
can be used as a winter crop, or harvested young as a summer crop. When
Detroit arrived in Britain and several other European countries by 1900 it
helped to establish the trend toward small-rooted beetroot being grown as a
summer crop for salads. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Improved beetroot varieties were relatively slow
in reaching Britain. Only two kinds, Red Roman and Long Red, were available
from English seed merchants prior to 1800. In the seventeenth century
beetroot was viewed as a sweet novelty food. A recipe for crimson biscuits of
red beetroot survives from the eighteenth century. The British really took to
beetroot, however, in the Victorian era, when it became popular as a salad
vegetable. The juice of beetroot was also used as a hair rinse and a dye for
fabric. A nineteenth century English vegetable garden has been reinstated at
The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England. The gardens of the Heligan
estate went into decline during after the First World War, but were restored
from a condition of extreme neglect during the 1990s. The productive garden
has been lovingly restored with vegetable varieties that would have been
grown in the estate’s heyday. The main beetroot varieties (all pre-1880)
cultivated are the long-rooted Cheltenham Green Top, the French variety Crapaudine,
the tapering cylindrical-rooted Cylindra, the early American varieties
Detroit Globe and Burpee’s Golden, and the Italian variety Chioggia. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Up until the twentieth century beetroot has
primarily been grown as a winter root vegetable. Large-rooted maincrop
beetroot, including tapered and globe varieties, give heavy yields and can be
lifted late in the season for use during the winter months. Large-rooted
maincrop beetroot has been eaten as a staple for many years in Central and
Eastern Europe. However, during the late twentieth century, beetroot has
increasingly been regarded as a summer crop. Smaller-rooted varieties have
been bred and cultivated primarily as a salad vegetable. Smaller globe-shaped
beetroot have become predominate in many areas as a summer crop, because they
mature early, grow rapidly and produce good yields. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot varieties exist that are early, medium
and late maturing. Therefore, beetroot can now be grown for most of the year.
With the popularity of summer beetroot increasing after the Second World War,
however, a large proportion of the crop was boiled and pickled. This made
beetroot become practically synonymous with beetroot pickled in malt vinegar,
especially in Western Europe between the 1950s and the 1970s. Thankfully, this
is now changing, and later in the book we will see how the culinary uses of
beetroot are now more diverse than ever before. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="fb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fodder Beet</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">All parts of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> have almost
certainly been fed to livestock since at least Roman times. Beetroot was the
first cultivated type of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> to be selected for its swollen
roots. There was no distinguishable fodder beet or sugar beet until the
eighteenth century and, therefore, all swollen-rooted <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
before this time are considered as beetroot or beet. The tops and roots of
beetroot have mainly been grown for fodder in recent centuries in France,
Germany and several other countries. In countries with cooler climates, large
white-fleshed varieties have been preferentially chosen for storage for fodder
during the winter. The breeding of selected lines of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
especially to feed to cattle and other animals, however, started in
relatively recent times. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Abbé de Commerell wrote the first known
description of beet being grown and specifically fed to cattle in 1787. He
referred to mangel (Runkelrübe) being used as fodder beet in the Rhineland in
the 1750s. Mangel derives from a yellow type of beet with good winter storage
properties. This large winter beet soon became cultivated around Europe as a
fodder beet. Mangel wurzel was also being cultivated in North American by
1806. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mangel or mangel-wurzel probably first originated
through a cross between a yellow-rooted beetroot and a leaf beet. Vilmorin
describes at least sixteen kinds of mangel in the late nineteenth century.
Mangels are regarded as too coarse in texture for human consumption. The
roots, and also the leaves, however, provide a nutritious food for cattle,
which can be produced abundantly and relatively cheaply. Fodder beet is generally
preferred to carrot and turnip for livestock. Recent crosses between mangel
with sugar beet have produced modern fodder beet cultivars. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar Beet</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In commercial terms, sugar beet is the most
important cultivated form of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. It was recognized in the
sixteenth century that a sweet syrup could be extracted from the swollen
roots of beet. From the mid-eighteenth century, beetroot with large roots and
white flesh were being grown in the German regions of Magdeburg and Halberstadt,
and in Silesia. These beetroot had been selected for their sweetness and
large size. The Russian chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf (1709-1782)
discovered that crystals from syrup extracted from Silesian beet were
identical to crystals obtained from sugar cane. In both cases, the sugar
crystals were pure sucrose. Marggraf was an eminent scientist and the
President of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. He presented his results to the
Academy in 1747 and the proceedings of this meeting were translated into French
two years later. The amount of sugar obtained by Marggraf from beet was
relatively low, however, and at the time it did not seem worth extracting
commercially. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Marggraf's student, Franz Carl Achard
(1753-1821), was the first person to select and process beets specifically to
produce sugar. In a garden in Kaulsdorf, a village near Berlin, he grew
different types of beet to determine which would be the best to develop for
sugar extraction. He compared a range of beets that were used to feed
livestock in southern Germany and found that conical-shaped roots, with white
skins and white flesh, yielded the highest amounts of sugar. He also showed
that soil type, growing conditions and cultivation methods influenced the
root’s sugar content. Initially Achard found great variability in the plants
produced from selected seed, but after a few years he obtained a line that
consistently produced higher levels of sugar than previously recorded. This
selected line was called White Silesian Beet and it is the ancestor of all
modern sugar beet cultivars. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Achard presented the King of Prussia, Frederick
William III, with a sugarloaf made from beet in 1799 and requested the
funding necessary to start large-scale sugar production. In 1801, the King
gave Achard the money to purchase an estate in Cunern in Lower Silesia. The
first sugar beet processing factory was set up there in 1802. Despite
technical difficulties and delays, Achard obtained levels of sugar (around 4
to 6% in fresh roots) that were sufficient to attract commercial interest.
This launched sugar beet as a commercial crop. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A friend and neighbour of Achard, Moritz Baron
von Koppy, built a much larger sugar beet processing factory at Krayn, near
Cunern, in 1805. Koppy established cultivation methods for sugar beet,
improved the efficiency of its processing, and found uses for the by-products
of processing. The tops, beet pulp and molasses were fed to animals, for
instance, while the dried pulp made a coffee substitute and alcohol obtained
from the molasses was used to make vinegar. Achard summarized the knowledge
gained by himself and Koppy in a widely-read book. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet is therefore a relatively recent crop.
At the start of the nineteenth century, all Europe's sugar was obtained from
sugar cane grown on plantations in the Americas. The slave revolts in the
plantations of Santa Domingo in the 1790s, however, were the first sign that
supplies of imported cane sugar could not always be relied upon. The flow of
sugar could be disrupted, while a sense of unease in was starting to develop
in parts of Europe about a system that relied on slavery. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The sugar beet industry in Europe effectively
started in France and Belgium in 1811, at the instigation of Napoleon
Bonaparte. His economic plan for continental Europe, in the first decade of
the seventeenth century, placed an emphasis on developments that reduced
imports of goods supplied by British colonial trade, including sugar cane.
Napoleon's army was occupying Silesia in around 1810 and he fully exploited
the advances being made there in sugar beet production. A French Commission
had confirmed Achard’s findings and presented Napoleon with loaves of beet
sugar in January 1811. Later that year, Napoleon instigated a policy that
rapidly increased beet sugar production in France and in countries under
French control. In 1811, around forty small beet factories, mainly in France
and Germany, were established. This indigenous source of sugar soon became of
strategic importance to Napoleon, because English naval blockades stopped
imports of cane sugar from the West Indies reaching France during the
Napoleonic Wars. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">After the decline of the Napoleonic Empire, from
1813 onwards, the rapid spread of sugar beet cultivation was stopped, and
cane imports were resumed. However, sugar beet cultivation, albeit over much
smaller areas, continued in France and Germany. The French experimented with
different lines of beet derived from Achard's original selections. By 1824,
five types of beet selected for sugar production were described (grosse
rouge, petite rouge, rouge ronde, jaune and blanche). A distinction was made
during the 1830s between types of forage or fodder beets (Runkelrübe) and
types of sugar beet (Zucherrübe) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The plant breeder Louis de Vilmorin (1816-1860)
discovered that sugar beet root extracts of high density yielded more sugar,
enabling him to devise a method using specific gravity to quantify sugar
content in comparison with solutions of known sugar concentration. In 1852,
this technique was modified into the silver ingot method, which became a
standard for measuring the sugar content of beet juice. The polarimeter - a
device to measure the optical properties of liquids - was also invented
around this time; the amount of sugar in beet juice being quantified using
the Ventzke scale, named after the its inventor. Vilmorin and other plant
breeders were able to make rapid progress in improving sugar beet through
continuous selection using these new techniques. From the 1830s, beet sugar
production again increased in France and Germany. By the 1870s, numerous beet
factories had been established throughout central and eastern Europe. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet has been cultivated continuously in
Germany since the time of Achard. Systematic plant breeding soon led to the
production of improved varieties in the latter half of the nineteenth
century. A new variety called Imperial was produced in around 1860 near
Halle, for instance, which had a uniform appearance and a relatively high
sugar content (11-13%). By 1880, breeding programs in France and Germany had
resulted in sugar beet with up to 18-20% sugar per fresh weight of root. This
is an acceptable level of sugar by today's standards. Around the 1880s,
however, the aims of plant breeders diverged. Raising sugar yield ceased to
be the only goal for sugar beet improvement. The different types of sugar
beet that were subsequently produced will be considered in the following
chapter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet cultivation started in the USA in the
1830s, when German and French immigrants arrived bringing the necessary
technology with them. By the 1890s, sugar beet processing facilities had been
established in California, Nebraska, Utah and Colorado. A large expansion US
beet sugar occurred in 1900. By the 1990s, around 8% of the world's total
sugar beet crop was grown in the USA. However, this area is now declining,
due to the increased importance of corn syrup and sweeteners obtained from
maize. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet production started later in other
European countries. In England, for example, the first sugar beet was
cultivated in 1920s, although it is now a major crop that is focused on
Suffolk. Today, sugar beet is grown throughout Europe and in North America. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In 1900, more of the world's sugar (sucrose) was
produced by beet (63%) than from cane. However, this peak in the proportion
of sugar produced by beet was followed by a relative decline due to an
international agreement in 1901 that stopped import taxes being levied on
cane sugar. Today, around two-fifths of the world's sugar is produced from
sugar beet. Sugar beet still has an advantage over sugar cane, in that it
grows in temperate regions where consumption of sugar is highest. Indeed,
sugar consumption in industrial counties skyrocketed in the late twentieth
century. This has been one factor in the dramatic increase in rates of
obesity observed, especially in North America. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="21"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Twenty-first Century</span></b></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
rise of alternative sweeteners, a public health backlash against excessive
sugar in foodstuffs, and a surplus of sugar beet in the expanded European
Union of 2004 are among the factors that have placed sugar beet cultivation
at a crossroads. However, new and diversified markets should ensure that it
continues to be an economically important crop well into the future. Brazil first
grew sugar beet for ethanol production (gasohol) in 1979. Its use to make
biofuel and other industrial products is set to increase. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar
beet was one of the first crops to be genetically modified. Biotechnology is
being utilized to produce a range of novel sugars and proteins in sugar beet.
The future prospects for modifying <i>Beta vulgaris</i> will be examined
further in Chapter Four. Beetroot, meanwhile, continues to enjoy a revival as
a healthy, wholesome and no-nonsense vegetable. In later chapters, its health
benefits and culinary versatility will be explored. Its future looks rosy. </span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Two</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Achard, F.C. (1809) <i>Die europeche
Zuckerfabrikation aus Runkelrübe, in Verbindung mit der Bereitung des
Brandweins, des Rums, des Essigs, und eines Coffes Surrogats aus ihren Abfen</i>.
Leipzig: J.C. Hinriches (Reprinted: 1985. Berlin: Verlag Bartens). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Apicius (Flower, B. and E. Rosembaum, eds.)
(1958) <i>The Roman Cookery Book: A critical translation of The Art of
Cooking by Apicius for use in the study and the kitchen</i>. London: Harrap. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Baker, R.J. and R.A. Pitcher (1993) Up at a
villa, down in the city: Four epigrams of Martial, <i>Electronic Antiquity:
Communicating the Classics</i>, 1(1), </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boswell, V.R. (1949) Our vegetable travelers:
First beets yielded only greens, <i>National Geographic Magazine</i>, 96(2) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Brockman, T. (2002) Chard of many colors, <i>Conscious
Choice</i>, June 2002 </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Culpeper, N. (1653) <i>The English Physician, or
Herball</i>. Reprinted many times, including <i>Culpeper's Complete Herbal</i>,
1985. Ware, UK: Omega Books. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Daleschamp, J. (1587) <i>Historia Generalis
Plantarum</i>. Lugduni. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Deerr, N. (1951) <i>The History of Sugar: Volume
2</i>. London: Chapman and Hall. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ford-Lloyd, B.V. (1995) Sugar beet and other
cultivated beets (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>), in: J. Smartt & N.W. Simmonds
(eds.), <i>Evolution of Crop Plants</i>, 2nd ed., London: Longman Scientific,
pp. 35-40. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Frese, L. (1991) Variation patterns in a leaf
beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>, Chenopodiaceae) germplasm collection, <i>Plany
Sysematics and Evolution</i>, 176: 1-10. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gerard, J. (1597) <i>Herball or The Historie of
Plants</i>. Reprinted many times, including <i>Gerard's Herball</i>, 1971
(ed. M. Woodward from the Edition of T.H. Johnson, 1636). London: Minerva
Press. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Giacosa, I.G. (1992) <i>A Taste of Ancient Rome</i>.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Marggraf, A.S. (1749) <i>Expériences chymiques,
faites dans le dessein de tirer un véritable sucre de diverse oplantes, qui
croissent dans nos contrées</i>, Histoire de l'Acadamie Royale des Sciences
et Belles Lettres, Berlin, 79-90. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Matthiolus, P.A. (1558) <i>Commentarii secundo
aucti in libros sex Pedacii Dioscoridis</i>. pp. 248-249. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">May, R. (1660) <i>The Accomplisht Cook or the Art
and Mystery of Cookery</i>. Reprinted 1994 (eds. A. Davidson, M. Bell and T.
Jaine). Totnes, UK: Prospect Books. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Parkinson, J. (1629) <i>Paradisi in Sole,
Paradisus Terrestris, or A Garden of Pleasant Flowers</i>. London: H. Lownes
& R. Young. (1991, New York: Dover). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pavord, A. (2005) <i>The Naming of Names: The
Search for Order in the World of Plants</i>. London: Bloomsbury. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Platina (1460) <i>De Honesta Voluptate et
Valitudine Vulgare</i>. Critical Edition and Translation by M. E. Milham.
1998. Tempe, Arizona: Medieval & Renaissance Tests and Studies. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Radice, B. (1971) <i>Who's Who in the Ancient
World</i>. Harmondsworth: Penguin. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sturtevant, E.L. (1919) <i>Sturtevant's Edible
Plants of the World</i> (Reprinted 2001, ed. U.P. Hedrick, with updated
botanical names by M. Moore) The Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Tannahill, R. (2002) <i>Food in History</i>. New
and Updated Edition. Harmondsworth: Penguin, p. 247. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Vilmorin (1885) <i>The Vegetable Garden</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Winner, C. (1993) History of the crop, in: D.A.
Cooke & A.K. Scott (eds.) <i>The Sugar Beet Crop</i>. London: Chapman and
Hall, pp. 1-35. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-24388913710949071722018-02-21T17:46:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:46:31.762+00:00Beetroot: 3. Classification and Botany
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">3. Classification and Botany</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot
(beets) are classified, like all living organisms, in terms of class, order,
family, genus and species. Beets are flowering plants and therefore within
the class Dicotyledonae. Within this class, they are part of the order
Caryophyllales. Within this order, beets are part of the Chenopodiaceae
family. The Chenopodiaceae or goosefoot family of plants also includes other
edible species, including spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i>), quinoa (<i>Chenopodium
quinoa</i>), orache or orach (<i>Atriplex hortensis</i>) and Good King Henry
(<i>Chenopodium bonus-henricus</i>). Beets are in the genus <i>Beta</i> and
the species <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. The cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
are leaf beets (spinach beet and chard), beetroot (table beet or garden
beet), fodder beet and sugar beet. This chapter explains how beets are
classified within the genus <i>Beta</i>. The chapter concludes with a closer
look at the different forms of cultivated beet. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="gb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Genus <i>Beta</i></span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Swedish botanist Linnaeus (Carl Linné,
1707-1778) described the species <i>Beta vulgaris L.</i> in 1753. He erected
the genus <i>Beta L.</i> specifically to incorporate this species. Linnaeus'
name is therefore given as the authority for the genus and species; it is
usually abbreviated (L. or sometimes Linn.). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The genus <i>Beta</i> probably first originated
in Mediterranean Europe, diversifying and spreading northward and eastward in
prehistoric times. A secondary region of <i>Beta</i> biodiversity developed
in the Near East. Annual, biennial and perennial plants occur in the genus. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A section is a taxonomic subdivision of a genus.
Sections were first erected within the genus <i>Beta</i> in 1927. Different
authors have modified these sections over the years. The original three
sections described were <i>Vulgares</i>, <i>Corollinae</i> and <i>Patellares</i>.
Today, four sections are used to classify all the plants within the genus <i>Beta</i>.
These four sections are <i>Procumbentes</i> (formerly <i>Patellares</i>), <i>Nanae</i>,
<i>Corollinae</i> and <i>Beta</i> (formerly <i>Vulgares</i>). At present,
within the genus <i>Beta</i>, these four sections encompass ten species and
three subspecies. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sp"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Section <i>Procumbentes</i></span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The oldest of the four sections in evolutionary
terms is <i>Procumbentes</i>. Botanically, <i>Procumbentes</i> is
distinguished by having hard round black fruits (seed clusters) lacking the
perianth segments that result in plants in other <i>Beta</i> sections having
'corky' fruit with irregular shapes. The section contains three species: <i>Beta
patellaris</i> Moq., <i>Beta procumbens</i> Chr. Sm., and <i>Beta webbiana</i>
Moq.. These species are all perennial (under favourable conditions), with
very short vegetative phases. They are distinguished from each other by leaf
shape: <i>Beta patellaris</i> having the broadest stem leaves and <i>Beta
webbiana</i> the narrowest. The centre of diversity for <i>Procumbentes</i>
is the Canary Islands. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta patellaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
(referred to as <i>Beta campanulata</i> by Vilmorin in 1923) is found in
patches (up to 1.5 m diameter) in coastal and low-lying dry rock areas
throughout the Canary Islands, and also in south-east Spain, near Almeria,
and some coastal areas of Morocco. It has small white twisted roots, and a
chromosome number of 36. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta procumbens</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> has a
very limited distribution, being virtually restricted to the Canary Islands,
particularly Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Gomera, La Palma and Lanzarote. Isolated
populations might still exist in southern Portugal and north Africa. The
plant has small white twisted roots and a chromosome number of 18. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta webbiana</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is
virtually restricted to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura in the
Canaries. Isolated populations might still exist in southern Portugal and
north Africa. It has very long fibrous roots and a chromosome number of 18. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sn"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Section <i>Nanae</i></span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The only species in the section <i>Nanae</i> is <i>Beta
nana</i> Boiss & Held. It is endemic to Greece and has a distribution
that is restricted to snowy patches on the Greek mountains Olympus,
Parnassos, Giona and Taiygetos in Greece. This plant is endangered and is
protected within nature reserves. <i>Nanae</i> is distinguished from other
sections due to a short inflorescence (only up to 10 cm) and its solitary
flowers. <i>Beta nana</i> is a small perennial plant, with a stout
cylindrical root and a chromosome number of 18. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Section <i>Corollinae</i></span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Plants in the section <i>Corollinae</i> are hardy
perennials with strongly sclerified roots. Their distribution is centred on
Iran and Asia Minor. There are currently three species recognized in this
section: <i>Beta lomatogona</i> Fischbeck & Mey, <i>Beta macrorhiza</i>
Stev. and <i>Beta corolliflora</i> Zoss. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta lomatogona</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is
distinguished within the section by having flowers that are usually solitary.
It is found at relatively high altitudes, primarily in Anatolia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Iran and south-east Turkey, in steppes, arid-stony mountain
sides, dry wastelands and in agricultural land. <i>Beta lomatogona</i> has a
chromosome number of 18. The former species <i>Beta intermedia</i> Bunge is
now thought to be an apomictic type of <i>Beta lomatogona</i> having a
chromosome number of 45. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta macrorhiza</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is a
perennial that develops a bushy habit with maturity. It is distributed in
mountainous regions of Armenia, northern Azerbaijan, Dagestan and south-east
Turkey, typically in dry river beds and disturbed ground. It has a chromosome
number of 18. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta corolliflora</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is a
perennial that has a pyramidic growth habit. It is found in central Anatolia,
Armenia, Georgia and western Azerbaijan, at high altitude (1300-2450 metres),
on stream banks, in meadows and in moist disturbed land, including farmland.
It has a chromosome number of 36. Two types of <i>Beta corolliflora</i>
exist, the other being the former species <i>Beta trigyna</i> Wald. &
Kit., which is now considered an apomictic hexaploid (54 chromosomes) close
to <i>Beta corolliflora</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Section <i>Beta</i></span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The <i>Beta</i> section of the genus <i>Beta</i>
contains all the cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> and the wild sea
beet from which they are descended. The section contains three species: <i>Beta
macrocarpa</i> Gussone, <i>Beta patula</i> Aiton and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> L..
There are currently three subspecies (subsp.) recognized in this section: <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>adanensis</i> (Pamukuoglu) Ford-Lloyd and Williams, <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i> (L.) Arcangeli and <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> L.. The distribution of plants within the section <i>Beta</i>
is centred on the eastern Mediterranean region. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta macrocarpa</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is an
annual with a short vegetative phase, with long, ovate, glabrous (smooth)
green leaves. The glomerules (flowers) cluster on the inflorescence in groups
of around three. It is found in southern Portugal, southern Spain, the
Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Algeria, southern France,
Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Turkey. <i>Beta macrocarpa</i> is a fairly common
species, for instance, in field margins and along roadsides. It is also
halophytic (salt tolerant) and found in particular saline habitats, such as
salt marshes in Portugal and salt mine workings in Portugal and the Canary
Islands. The chromosome number is usually 18, although natural polyploidy has
resulted in Canary Island populations having a chromosome number of 36. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta patula</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is a
perennial, under favourable frost-free conditions. It has small glabrous
leaves and is distinguished botanically from the other two species in the
section <i>Beta</i> by having flower clusters of around seven. <i>Beta patula</i>
has a very limited distribution, being found only on Illheu dos Embarcaderos
- a small island near Madiera. It has a chromosome number of 18. <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>adanensis</i> is an annual, and also a perennial under
favourable (frost-free) conditions. It has long wedge-shaped leaves and
glomerules in groups of around three that are spaced out along the
inflorescence. It is found in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Syria. The
chromosome number is 18. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> subsp.
<i>maritima</i> or sea beet is the ancestor of cultivated beet. It can grow
as a biennial or a perennial, under favourable (frost-free) conditions,
although many Mediterranean populations are annuals. It has long wedge-shaped
leaves in a rosette arrangement and is without a swollen root. The glomerules
occur in groups of around three and are crowded together on the
inflorescence. It is further differentiated from subsp. <i>adanensis</i>
through its smaller glomerules and flowers that are less flat. It has a
chromosome number of 18. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sea beet occurs throughout the Mediterranean
region, along Atlantic coasts up into Scandinavia, throughout the Near and
Middle East, and into India. It thrives on stony and sandy beaches, rocky
cliffs, coastal grasslands, and salt marshes. Sea beet is also found in some
inland sites in the Mediterranean region, and in Iran and Azerbaijan. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> subsp.
<i>vulgaris</i> is cultivated beet, in all its forms. Cultivated beets are
considered in terms of Cultivar Groups later in this chapter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">All plants within the section <i>Beta</i> can
readily interbreed. Wild and cultivated plants in the genus <i>Beta</i> are
outbreeding. This means that they are more likely to fertilize other
compatible plants (cross-fertilization) than to fertilize themselves
(self-fertilization). They share a mechanism, called the S-allele
incompatibility system, which acts to prevent self-fertilization. A
continuous variation in morphology within the section <i>Beta</i> would therefore
exist, if genetic lines were not preserved through artificial selection and
cultivation. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Interbreeding is rare between plants in different
sections of the genus <i>Beta</i>. One reason for this is the differences in
chromosome number in different sections. Chromosome number varies through
polyploidy, the presence of extra sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. For the
genus <i>Beta</i>, the chromosome number possibilities are 9 (haploid), 18
(diploid), 27 (tetraploid), 36 (triploid), 45 (pentaploid) or 54 (hexaploid).
<i>Beta vulgaris</i> in the <i>Beta</i> section has a chromosome number of
18, but chromosome number varies in other sections. Plant breeders have found
it easier to cross <i>Beta vulgaris</i> with plants in its own section. Wild
sea beet has contributed genes to many modern sugar beet cultivars, for
example, such as resistance to the fungal disease <i>Cercospora</i>. However,
important sources of pest and disease resistance have been identified in
plants in the <i>Procumbentes</i> and <i>Corollinae</i> sections. After much
experimentation, some of these genes have been bred into cultivated <i>Beta
vulgaris</i>. Beet cyst nematode resistance, for example, has been
transferred from <i>Beta patellaris</i> to sugar beet. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The incompatibility system than maintains
outbreeding has been known to break down naturally, however, in isolated
annual populations of wild beet in the genus <i>Beta</i>. Plants within these
populations can therefore be self-fertilized. Small populations of
predominantly inbreeding wild beets can be found in isolated locations
throughout the Mediterranean. New species of wild beet have been described
from such populations. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bn"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Binomial Nomenclature</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are two approaches to classifying
cultivated plants such as <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. The first is the taxonomic
system called binomial nomenclature and the second is the more flexible
horticultural classification system. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The system of classification, in which organisms
are assigned to class, order, family, genus and species, is called binomial
nomenclature. This system was devised by the Swedish botanist Linnaeus (Carl
Linné 1707-1778). Binomial nomenclature can be extended below the species
level (infraspecific classification), by including the ranks of subspecies
(subsp.) and variety (var.). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Strict rules are applied for binomial
nomenclature. For plants, these rules have most recently been laid out in the
International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN), which was adopted by the
International Biological Congress in 1981 and published in 1983. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Binomial nomenclature has been very successful in
cataloguing the world's biodiversity, but its use below the species level may
not always be appropriate for cultivated plants. By definition, a species is
a group of organisms that interbreed. Populations of a species can become
separated due to geographic isolation or other factors. Such populations can
develop different characteristics, under different selection pressures, and
become distinct subspecies. Subspecies, by definition, must resemble each
other and, as a group, have characteristics that distinguish them from other
subspecies. Organisms within a subspecies breed more freely among themselves
than with other members of the species. Eventually a new species may arise
through speciation. This has occurred for wild beets in the genus <i>Beta</i>,
particularly in the Canary Islands. However, it has been artificial
selection, rather than natural selection, that has driven the evolution of
cultivated beets. This can be problematic for classification when cultivated
forms, assigned to different categories, can freely hybridize in the field. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When Linnaeus first described <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
in 1753, he erected three varieties within the species: wild ancestral beet <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> var. <i>perennis</i>, leaf beet <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i>,
and garden beet <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>rubra</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In 1763, Linnaeus decided that wild maritime or
sea beet should be a separate species, <i>Beta maritima</i> L., and the
varietal name <i>perennis</i> was discarded. Taxonomists have since brought
sea beet back into the <i>Beta vulgaris</i> species. Sea beet is now
considered a subspecies: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i> (L.)
Arcangeli. Its classification as a subspecies is appropriate because of the
ease with which it cross-breeds with cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, and the
insufficiently discontinuous morphology between it and cultivated forms
within the genus <i>Beta</i> to warrant it being a separate species. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Linnaeus' division of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> into
leaf beets (<i>cicla</i>) and root beets (<i>rubra</i>) has persisted;
although since Linnaeus' day, fodder and sugar beets have caused the root
beets to be further sub-classified. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">For many years, the distinction between leaf and
root beets was raised to the subspecies level. Artificial selection has
exacerbated the morphological differences within <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, and
this was thought to represent real morphological, genetic and geographic
discontinuity within the species. An emphasis on the leaves gave rise to <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>cicla</i>. The name 'cicla' derives from Sicula, the
name Theophrastus originally gave to leafy beets from Sicily. Selection for a
single swollen taproot gave rise to <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i>.
However, the current taxonomic situation is that all cultivated forms of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> belong to just one subspecies: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i>.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In taxonomic schemes, variety (var.) is the level
below subspecies. A variety is a group of individuals that differ distinctly
from but can interbreed with other varieties of the same species. The
characteristics used to classify a variety must be genetically inherited. In
Linnaeus' day, fodder beet and sugar beet were considered to be beetroot.
Today, all the different cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i>
are distinguished at the variety level. Chard is <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i>,
beetroot or table beet is <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>conditiva</i>, fodder
beet is <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>alba</i>, and sugar beet is <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> var. <i>altissima</i> (formerly <i>esculenta</i>). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In a recent taxonomic key of the genus <i>Beta</i>,
the authors (Frese et al.) quote Paul Aellen, writing in 1938: "Studies
on <i>Beta</i> are getting more difficult the more you plunge in the
matter". The taxonomy of <i>Beta</i> has been modified numerous times
since Aellen wrote these words and the situation is still fluid. However,
recent genetics studies are helping to clarify the situation. The
classification of wild species in the genus <i>Beta</i> has recently been
rationalized and the overall number of species in the genus has been reduced.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The current taxonomic consensus is that the use
of subspecies and botanical variety within the ICBN scheme is confusing and
not strictly necessary for cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. Single genes
alone can determine swollen root shape and pigmentation, the different
cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> have not been genetically or
geographically isolated during their history, and there are no known barriers
to gene exchange with the section <i>Beta</i>. The subspecies division for
cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> has been removed, although the different
cultivated forms are still assigned to different varieties. <i>Beta</i>
taxonomists, however, have suggested that it would be better, and less
confusing, if all infraspecific classification for cultivated <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> were done using the non-hierarchical horticultural
classification system. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="hc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Horticultural Classification</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Infraspecific classification is frequently
adopted for cultivated plants, because artificial selection results in clear
morphological differences within a species. However, binomial nomenclature
has a number of shortcomings when it comes to classifying cultivated plants
below the species level. The system of horticultural classification, which
uses the concepts of cultivated variety (cv. or var.) and cultivar race or group
(cv. Group), has emerged as the most useful method of infraspecific
classification for cultivated plants. The International Code of Nomenclature
for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), published in 1980, gives the accepted rules
for applying this horticultural classification scheme. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The horticultural scheme has been erected for
different reasons to those underlying the Linnaean system of binomial
nomenclature. Rather than being a framework in which to catalogue all living
creatures, the horticultural system of classification has more practical
aims, for example, to achieve uniformity for seed registration and to form a
basis for Plant Breeders' Rights legislation. Hierarchical taxonomic
classification is often too rigid for people who work with cultivated plants.
The horticultural system is flexible system and aids communication, enabling
the transfer of clear and easily understood information between people
working with cultivated plants. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The concept of cultivar is central to the ICNCP
system. A cultivar is defined within the ICNCP as an assemblage of cultivated
plants that is clearly distinguished by any characteristics (e.g.
morphological or chemical), which when reproduced by sexual or asexual means
retains these distinguishing characteristics. A cultivar can be a clone, line
or assemblage of cross-fertilizing plants. Landraces or crop lines maintained
by traditional agricultural methods, often in areas of crop origin and
centres of genetic diversity, can be considered cultivars. Therefore, the
ICNCP is a much more open and flexible system than the ICBN system, which is
a closed classification system with rigid rankings. The ICNCP is considered
subordinate to the ICBN, although both codes can be effectively co-ordinated
in most cases. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The cultivar name of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is
usually given after the species or subspecies name, which for all cultivated
beets is now <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i>. Beetroot cultivars
include, for example, <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> cv.
Boltardy and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Red Ace F1.
Sometimes, cultivar is given after the variety name, for example, <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> var. <i>conditiva</i> Cheltenham Green Top. However, cultivar
names do not overlap for the different cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Variety is often used synonymously with cultivar,
but the terms have distinct meanings. A cultivar is a plant that has been
developed and maintained by cultivation as a result of agricultural or
horticultural practices. The term cultivar is derived from cultivated
variety. In binomial nomenclature, botanical variety is a fixed rank below
subspecies. Cultivar is a category without rank, as long as it comes below
the taxonomic rank to which it is assigned. Therefore, it may appear, for
instance, below the rank of genus, species, subspecies or variety. In
addition, cultivars are man-made, while there is no indication of whether a
botanical variety exists naturally or needs to be maintained by artificial
selection. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Within the ICNCP system, assemblages of similar
cultivars can be grouped. The Leaf Beet cultivar grouping, <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Leaf Beet Group, sometimes known as the Cicla
grouping, contains Spinach Beet (perpetual spinach) and the chards. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot, forage beet and sugar beet are part of
the Crassa cultivar grouping. Within the Crassa grouping, beetroot, forage
beet and sugar beet are <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Garden
Beet Group, <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Fodder Beet Group,
and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Sugar Beet Group,
respectively. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In addition to this system, beetroot cultivars
are often further grouped with respect to root shape. Four categories of root
shape are usually recognized: (i) globe or spherical, (ii) long, (iii)
cylindrical or intermediate (half-long), and (iv) flat. The long and globe
categories have sometimes been subdivided into classes. In one scheme,
devised by Holland (1957) globe was subdivided into two classes, while long
root shape was subdivided into five classes. However, the advantage of
erecting subdivisions below the four basic root shapes is unclear. Today,
most of the beetroot grown is globe-shaped. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beets</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="lb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Leaf Beets: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Leaf Beet
Group</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
(<i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i>) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Leaf beets are of two types, depending on whether
or not a thick leaf midrib and petiole are present. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Leaf beets are known as salk in Arabic; tian cai
in Chinese; bette or blette in French; mangold in German; bieta a foglia in
Italian; acelga in Portuguese; svekla listovaja in Russian; and bleda or
acelga in Spanish. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach beet or perpetual spinach is grown for
its leaves, which are used as greens or a potherb. It is distinct from
spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i>) and New Zealand spinach (<i>Tetragonia
expansa</i>). Spinach beet does not have a thickened leaf midrib or a
thickened petiole (leaf stem). It also lacks a swollen taproot. Spinach beet
has never been bred intensively and there is no tradition of distinct
cultivars. Three European varieties were proposed by Helm in 1957, based on
foliage colour, but this classification has not persisted. Perpetual spinach
is usually sold generically as 'spinach beet' or 'leaf beet'. However, the
exception to the rule is the Italian cultivar of perpetual spinach called
Erbette, which is listed in seed catalogues. Leaf beet has been consumed
since ancient times throughout Europe. In parts of Ireland, where it is known
as 'wild spinach', it has also been revered as a cure for sick sheep. Outside
of Europe, spinach beet is an important crop in Northern India and parts of
Central and South America. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chards are grown for their foliage and in
particular their thickened leaf midribs and petioles. As with spinach beet,
there is no swollen taproot. Although some leaf beets have fairly thick
roots, they are never fleshy. The white root of chard has in times past been
consumed medicinally, in the form of infusions, and very occasionally as
food, for example, in times of hardship. Chard is often used synonymously
with Swiss chard, but older chard varieties are sometimes considered to be
distinct from Swiss chard. Several types of Swiss chard can be distinguished,
based on petiole or leaf midrib colour and other characteristics. Swiss Chard
is sometimes also called seakale beet or silver beet. Lucullus is one of the
oldest chard varieties and it has green leaf blades and white petioles.
Chards occur in many colourful forms, including Bright Yellow Chard and Ruby
or Rhubarb Chard. A popular recent introduction is Bright Lights Swiss Chard,
an improved chard that has leaf midribs and petioles that occur in a mix of
colours. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach beet and Chard are highly perishable and
do not transport well. Leaf beets are therefore rarely found in supermarkets
in the USA and Western Europe. However, leaf beets are a popular vegetable
grown for local consumption. They are particularly valued in warmer temperate
regions, such as the south of France, where the summer weather can be too hot
to grow other green leafy vegetables. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="b"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Garden Beet
Group</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
(<i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>conditiva</i>) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot has been primarily selected as a root
vegetable, although its leaves are edible. Larger cultivars are grown as a
staple root crop for winter sustenance, while smaller globe-shaped cultivars
are grown as a summer salad crop. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is called beet in North America. It is
also referred to as garden beet, table beet or red beet in English; remolacha
(or betarraga) hortelena, remolacha mesa or remolacha roja in Spanish; and
beterraba hortela, beterraba de mesa or beterraba vermelha in Portuguese.
Beetroot is called betterave, betterave rouge or betterave potage in French;
rote Rote Beete or Runkelr German; Barbabietola in Italian; and rode biet or
kroot in Dutch. It is silig in Arabic; gen tian cai in Chinese; and svekla
stolovaja in Russian. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are numerous cultivated varieties or
cultivars of beetroot. These are listed and described further in Chapter
Eight. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="fb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fodder beet: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Fodder Beet
Group</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
(<i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>alba</i>) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The leaves and roots of fodder or forage beet are
fed to livestock and other animals, either fresh or as silage. They have
large swollen roots that are classified in terms of their shape. Four basic
root shapes are recognized: (i) flat globe, (ii) cylinder, (iii) globe and
(iv) spindle. The taproots of flat globe and cylinder sit mainly above the
soil level, while globe and spindle have storage roots sitting roughly half
in and half out of the soil. In comparison, most beetroot cultivars have
taproots that lie mainly below the soil level. In the past, different
botanical varieties of fodder beet have been described based on their root
colour: scarlet, pink, orange, yellow and white. The scarlet and pinks forms,
however, are indistinguishable from large long-rooted beetroot. Modern forage
beet cultivars can be distinguished from beetroot because of their white and
zoned roots, their greater size, and their coarser root quality. Overall, the
Fodder Beet Group comprises a large number of cultivars, displaying a wide
range of variation in root shape and colour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mangel is an old variety that can be classified
as distinct from modern fodder beets. Mangel is a heavier plants that stick
out of the ground to a greater extent than improved fodder beet. Mangel
originated from a cross between a beetroot and a leaf beet, while modern
fodder beets result from a cross between mangel and sugar beet. The
cylindrical-shaped variety Eckendorfer was developed around 1840 by plant
breeders. Many of today's fodder beet cultivars are descended from it. Modern
fodder beet roots contain around 3-5% sugar and 6-8% protein by dry weight. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The feeding of beet to animals has contributed to
beetroot being unpopular or unfashionable as a food at certain times in parts
of Europe. This may partly be due to etymology. The cultivated form of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> called mangel wurzel was originally known as mangold wurzel
(root of the beet). Mangolt was the old German word for <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
in general. However, this was corrupted among German speakers to
mangel-wurzel (root of scarcity). Mangel wurzel became the name for fodder
beets. The English translation of the title of Abbe Commerell's book, for
instance, was <i>Culture and Use of the Mangel Wurzel, a Root of Scarcity</i>.
The notion that beets are only to be consumed in times of hardship or fed to
animals has persisted in some areas until relatively recently. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sugb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet: <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> Sugar Beet
Group</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
(<i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>altissima</i>) </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet is the most recent of the cultivated
beet crops and the most important in commercial terms. The conical swollen
roots lack pigmentation and have a characteristically high sugar content.
Sugar beet cultivars have been classified according to their root size and
sugar content. There is much less variation in the Sugar Beet Group than in
other beet cultivar groups. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Up until the 1870s, the focus was on breeding
sugar beet to yield as much sugar as possible. However, after this time the
aims of breeders diverged. This resulted in three groupings of sugar beet
cultivars. Z-type (zucker-type) cultivars have small roots and high sucrose
levels, E-type (ertrag-type) cultivars have large roots but lower sucrose
levels, and N-type (normal-type) cultivars have medium-sized roots and
intermediate sucrose content. The high sugar Z-types were a continuation of
the continuous selection programmes for increasing the sugar levels in roots
(as a percentage of root fresh weight). However, it was found that these types
had a limited root yield potential. E-types were therefore selected for
larger root size and higher root yield. The so-called normal types were the
result of balancing both objectives. The classification of all sugar beet
cultivars into Z, E and N-types has only recently been discontinued. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet has whitish conical roots, up to half
a metre in length. Modern sugar beet breeding programmes have produced a
range of high-yielding and disease-resistant cultivars. The sweet beet in
Marggraf's time contained up to 6% sucrose, whereas modern sugar beet
cultivars contain around 18% sucrose. Modern beetroot cultivars, in
comparison, typically contain between 6% and 10% sucrose. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bs"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated Beet 'Seed'</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beet seed is botanically a fruit. Each
knobbly 'seed' is a cluster of dried fruit. One to six fruit stick together
to form a compressed corky structure called a glomerule or seedball.
Seedballs are around 3-7 mm in diameter, depending on cultivar. Each fruit
contains one seed or embryo, enclosed within its swollen cork-like base. The
cork layer contains phenolic compounds that act to inhibit germination.
Beetroot cultivars typically have glomerules containing around three true
seeds. The true seeds are kidney-shaped, brown to black, and around 1.4 mm in
diameter and 1.5 mm thick. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The glomerules or seedballs are said to be
multigerm when they contain more than one seed. More than one seed can
therefore germinate from each multigerm seedball. However, a number of modern
beetroot cultivars and all modern sugar beet cultivars have been bred to be
monogerm, with only one viable seed per seedball. This is beneficial for
cultivation because less thinning is needed at the seedling stage. For
mechanical planting of multigerm beetroot, the seedball is sometimes crushed
into uniform pieces to separate out the seeds. Beet seed maintains its
viability for around five years. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The search for monogerm beet seed started in
around 1900. However, success was not achieved until the 1930s, when V.F.
Savitsky (1902-1965) and co-workers identified monogerm sugar beet plants
growing at the Sugar Beet Institute in Kiev. After the Second World War,
Savitsky emigrated to the USA, where he identified five monogerm plants in a
sugar beet seed field in Michigan in 1948. His work led to the development of
commercial monogerm cultivars. By the 1960s, practically all sugar beet
farmers in the USA and Western Europe were growing monogerm cultivars. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Monogerm sugar beet seed is coated into a pellet,
which may contain fungicide or other pesticides, into a uniform shape that
aids sowing using precision drills. The improved germination rates of modern
monogerm seed enable it to be sown individually, into a final stand, without
the need for thinning. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bt"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated Beet Tops</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The tops, foliage or leaves of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> grow in a basal rosette pattern. They emerge from the
crown of the hypocotyl in an alternate formation. New leaves grow interior to
older leaves. The leaves typically have a roughly triangular shape. They have
strong long petioles or leaf stalks that broaden towards the base. The leaves
can be dark or light green, or a dark red, depending on cultivated form and
cultivar, and have a shiny surface. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The leaf surface is covered with an amorphous wax
film. An analysis of compounds obtained by steam-distillation of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> leaves revealed a group of chemicals called n-alkanes. An
alkane, in the terminology of organic chemistry, is a saturated hydrocarbon
that has its carbon atoms attached in a continuous or branched chain; ethane,
pentane, propane and isobutane are among the large family of alkane
molecules. Other plants in the family Chenopodiaceae have similar
combinations of n-alkanes to those identified from <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In a study conducted by Röttger it was found that
alkanes identical to those found in the wax layer of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
leaves caused the beet fly (<i>Pegomya betae</i>) to lay eggs (oviposit) on
an artificial surface that was normally ignored. The beet fly has co-evolved
with <i>Beta vulgaris</i> to the extent it is now a specialist on this
species, and uses the distinct chemical profile of its leaves as an
oviposition stimulant. If a pregnant female fly senses their presence after
landing on a plant, she is likely to lay eggs; but if she does not, she will
fly to another plant. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="br"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated Beet Roots</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The storage organ of beetroot, fodder beet and
sugar beet is usually called a root. This is common usage and, for instance,
has been used throughout this book. However, the swollen root of cultivated <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> is technically made up from both the root and the hypocotyl,
which is an enlarged region at the base of the stem. The hypocotyl is an
intermediate region between stem and root and accounts for the top or crown
part of the root. In sugar beet, the hypocotyl typically accounts for 10% of
the storage organ, while 90% is root derived. However, this proportion varies
and the amount derived from hypocotyl can be higher in fodder beet and
beetroot, particularly in varieties that have crowns that extend above the soil
surface. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wild sea beet has little stem or root swelling
and a long, stout, tapering main or taproot with a dense network of small
side-roots. Leaf beets retain this basic tapering root form. In beetroot, the
swollen storage root can be globular, cylindrical, flat or tapered, depending
on the cultivated variety. The true taproot occurs below the hypocotyl.
Lateral, side or adventitious roots, in two opposite rows on its lower part,
grow from the true root. In loose soils, the rooting depth of beets can be up
to 300 cm. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The roots of cultivated beet are either white or
coloured. Chard and sugar beet have narrow and swollen white roots,
respectively. Mangels and beetroot have roots that are typically yellow and
red, respectively. Root colour is determined by the presence of pigments
called betalains. These will be considered further in Chapter Five. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The hypocotyl and true root consist of
alternating layers of conductive tissue and storage tissue. These are visible
as distinct circles or cambium rings when the roots are cut transversely.
Each ring is a vascular bundle comprising xylem, to the inside, and phloem,
to the outside. The conductive tissue or xylem is typically broad and dark,
and is involved in transporting water, sugar (sucrose) and nutrients around
the plant. The storage tissue or phloem is typically narrow and light, and is
where carbohydrates are transported and laid down during the first year's
growth. In some beetroot cultivars, the colour difference between the
darker-coloured bands of connective tissue and lighter-coloured bands of
storage tissue can be subtle. In others, it can be highly pronounced. In
Chioggia, for example, dark red bands alternate with almost white ones. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The girth of the root increases as additional
cambium layers are added. In sugar beet at harvest, there are usually 12 to
15 rings. In harvested beetroot the number is usually less, because they are
typically picked younger. Beetroot has been selected to have little lignin or
hard fibrous tissue in its cambium layer. This makes the root's texture
better for eating. Fodder beet and sugar beet, on the other hand, have been
bred primarily for larger size and/or higher sugar content. In sugar beet,
the concentration of sucrose is greatest in the very centre of the root. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Scientists are beginning to understand how
different plant hormones interact during the formation of cambium layers in
the roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. These hormones produce different outcomes
in the different cultivated forms of beet. It may be possible to increase
levels of sugar storage in roots by manipulating plant hormones using
biotechnological approaches. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bf"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Flowering and Pollination</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beet is a biennial plant. In the case
of beetroot, fodder beet and sugar beet, foliage and an enlarged swollen
storage root are produced during the first year's growth. In the second year
of growth, resources stored in the root are diverted into producing a flower
spike and seeds. When cultivated, these crops are biennials grown as annuals.
However, to obtain seed, a second year's growth is usually required. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beets have an inflorescence: literally a massing
together of flowers. Flowering occurs at the end of the second year's growth,
when a long single flower spike is produced. The flower spike occurs on the
top of an elongated stem, which is usually around 50-150 cm high, although
much higher flower spikes are possible. Flower spikes of 120 cm (4 feet) are
typical of common beetroot cultivars. The spike grows upward and is branched
(paniculate) at the top. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The inflorescence on the upper part of the flower
spike has flowers irregularly arranged up its length. The flowers are
greenish and sessile, being directly attached to the inflorescence with no
individual stalks, either singly or more usually in groups or clusters of
between two to five. The flowers are small and green or red in colour. As the
inflorescence grows, adjoining flowers within a cluster cohere, eventually
hardening to produce the uneven and wrinkled glomerules or seedballs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
flowers are bisexual or hermaphrodite, having both male and female
reproductive organs. The stamen is the male part of the flower. Each flower
has five stamens. An anther, from which pollen is released, tops each of the
five stamens. The five stamens are fused at their bases to five petals and
they surround the female part of the flower. This consists of a short pistil,
topped by two to three stigmas, and a one-celled ovary embedded in a
structure called a receptacle. The pollen released by the anthers is
transported to the pistil. In the case of beetroot, the pollen is wind borne.
When pollen lands on a stigma, a pollen tube starts to grow down through the
pistil to the ovary, where fertilization takes place and seed is formed. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The seedballs turn brown on the flower spike,
maturing from the base upwards. The seedballs do not readily drop and so the
entire flower spike can be harvested when all the seeds are mature. Seedballs
can be removed by pinching the stalks where they join the spike. The seed
clusters should not be broken at this stage because this could injure the
seeds. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Flowering is initiated in the second growing
season after a prolonged period of cold weather (vernalisation), with
temperatures below 10°F (50°F) for 30 to 60 days. Such conditions are typical
in Northern Europe. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> that prematurely
goes to seed at the end of its first growing season it is said to have
"bolted". One of the most important factors in beet cultivation is
to avoid sowing seed too early in the year, which can cause plants to bolt. Bolting
can also be brought on by a sudden check on plant growth, such as that caused
by cold weather, drought or insect pest attack. Bolting is very rare in
perpetual spinach, which can therefore be harvested almost all year round,
but it has in the past been a major problem in commercial sugar beet and
beetroot cultivation. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">One of the main aims of plant breeders has been
to produce plants that are resistant to bolting, for early season planting.
Workers at the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge, in England, first
obtained bolting resistance in sugar beet in around 1940. Because temperature
and day length are critical in determining bolting resistance, breeding work
is carried out under the climatic conditions in which the beet is to be
grown. The Cambridge team therefore also did breeding work in Scotland, and
obtained lines that did not bolt under the demanding early season conditions
there. These lines were used to produce commercial bolting-resistant
cultivars. All modern sugar beet cultivars incorporate bolting resistance.
Boltardy was one of the first bolting-resistant beetroot cultivars; it was
introduced in the early 1960s. Many recent beetroot cultivars incorporate
resistant to bolting. Bolting is therefore much less of a problem today than
in the past. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beets are outbreeding and cross-fertilize rather
than self-fertilize. This makes it harder to obtain consistent lines for
breeding. The incorporation of beneficial traits into beets was helped by the
discovery of sugar beet plants with 'cytoplasmic male sterility', by F.V.
Owen in the 1940s. F1 hybrids could subsequently be bred through controlled
pollination and crossing of effectively inbred lines having male sterility.
Most modern sugar beet and an increasing number of beetroot varieties are obtained
in this way. F1 hybrids do not breed true and farmers need to obtain new seed
each year, derived from further crossing of inbreeding lines. Hybrids have
increased seedling vigour and enhanced resistance to pests and diseases.
Later in this book we will see if beetroot F1 hybrids also taste as good as
traditional varieties. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Three</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Barocka, K.H. (1959). Die einzelfrüchtigen Arten
der Gattung <i>Beta</i> L. im Hinblick auf ihre mögliche Verwendung zur
Einkreuzung in <i>Beta vulgaris</i> L. subsp. <i>vulgaris</i> (Zucker- und
Futterrübe) <i>Der Züchter</i>, 29 (5): 193-203. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bosemark, N.O. (1993) Genetics and breeding, in:
D.A. Cooke & A.K. Scott (eds.) <i>The Sugar Beet Crop</i>. London:
Chapman and Hall, pp. 67-119. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Brandenburg, W.A. (1986) The cultivar concept,
in: B.T. Styles (ed.) <i>Infraspecific Classification of Wild and Cultivated
Plants</i>. London: Clarendon Press, pp. 87-98. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Buttler, K.P. (1977). Revision von Beta Sektion <i>Corollinae</i>
(Chenopodiaceae). I. Selbststerile Basisarten, <i>Mitt. Bot. München</i>, 13:
255-336. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">CAB International (2001) <i>CABI Crop Protection
Compendium</i>, Global Module, 3rd Edition. Wallingford, UK: CAB
International. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Elliot, M.C. and G.D. Weston (1993) Biology and
physiology of the sugar-beet plant, in: D.A. Cooke & A.K. Scott (eds.) <i>The
Sugar Beet Crop</i>. London: Chapman and Hall, pp. 37-66. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ford-Lloyd, B.V. and J.T. Williams (1975) A
revision of <i>Beta</i> section <i>vulgares</i> (Chenopodiaceae), with new
light on the origin of cultivated beets, <i>Botanical Journal of the Linnean
Society</i>, 71(2): 89-102. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ford-Lloyd, B.V. (1986) Infraspecific variation
in wild and cultivated beets and its effects upon infraspecific
classification, in: B.T. Styles (ed.) <i>Infraspecific Classification of Wild
and Cultivated Plants</i>. London: Clarendon Press, pp. 331-334. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Frese, L., D. Ziegler and R. Krauss (2004) <i>A
Taxonomic Guide for Wild and Cultivated Beets (Beta L.)</i>, </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hawkes, J.G. (1986) Infraspecific classification
- the problems, in: B.T. Styles (ed.) <i>Infraspecific Classification of Wild
and Cultivated Plants</i>. London: Clarendon Press, pp. 1-7. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Helm, J. (1957) Versuch einer
morphologisch-systematischen Gliederung der Art <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, <i>Zuchter</i>,
27: 203-222. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Holland, H. (1957) Classification and performance
of varieties of red beet, <i>Report of the National Vegetable Research
Station, Wellsborne</i>, 1956: 1-26. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hosford, D.J., J.R. Lenton, G.F.J. Milford, T.O.
Pocock and M.C. Elliot (1984) Phytohormone changes during root growth in <i>Beta</i>
species, <i>Plant Growth Regulation</i>, 2: 371-380. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">ICBN (1983) International Code of Botanical
Nomenclature, <i>Regnum Vegetabile</i> no. 111. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">ICNCP (1980) 'International Code of Nomenclature
for Cultivated Plants', <i>Regnum Vegetabile</i> no. 104. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kays, S.J. and J.C. Silva Dias (1996) <i>Cultivated
Vegetables of the World: Latin Binomial, Common names in 15 Languages, Edible
Part, and Method of Preparation</i>. Athens, Georgia, USA: Exon Press, pp.
30-31. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lange, W., W.A. Brandenburg and Th.S.M. de Bock
(1999)Taxonomy and cultonomy of beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.), <i>Botanical
Journal of the Linnean Society</i>, 130: 81-96. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Letschert, J.P.W. (1993). '<i>Beta</i> section <i>Beta</i>:
biogeographical patterns of variation and taxonomy'. PhD thesis published as
93-1 of the <i>Wageningen Agricultural University Papers</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Linnaeus, C. (1753) <i>Species Plantarum</i>.
Stockholm. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Munerati, O. (1932) Sull incrocio della
barba-bietola coltivata con la beta selvaggia della costa adriatica, <i>Industria
saccar ital.</i>, 25: 303-304. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Owen, F.V. (1942) Inheritance of cross- and
self-sterility and self-fertility in <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, <i>Journal of
Agricultural Research</i>, 69: 679-698. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Röttger, U. (1978) Blattwachskomponenten als
Schl?reize der Eiablage von <i>Pegomya betae</i> Curt., <i>Mitteilungen der
Deutschen Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie</i>, 1:
22-28. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Savitsky, V.F. (1950) Monogerm sugar beets in the
United States, <i>Proceedings of the American Society of Sugar Beet
Technologists</i>, 6: 156-159. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Speckmann, G.J. and Th. S. M. de Bock (1982) The
production of alien monosomic additions in <i>Beta vulgaris</i> as a source
for the introduction of resistance to beet root nematode (<i>Heterodera
schachtii</i>) from <i>Beta</i> species of the section <i>Patellares</i>, <i>Euphytica</i>,
31: 313. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Snyder, R. (2003) Beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>), </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Williams, J.T., A.J. Scott and B.V. Ford-Lloyd
(1976). <i>Patellaria</i>: a new genus in the Chenopodiaceae, <i>Feddes
Report</i>, 97: 289-292. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Zossimovich, V.P. (1939) Evolution of cultivated
beet, <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, <i>C.R. (Doklady) Acad. Sci. URSS</i>, 24(1):
73-76. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-10043882314613733832018-02-21T17:44:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:44:26.331+00:00Beetroot: 4. Cultivation
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">4. Cultivation</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated
beets (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>) are biennials, although they are usually grown
as annuals. Beetroot produces green tops and a swollen taproot during its
first growing season. The nutrients stored in the taproot are used to produce
flowers and seeds in the second season. Cultivated beets thrive under a wide
range of conditions and are easy to cultivate. Beetroot is one of the most
popular vegetables grown on allotments and in gardens. It grows quickly, is
highly productive, and is usually free of pests and diseases. The cultivation
of beet is considered in this chapter, from sowing through harvest, to
storage and seed production. This chapter also looks at the conservation of <i>Beta</i>
biodiversity and how biotechnology is being used to modify <i>Beta vulgaris</i>.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sg"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sowing and Germination</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> must
be propagated from seed. The seed occurs in the form of a seed cluster,
glomerule or seedball. As noted in the previous chapter, botanically speaking
this is a fruit that typically contains two or three true seeds. Seedballs
(hereafter 'seeds') are sown directly into the ground, in the spring or
summer, when soil temperatures have risen above 7°C. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Deep digging is advised, to obtain a good tilth
for the first outdoor sowing in a garden. Around 7 g of seed is generally
considered sufficient for 10 m of row. Rows can be drawn with a hoe on a
finely raked seedbed. The seeds are big enough to be handled individually. In
gardens situations, they can be thinly scattered along the rows or placed
about 2 to 5 cm apart in the rows. Beetroot seed is sown at a depth of 1 to 3
cm, depending on cultivar. The seed of early sowings can be sown shallower
and denser than later sowings, where later sowings are to produce larger
beets for storage. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rows or drills are typically spaced 25 to 45 cm
apart. In gardens, for minibeets or where beets are to be harvested very
small, rows can be spaced as little as 15 cm apart. Row spacing for the
largest maincrop varieties can be up to 50 cm. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Once sown, seeds can be covered in loose soil,
sand, compost, leaf mould or vermiculite. After sowing and covering, the
drills are ideally tamped or patted down to ensure good soil contact with the
seeds. Heat, drought and crusting of the soil surface can interfere with
germination and emergence. Birds can take seed and re-sowing may be necessary
when this occurs. Covering can prevent seed loss to birds. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Germination usually takes between 10 to 24 days,
depending on temperature and other factors, although under ideal conditions
it can occur in less than 10 days. Beetroot germinates relatively well at
high temperatures, but germination becomes slow and erratic at temperatures
below 7°C. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot seed has a relatively low germination
rate compared to other crop seed. The statutory minimum level of germination
for beetroot in the UK is lower than for most crops at 70%; although 50%
germination is accepted for Cheltenham Green Top, a long-rooted cultivar
grown since the seventeenth century. Seed packets usually contain a much
higher proportion of live seed, although the statutory testing is done when
the seeds are packed for sale and seed viability declines with time. Older
seeds will have lower germination rates and beetroot seed should be stored
for no longer than five years. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Three seed factors that negatively influence
germination have been identified: i) a mucilaginous layer that can surround
the seedball, ii) the ovary cap, and iii) the presence of chemical inhibitors
in the seedball. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A mucilaginous layer has been observed on beet
seedballs. This is particularly the case for sugar beet, where around 75% of
seed can have a significant mucus layer. The germination potential is lowered
for cultivars prone to having this layer. In experiments, seedballs with a
mucilaginous layer had a lower rate of germination, and a lower level of
final germination, compared to seedballs lacking one. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The ovary cap or operculum is a dome-shaped
structure that covers the embryo. It acts as a barrier to gas exchange. The
length of time that the operculum holds fast to the rest of the embryo varies
between cultivars. The amount of oxygen available to germinating seeds may be
limited in cultivars having tenacious operculum, which can slow development.
In experiments where the operculum has been softened through soaking, or has
been lifted and removed, germination rate has been increased. The effect is
most pronounced for cultivars having a mucilaginous layer. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The cork-like layer around the seeds in the
seedball contains substances that inhibit germination. These germination
inhibitors have been identified as phenolic compounds. They may contribute to
the good storage properties of beet seed, and prevent inappropriate
germination. However, they can take up to several weeks to de-activate after
sowing and result in asynchronous emergence. In an experimental study,
seedballs having a mucilaginous layer were found to have higher levels of
phenolic germination inhibitors. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The three physical and chemical factors outlined
above make germination erratic. In commercial operations, a lack of
uniformity in germination leads to a lack of uniformity in emergence and
subsequent product size. Seed factors affecting germination are therefore
considered when planning pre-sowing treatments. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Water and temperature are the main environmental
factors limiting germination. High water levels in the soil are inhibitory to
the rate of germination and emergence. In experiments, however, excess water
levels only affected seed viability when associated with high temperatures
(above 35°C). Below this temperature, the rate of seed emergence is only
slowed down. Excess water restricts gas exchange, reducing the oxygen
available to the seeds. Soils that hold water, such as heavy clays, may
therefore limit the rate of seed germination more easily than well-drained
soils. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Methods to boost germination early in the season
include warming the soil with cloches, fluid sowing, pre-soaking the seeds,
and sowing in modules (transplanting). Cloches or cold frames can be used in
gardens to enable the soil temperature for successful germination to be
attained earlier in the season. They can be left in place while seedlings
emerge. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fluid sowing involves germinating seeds indoors
under ideal conditions, for example, in a box on absorbent paper, and then
mixing them into a jelly-like medium for sowing. At normal room temperature,
around 70% of the seeds of a typical beetroot variety will germinate in six
days, after which time they are ready for fluid sowing. This technique is
time-consuming, but it enables germination rates to be quantified. The jelly
medium protects the germinated seeds from being damaged and it can be made,
for instance, out of wallpaper paste mixed at half strength. Germinated seeds
are stirred into the jelly medium, which can be squeezed through a nozzle
into prepared rows and covered in the normal way. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Soaking beetroot seed in water prior to sowing is
recommended as a means of improving germination. An hour in water is said to
be beneficial, but it is usually recommended that seeds are soaked for up to
twelve hours or overnight in lukewarm water or water at room temperature
(around 21°C). Soaking acts to wash out the germination inhibitors present in
the cork-like layer of the seedball. Some growers suggest using running water
to remove the inhibitory compounds from the vicinity of the seeds, but this probably
only offers a marginal additional benefit and wastes water. After soaking,
the seedballs should be dried before sowing. Most modern lines of beetroot
tend to have good germination rates if sown in their year of purchase. In my
limited trials with fresh seed of several cultivars, I found that soaking
over a period of hours did not significantly improve germination rate.
However, this method is likely to be more beneficial when using seed that has
been stored for a year or more, with seed of unimproved, traditional or
heritage varieties, or when only a small amount of seed is available. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The corky layer can be rubbed off beet seed to
produce smooth round seedballs. This can help remove the mucilaginous layer
and germination inhibitors. In commercial operations, for example, decorking
or seed scarification can increase sugar beet seedling vigour. However, for
beetroot, rubbing the seedballs can damage the seeds and reduce germination
rate. Packets of modern F1 hybrid beetroot seed, in fact, often advise against
damaging the seedballs in any way. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Successive sowings of beetroot can be made every
three weeks during the growing season, to ensure a continuous supply of small
beets. Early-season quick-maturing cultivars are planting in spring (e.g.
April onwards in Britain). Cultivars that are resistant to bolting are
recommended for early sowing. Late maturing larger-rooted maincrop cultivars
are sown from mid-summer onwards, and the roots can be stored and used during
the winter. It is recommended that the last sowing should be timed at least
ten weeks before heavy frosts are expected. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="tt"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thinning and Transplanting</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Some thinning is nearly always required for
beetroot, because it germinates from multigerm seedballs. If every seed in a
seedball germinated, one to three seedlings would emerge per seedball. For
the most commonly grown beetroot cultivars, two embryos typically develop to
produce two seedlings per seedball. Two or more seedlings can therefore
emerge in the same station and adversely compete with each other. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Once seedlings are around 5 cm high, they are
typically thinned to 5 to 10 cm apart. Single plants of maincrop and
long-rooted varieties, however, are thinned to between 20 and 25 cm apart to
reach maturity. Dull and damp weather is traditionally recommended for
thinning operations. Thinned beetroot can be eaten steamed or in salads.
Beetroot mature more quickly when the plant stand is thinner. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Monogerm cultivars of beetroot have been bred in
recent years, which reduce the time-consuming labour of thinning. They have
only one viable seed per seedball and therefore do not need thinning, if only
one seed (seedball) is planted per station. Monogerm beetroot cultivars
include Monogram, Monopoly and Moneta. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">All sugar beet seed is now monogerm. In the past,
machines were used to thin sugar beet rows after emergence. Today, seeds are
sown mechanically using precision drills and there is no need for subsequent
thinning. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beets can be transplanted within
modules, so the roots are minimally disturbed. This is sometimes
advantageous. The first sowing of the year can be done in seed modules in a
greenhouse from February onwards, for instance, to avoid early cold
temperatures in the field. Transplanting is usually only recommended for
globe beetroot varieties. Modules are planted out, about 10 cm apart, when
seedlings are around 5 cm high. Up to three seeds can be sown per module,
with thinning leaving the most vigorous seedling. Transplanted seedlings can
also be used to fill gaps in rows due to poor germination or seed predation
by birds, or to fill odd spaces around an allotment. However, transplanting
can on occasion give poor results or malformed roots, and therefore direct
sowing is usually recommended as a first course of action where climatic conditions
are favourable. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Baron von Koppy first transplanted sugar beet, on
an experimental basis, in the nineteenth century. This method has been
adopted for cultivated beets and is still used today, especially in Japan and
China. Chinese gardeners reportedly transplant much of their beetroot early
in the season. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot can be grown in modules or boxes in
order to harvest the young leaves for salads. These can be grown in compact
units, as these plants are not being grown for their roots. Beetroot can also
be cultivated to harvest in containers. This works best for smaller
globe-shaped beetroot cultivars in containers that are ideally trough-shaped
and filled with at least a 20 cm of soil. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="otr"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Optimal Temperature Range</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot grows best in a relatively cool and even
climate. Temperatures between 15 and 19°C (60-65°F) are ideal for
cultivation. Beetroot develops its deepest colours, highest sugar content,
and best root quality and shape in this relatively cool temperature range.
Beetroot's optimal temperature range is effectively the same as fodder and
sugar beet. These cultivated beets prefer cooler temperatures than the wild
sea beet from which they are descended. Leaf beets, however, can thrive in
warmer temperatures than beetroot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot growth in early spring is constrained by
sub-optimal low temperatures. The use of cloches or horticultural fleece to
warm the soil and air around young seedlings can increase early growth rates.
The use of horticultural fleece, in one study, increased beetroot yields by up
to 50% in early spring. The fleece can be removed four to six weeks after
sowing. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Temperatures below 10°C (50°F) cause a
physiological shift from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, with the
storage root shrinking and nutrients being diverted to reproductive
structures. If low temperatures persist for over two weeks, particularly with
seedlings early in the season, bolting (premature flowering) can occur in the
first year's growth. Bolting resistance has been bred into beet cultivars to
reduce this problem early in the season. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot can tolerate light to moderate frosts,
which can help enhance the sweetness of the roots. However, severe freezing
conditions in late autumn and winter can damage the taproot. The roots must
therefore be harvested before heavy frosts appear in northern latitudes.
Beetroot cultivars with large roots grow best in the colder regions of
Central and Eastern Europe, partly because they are more frost tolerant. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Temperatures above 25°C (77°F) can adversely
affect the growth, colour, and development of beetroot. At higher than
optimal temperatures, the storage of nutrients in the roots is reduced,
leading to smaller root size, and impaired texture and flavour. Roots can
become stringy and tough in response to excessive heat. Some cultivars are
more tolerant of tropical conditions than others, however, and these are
recommended in warmer regions. Crimson Globe and Detroit Dark Red, for
instance, are cultivars that do well in warmer climates. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="i"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Irrigation</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beets can survive drought and salinity
better than most crops. This reflects the species' coastal origins. However,
supplying additional water can raise crop yield. The main aim of irrigation
in cultivated beets is to maximize productivity, by enabling an even growth
pattern to occur throughout the season. Maintaining moisture levels early in
the season is important, but overwatering is detrimental to growth. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot generally requires less water than leaf
beets. Frequent watering of beetroot leads to increased leaf growth, but this
is not necessarily accompanied by a proportional increase in root growth.
Overwatering can lead to excessive leaf growth and small roots. Waterlogged
soils can harm root development, encourage disease, cause minerals to leach
away from the roots, and create harvesting difficulties. The leaves of
waterlogged beetroot can turn red and photosynthesis can be affected,
resulting in plants that stop growing for a period of time. Moderate watering
is therefore advised, sufficient to prevent the soil from completely drying
out. In wet conditions, growing beetroot in raised beds enhances drainage.
Mulching can conserve soil moisture during dry weather. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Dry conditions over a period of weeks may
constrain plant growth and reduce yields. In dry soils, there is an increase
in the amount of zoning in the roots. Paler rings develop due to the lack of
moisture, while the roots start to become woody. Sudden irrigation or rain
after a period of drought can cause roots to split. Watering at a rate of
eleven litres per square metre every two weeks is recommended in the <i>Royal
Horticultural Society (RHS) Encyclopaedia of Gardening</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Water is taken up by the fibrous roots that grow
from the main storage or taproot. Deep-rooted (long root-shaped) beetroot
cultivars and sugar beet can access water deeper in the soil and survive
drought better than shallow rooted (e.g. globe-shaped) cultivars. Irrigated
sugar beet produces higher sugar yields. Similarly, the natural sweetness in
beetroot is enhanced in plants that have been adequately watered. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="scn"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Soil Conditions and Nutrition</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated beets are tolerant of a wide range of
soil conditions, but they grow best in open sunny sites on well-drained
light, moist, friable and fertile soils. For beetroot, deep sandy loams are
ideal, especially those with a high organic content, which supplies natural
fertilizer and retains its moisture. Rich moist fertile soils produce the
best roots, although heavy clay soils may hinder root development. Although
beets can be grown under most conditions, for optimum or profitable yields
the application of fertilizer or lime is sometimes required. In particular,
sufficient levels of nitrogen, sodium, potassium and phosphorus are needed to
ensure good growth. As with all such operations, the cost of external
applications should be considered in terms of the added value to the crop. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The application of fresh manure, however, is not
recommended when preparing the ground for beetroot, because it can induce the
formation of multi-fang or thong-like roots instead of a single thick and
symmetrical taproot. Heavily manured or too-rich soils can also induce
cultivated beets to bolt. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Soil pH</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> The
relative acidity or alkalinity of a soil is measured using the pH scale. A
neutral soil has pH 7.0, acid soils have a pH below 7.0 and alkaline soils
have a pH above 7.0. Beetroot prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soils.
Beetroot thrives when pH is between 6.0 and 8.0. However, lime should be
applied to acid soils below around pH 5.8, as root growth can be constrained.
Beets are less tolerant of soil acidity than crops such as beans or maize.
However, beetroot is more tolerant of alkaline soils. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nitrogen</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Nitrogen (N) is the most important fertilizer element applied to beets in
commercial production, because it is the element most likely to be deficient
in arable soils. Nitrogen is particularly important for healthy top growth,
improving the vigour and colour of foliage. In sugar beet production, this is
additionally important because many mechanical harvesters need to handle the
tops to lift the roots. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There is no single characteristic symptom that identifies
nitrogen deficiency. However, the foliage typically becomes light green in
appearance, then yellow, due to the disappearance of chlorophyll from the
leaves. This reduces photosynthesis and subsequently crop yield. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In sugar beet, nitrogen deficiency is often
observed in patches of stunted plants with small yellowing leaves. Nitrogen
deficiency in beets is most likely to occur on sandy or gravely soils. The
application of nitrogen fertilizer can greatly increase yields, particularly
on continually cropped soils. However, in sugar beet, excessively high levels
of nitrogen can reduce the quality of roots in terms of their sugar content.
This is the biggest dilemma of sugar beet nutrition: crops benefit from
additional nitrogen, but too much can depress the sugar yield and increase
the proportion of impurities in the extracted sugar. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In garden situations, enough nitrogen is usually
supplied by an organic-rich soil. Otherwise, nitrogen fertilizer can be
applied in moderation before sowing beetroot seed. Nitrogen can be put on as
sodium nitrate (nitrate of soda) in slightly acidic soils, or where available
sodium is limited. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sodium</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> Sea
beet typically grows in stony and sandy soils along coastlines. Such soil
conditions are still favourable by cultivated beets, although the beets that
have been selected for their taproots do best in soils with fewer stones. In
keeping with its seashore origin, beetroot tolerates moderate concentrations
of salt. Uniquely among crops, beets take up and use large quantities of
sodium (Na), which is required for optimal growth. <i>Beta vulgaris</i>,
particularly in its wild form, is regarded as a halophyte. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Common salt (sodium chloride) is applied on
beetroot in some areas as a fertilizer. Salt stimulates beetroot growth and
kills small weeds, which are generally less tolerant of salt than beetroot.
However, the application of salt on beetroot growing in heavy clay soils is
not recommended. Beetroot and sugar beet are among the few commercial crops
that can be grown in saline conditions, although it is difficult to obtain
uniform plant stands. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are no obvious sodium deficiency symptoms,
but plants deficient in sodium are far more likely to show symptoms of
potassium deficiency. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Potassium</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> High
levels of potassium (K) are required for optimum growth of beet roots. The
symptoms of potassium deficiency are often referred to as ‘scorch’. Patches
of dead tissue occur in leaves (chlorosis), which take on a dull olive green
to bronze appearance. Low sodium exacerbates the problem, while potassium
deficiency can be alleviated by the addition of both potassium and sodium to
the soil. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Potassium fertilizers can be applied in bands
beneath rows prior to sowing seed or alongside seed soon after sowing.
Slow-release fertilizers may be applied in the weeks before sowing. Potash
fertilizers are often recommended prior to sowing and Arthur Hellyer, in his
gardening guide, suggests an application of one part sulphate of ammonia, one
part sulphate of potash, and five parts superphosphate of lime, mixed and
applied at 100-130 g per square metre. Wood ash is also beneficial, forked
into the ground prior to sowing. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Phosphorus</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Phosphorus (P) is necessary for vigorous early seedling growth in cultivated
beets. It is often in short supply in newly cultivated soils, but builds up
in soils after repeated fertilizer applications. Phosphorus deficiency is
therefore rare and only occurs when soils are extremely depleted of this
element. It is particularly uncommon in mature plants, but manifests itself
in seedlings through stunting and dark-green or purple-red leaf colour. In
older plants, the roots can also become stunted, while the taproot may form a
mass of fibrous secondary roots. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Commercial fertilizers often deliver several key
elements simultaneously, for example, N, P, K fertilizers. In garden
situations, however, in most cases adequate beet crops will be produced
without recourse to fertilizers. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sulphur</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Sulphur (S) is absorbed by plants in the form of sulphates. The symptoms of
sulphur deficiency are yellowing young leaves with irregular brown blotches.
However, enough sulphur usually falls on crops in rain, especially in
polluted regions. Sulphur deficiency is therefore rarely a problem in
cultivated beets. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Calcium</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Calcium (Ca) is an important element for cultivated beets, although it tends
to be overlooked as it is usually found at sufficient levels in the soil. It
accounts for why cultivated beets preference for slightly alkaline soils and
their intolerance of acid soils. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The most characteristic symptom of calcium
deficiency in cultivated beets is tip-burn, with young leaves becoming
crinkled and reduced in size, and the growing point developing abnormally so
that lateral shoots appear. This deficiency is not caused by inadequate
calcium in the soil, but by the plant's inability to take it up. This can
occur in acid or saline soils, or soils that have been waterlogged with salt
water. Calcium can be added to the soil in the form of lime to redress the
nutrient balance. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Magnesium</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> If
levels of N, P and K are adequate in sugar beet, another nutrient that might
be limiting yield will sometimes be magnesium (Mg). Intensive cropping
removes this element from soils. The symptoms of magnesium deficiency are
pale yellow and brittle necrotic areas in leaves (the latter distinct from
the softer dead tissue areas seen in potassium deficiency). Magnesium
deficiency is most likely to occur in hot summers for crops growing on sandy
soils. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boron</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> The
most frequent nutrient deficiency encountered in cultivated beets is boron
(B) deficiency. A deficiency of this micronutrient is also referred to as
black spot, heart rot, dry rot or canker. Boron deficiency results in stunted
plants, the deformation and death of the growing point, and slow growth. The
crown of the root becomes hollowed and blackened, due to water accumulation.
Rough black spots can appear on the roots. In beetroot, this gives the roots
a bitter taste. The roots may eventually become entirely discoloured,
hollowed or split. The yield and quality of cultivated beet roots can
therefore be severely affected. Boron deficiency can also result in corky
growths on the shoots and stalks. Roots from boron deficient plants store
poorly. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boron deficiency arises due to either a lack of
boron in the soil or an inability to take it up from the soil due to
unsuitable growing conditions. A lack of moisture aggravates boron
deficiency, and it most commonly occurs on chalky or heavily limed soils that
have dried out. Maintaining moisture levels in the soil and avoiding excessive
liming helps plants to obtain boron from the soil. Small amounts of borax
(sodium borate) can be added to the soil to alleviate problems caused by
boron deficiency. Alternatively, sprays of borax solution can be applied to
the foliage. However, the application of too much boron may be toxic to
subsequent crops. Plants that naturally accumulate boron, such as sweet
clover, can also be used to enrich the soil, particularly when they are grown
as a green manure. Seaweed is used as a valuable source of green manure on
cultivated Beta vulgaris in coastal areas. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Manganese and other trace elements</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> A
deficiency of manganese (Mn) in the soil causes yellow or necrotic blotches
to occur between beetroot leaf veins. This mainly affects older leaves and is
most prevalent in very alkaline soils. It can be cured by the addition of
fertilizers containing manganese. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A number of other micronutrients or trace
elements are required for the optimum growth of cultivated beets. The main
ones being chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc
(Zn). These are rarely deficient in soils using for beet cultivation. The
presence of nutrients and micronutrients in cultivated beets helps to make
them such health-promoting vegetables (see Chapter Seven). </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="pd"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pests and Diseases</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">CAB International’s Crop Protection Compendium
lists 67 major pests of cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. These include weeds,
insects, nematodes, and fungal and viral pathogens. Cooke (1993) lists 56
types of sugar beet pest, excluding weeds. However, pests of cultivated <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> are largely sporadic in their impact. Beetroot under normal
circumstances has relatively few pest or disease problems. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Weeds</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> Weeds
compete with beetroot for space, light, water and nutritional resources in
the soil, particularly during the early part of the season. They can reduce
yield if left unchecked. Regular hoeing in gardens and allotments prevents
weeds competing with beetroot. When hoeing, care should be taken not to
damage the roots. Applications of weedkillers (herbicides) provide control in
larger-scale and commercial plantings. The weeds in the CAB International
listing include amaranth or pigweed (<i>Amaranthus retroflexus</i>),
chickweed (<i>Stellaria media</i>), cleavers (<i>Galium aparine</i>),
dandelion (<i>Taraxacum</i> spp.), Johnson grass (<i>Sorghum halepense</i>),
knotweed (<i>Polygonum aviculare</i>), nettles (<i>Urtica</i> spp.),
meadowgrass (<i>Poa annua</i>) and ryegrass (<i>Lolium</i> spp.). In sugar
beet, 70% of weeds are typically broad-leaved plants and 30% are grasses. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It is plants in the Chenopodiaceae or goosefoot
family, however, that are the major weed pests of cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i>.
This is not surprising considering that <i>Beta vulgaris</i> is itself is in
Chenopodiaceae. Plants in this family tend to thrive under similar
conditions. Fat hen (<i>Chenopodium album</i>) is probably the biggest weed
problem in sugar beet and beetroot. Weedy forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> or
'weed beets' have in recent years become a particular problem in sugar beet
fields, especially in France and the more southern areas of Europe. Weed
beets can be bolters (prematurely setting seed in their first year’s growth
without producing useful roots), plants self-seeded from previous cultivation
or hybrids. Hybrid weed beets result from pollination between beet plants
growing wild around agricultural land and sugar beet crop plants. They tend
to adopt an annual growth pattern, competing with the crop for resources and
bolting to spread seed that furthers the problem. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Weeds are a particular problem early in the
growing season, when they compete for resources (e.g. moisture, light, soil
nutrients) with beet seedlings. Herbicides are sprayed predominantly at this
time to control weeds. However, weeds in the Chenopodiaceae and, in
particular, weed beets respond to particular herbicides in the same way as
cultivated beets. They are difficult to control because the herbicides that
control them best can also damage crop plants. The control of such weeds has
been a desirable goal in commercial beet production. This is why the first
transgenic or genetically modified <i>Beta vulgaris</i> was sugar beet
modified to be resistant to particular herbicide groups (e.g. glyphosates).
Transgenic herbicide-resistant sugar beet can be sprayed with these
herbicides, thereby controlling weeds without damaging the crop. This has
provided great benefits to sugar beet growers. However, concerns have been
expressed about the environmental impact of the changed herbicide spraying
regime and the evolution of resistance in weeds to the herbicides that are
being repeatedly sprayed on transgenic crops. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nematodes</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> The
beet cyst nematode (<i>Heterodera schachtii</i>) was one of the first pests
observed to limit sugar beet yields. It was described in the 1880s, in beets
grown in short rotations in Germany. Beet cyst nematode is now a major pest
of sugar beet worldwide, and is also a pest of fodder beet and beetroot. It
invades the roots, stunting their growth. Resistance to beet cyst nematode
has been bred into modern lines of sugar beet through the transfer of genes
from the wild species <i>Beta patellaris</i> (in the section <i>Procumbentes</i>
of the genus <i>Beta</i>). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Root knot nematode (<i>Meloidogyne incognita</i>)
and species of stubby root nematode (<i>Trichodorus</i> spp.) adversely
affect the roots of cultivated beets, particularly early in the growing
season. Stubby root nematodes cause the roots to fork or fang. In commercial
and garden situations, lengthening the rotation is the best method to reduce
damage due to nematodes. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Insects</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> No
single insect pest consistently attacks cultivated beets. However, a range of
species can potentially damage them. This occasional damage can be severe. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Many of the insects attacking beets occur in the
family Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). Larvae of beet webworms (e.g.
Hymenia perspectalis, Loxostege sticticalis and Spoladea recurvalis) feed on
leaves and roots. They construct a protective shelter by rolling a leaf and
tying it together with webs. Cutworms (e.g. <i>Agrotis</i> spp. and <i>Peridroma
saucia</i>) are noctuid moth larvae that feed on the lower leaves and crowns
of beet roots. After attack by cutworms, the stem bases and lower leaves are
visibly gnawed. Beet armyworm (<i>Spodoptera exigua</i>) larvae can defoliate
crops in the USA, especially when migrating from pigweed. Lepidoptera larvae
can be picked off cultivated beets and destroyed in gardens and small-scale
commercial operations. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Flea beetles (e.g. <i>Chaetocnema confinis</i>)
are small jumping beetles, which eat holes in young leaves and can seriously
damage seedlings. The white larvae of beet leafminers (e.g. <i>Pegomya
hyoscyami</i>) feed on internal leaf tissue, causing yellowish blisters on
the foliage. Heavily damaged leaves can be picked off and destroyed to
prevent infestation spreading, although leafminers do no damage to the roots.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Aphids (e.g. <i>Aphis fabae</i> and <i>Myzus
persicae</i>) form dense colonies on the shoots and leaves of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i>. They can cause direct damage by feeding and extracting plant
sap, but are primarily a pest of beets because they act as vectors for virus
yellows diseases. They transmit virus from crop to crop and spread it within
a crop. Aphid species are particularly significant as pests of beetroot being
grown for seed. Controlling aphids with insecticides is the main method of
preventing virus infestations in sugar beet. However, heavy insecticide use
has resulted in aphids evolving insecticide resistance, which has led to a
resurgence of virus disease problems in sugar beet. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The beet leafhopper (<i>Neoaliturus tenellus</i>
[<i>Circulifer tenellus</i>]) is a pest of beetroot because it transmits beet
curly top virus (curly top disease). The beet leafhopper and the virus it
transmits are primarily found in the USA. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Viral diseases</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> Virus
yellows is a group of aphid-transmitted viral diseases that affect all
cultivated beets. Virus yellows was first described in the 1930s affecting
sugar beet. It causes foliage to become yellowed or necrotic. Leaf veins may
be particularly affected. This reduces photosynthetic efficiency, root system
development, and sugar yield and quality. It was subsequently found that
virus yellows comprises a complex of closely related viruses: beet yellows
virus (BYV), beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV) and beet western yellows virus
(BWYV). These viruses have different distributions and slightly different
symptoms. They are rarely a problem in beetroot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet mosaic virus (BtMV) is another
aphid-transmitted beet virus. It causes flecking and mosaic patterns on beet
leaves, and eventually major leaf abnormalities. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Curly top disease is caused by beet curly top
virus (BCTV), which is transmitted from plant to plant by feeding beet
leafhoppers. The symptoms of curly top disease include warty leaf veins and
rolled, brittle and twisted foliage. Plants become stunted and the root
system is reduced in size. Curly top disease caused major losses in sugar
beet in the USA, until the introduction of resistant varieties in the 1930s.
Today, all sugar beet cultivars incorporate resistance to curly top disease. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Not all beet viruses, however, are transmitted by
insect vectors. Some minor viruses of sugar beet are transmitted by
nematodes, and one significant pest problem arises through an association
between a virus and a fungus. Beet rhizomania is caused by the beet necrotic
yellow vein virus (BNYW), which is transmitted by the fungus <i>Polymyxa
betae</i>. Rhizomania is largely restricted to species of <i>Beta</i> because
of the narrow host range of the fungus. The disease was first described in
Italy in 1952, and it is now widespread. Rhizomania can cause severe yield
losses in sugar beet. The virus was named after the leaf symptoms, but the
major economic damage is done to the roots. Rhizomania (meaning ‘leaf madness’)
is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of lateral roots, producing a
mass of fibrous roots known as bearded root. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fungicides have provided the main means of
control for rhizomania in sugar beet. However, resistance has been found in
wild <i>Beta</i> species that is being incorporated into breeding programmes,
and genetic engineering techniques are being used to produce 'immune' plants
through the incorporation of viral coat proteins in the plant genome. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fungal pathogens</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are a number of fungal diseases that affect
cultivated beets, including mildews and the organisms that cause damping off,
scab and leaf spot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Downy mildew (<i>Peronospora farinosa</i>) causes
red-rimmed spots on the leaves of beetroot. It thrives during periods when
the roots dry out or when plants are growing slowly, and spreads quickly in
the field during cool and humid weather conditions. Downy mildew affects the
tops of beetroot, causing discolouration. It can spread to the crown and top
of the taproot. It can also infect the flowers and seedball, and it is a
seed-transmitted pathogen. Powdery mildew (<i>Erysiphe betae</i>) has
symptoms similar to downy mildew. The fungi that cause both downy and powdery
mildews in cultivated beets are restricted to <i>Beta</i> species. Resistance
to powdery mildew has been bred into sugar beet using genes from sea beet (<i>Beta
vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i>). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A range of different soil-born fungal pathogens
cause damping off or blackleg in cultivated beets (e.g. <i>Pleospora betae</i>,
<i>Pythium ultimum</i> and <i>Phytophthora</i> spp.). Seedlings and young
plants rot at soil level, collapse and die. Damping off is most prevalent in
wet weather, in early spring plantings, and in poorly drained soils. It is
rarely a problem in sugar beet today, because of the use of fungicides and
resistant varieties. Individual rots are often distinguished within this
general condition, including rhizoctonia disease (<i>Rhizoctonia solani</i>),
wet rot (<i>Phytophthora megasperma</i>), phoma (<i>Phoma betae</i>), violet
root rot (<i>Helicobasidium purpureum</i>), sclerotium root rot (<i>Sclerotium
rolfsii</i>) and others. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Scab (<i>Streptocyces scabies</i>) affects many
vegetables, including cultivated beets. Beetroot is particularly susceptible
to scab, which causes rough corky spots and warty growths on the skin of the
root. It can be prevented by ensuring that soil pH is near neutral and by
rotating crops. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cercospora leaf spot (<i>Cercospora beticola</i>)
is a widespread and destructive foliar disease of cultivated beets. It is one
of the most common diseases affecting beetroot and can cause significant economic
losses in sugar beet. Cercospora causes small brown spots with reddish-purple
borders to appear over leaves and stems. Heavy infection causes leaves to
become yellow and drop off. Applying potash before sowing can help prevent
leaf spot, as can crop rotation. Resistance to Cercospora leaf spot was first
bred into sugar beet in the 1920s by Italian scientists, through crosses with
resistant sea beet. More recently, beetroot cultivars have been bred with
resistance to Cercospora leaf spot. Leaf spot in beetroot can also be caused
by other fungi (e.g. <i>Ramularia beticola</i>). Leaf spot is more prevalent
in wet conditions when plants are closely spaced. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Slugs and snails</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Molluscs can do considerable damage to the foliage of cultivated beets,
particularly those grown in gardens and allotments. Slugs (e.g. <i>Deroceras
reticulatum</i>) make holes in the leaves, especially when conditions are
damp on heavier and poorly drained soils. Slugs can be a particular problem
when roots are left in the ground late in the season. Snails can also, on
occasion, be a problem under wet conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Birds and mammals</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> Birds
eat beetroot seed and seedlings. Sparrows (<i>Passer</i> spp.) can be a
problem in gardens, while pheasants (<i>Phasianus</i> spp.), partridge (<i>Perdix
perdix</i>) and pigeons (<i>Columba</i> spp.) are among the main bird pests
in sugar beet fields. Netting can keep birds away from seed and seedlings in
gardens and allotments. Birds can eat their way down a row of seeds, but not
all the seeds are necessarily destroyed. Charles Darwin, in <i>The Origin of
Species</i> (1859), records beet seed germinating after passing through the
digestive system of birds. He fed seeds of various crop plants to birds of
prey in the Zoological Gardens in London and noted that two beet seeds grew
after having been retained by a bird for two days and fourteen hours,
respectively. This represents a minor route by which wild and weedy <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> can disperse. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A number of mammals are pests of sugar beet,
including moles, mice, rats, rabbits and deer. Much of the damage caused,
however, is non-lethal defoliation from which plants can recover. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="cr"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crop Rotation</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rotating crops is an important factor in reducing
the incidence of pests and diseases in cultivated beets. Yields of sugar beet
were significantly reduced by nematodes, for instance, before the practice of
rotation became established. Rotation, in combination with crop hygiene, is
particularly important in reducing the incidence of damping off, rot and
other fungal diseases. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot can easily be fitted into planting
schemes in a garden or allotment, for example, being sow on ground from which
heavily manured crops like potatoes or beans have recently been harvested. By
following on from a well-manured crop, beetroot can be grown in soil with
good water-retention properties. Green crops and potatoes are demanding of
nitrogen in the soil and benefit from well-rotted animal manure. Fresh manure
is harmful to root development in beetroot and crops such as carrots, turnips
and parsnips. Therefore, green crops and potatoes are typically followed by
root crops in crop rotation systems. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rotation in a three or four year cycle with
legumes is usually recommended for cultivated beets. A three-year garden
rotation could involve, for instance, firstly, the rotation of blocks of
cabbages and other brassicas along with lettuces and other salads; secondly,
potatoes followed by broccoli and other winter greens; and thirdly, carrots,
beetroot and other root crops, along with peas and beans. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A number of companion plants to grow with
beetroot are suggested in <i>The Complete Book of Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit</i>.
Beetroot is said to flourish in the company of kohlrabi and brassicas,
carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onions and most beans, but not tall runner beans
that could shade them. Dill or Florence fennel planted nearby may attract
predators that prey on insect pests of beetroot. Beetroot combines well with
many other crops and is quick growing, making it good for serial cropping and
intercropping within a rotation. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="h"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Harvesting</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot are harvested from the early summer to
late autumn in their first year of growth. The roots can be harvested over a
period of time, to give beets ranging in size from small to large and mature.
It usually takes around 60 to 90 days for beetroot to reach full maturity.
Beetroot can be harvested when required and left in the ground until the
first heavy frosts of autumn. Mature roots can survive mild frosts, but can
suffer freezing damage during heavy frosts. The leaves start to fall away
from an upright position when beets reach maturity. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot must be lifted carefully, because
bruised and broken roots bleed and are of diminished culinary value. Beetroot
or garden beet is usually harvested with its leaves by hand, and either used
domestically or sold fresh in bunches tied around the stems or leaves. For
market sale, dead leaves are usually removed and the roots washed, for
example under a hosepipe, rather than being scrubbed. The leaves are
traditionally twisted off above the crown. If the leaves are not wanted in
the kitchen, their high mineral content (e.g. magnesium) makes them a useful
addition to the compost heap. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Small beets or minibeets (below 5 cm) may be
harvested about two months after sowing, while mature full-size beets may be
harvested after three months or longer. Final root size is due to variety and
spacing, and not degree of maturity. In southern Europe, beets can be left in
the ground overwinter. In mild climates, a layer of straw around 15 cm thick
can be placed over the soil where roots are left in the ground overwinter. In
northern latitudes, where most beetroot is now grown, the beets must be
lifted and stored before midwinter, because of potential damage from severe
frosts. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In commercial operations, beetroot and sugar beet
are mechanical harvesting in bulk. The first mechanical harvesters for
cultivated beets were introduced in the 1930s in the USA. By the 1950s, the
entire US sugar beet crop was harvested mechanically. Little sugar beet
worldwide is now harvested manually. Single or multiple-row harvesters are
available, which operate using two different methods. Beets can be lifted
mechanically using the tops. Good top development is encouraged in beets
harvested by this method. In the other method, a flail removes the tops prior
to harvest. The beets are then harvested from the soil like potatoes. This
method can be used on modern beet cultivars having small top development. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Eastern and Central Europe has historically been
associated with the large-scale cultivation of maincrop beetroot. The major
beetroot producers today are Russia, Poland, France, Italy and the USA.
Northern Europe and North America produce the bulk of the commercial crop.
Their combined commercial production (excluding Eastern Europe) is around
900,000 tons, according to CAB International figures. In most other areas,
beetroot is mainly grown in market gardens or for home consumption. In
Eastern Europe a large proportion of the beetroot crop is home-produced. In
Russia, for instance, family dachas (small country houses and gardens) are
used to grow beetroot and other vegetables. Recently, a travel company
offering coach trips between St. Petersburg and Moscow started operating
under the name Beetroot Bus Tours, because of the prevalence of beetroot
fields en route. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The major areas of beetroot production in the USA
are New York, Wisconsin, Oregon and Texas. Most US beetroot goes straight to
the food processing industry, but some reaches the fresh market. The
commercial crop is harvested mechanically, but the crop for the fresh market
is often hand harvested. Mechanical harvesters first cut off the bulk of the
leaves and then crop the plants within around 5 cm of the crown, with a
second harvester following to lift the roots into bulk trailers. Around
14,000 acres of beetroot were grown annually in the late 1990s in the USA.
Figures from the University of Georgia show that processed beet yields 18 to
25 tons per acre, while fresh market beet yields 140 to 200 cwt. per acre.
Commercial beetroot fall into three grades for the US market; grade 1 being
below 5 cm (up to 2 5/8 inches) in diameter, grade 2 being around 5-7 cm (2-2
5/8 inches) and grade 3 being around 7.5-10 cm (3-4 inches). Grade 2 beets
are consistently available season long, but grades 1 and 3 have greater seasonal
variation. For beetroot sold fresh, the USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture) set a maximum permissible weight loss of 41% from harvesting to
point of sale, although this is 7% if roots are sold with tops as the leaves
soon wilt due to moisture loss. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In garden situations, Hellyer estimates that
beetroot typically yield around 2.5 kg per square metre or 1.3 kg per metre
of row. CAB International data gives typical commercial yields of around 15.3
t/ha of beetroot in Mediterranean and tropical conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The world's single heaviest beetroot, according
to the <i>Guinness Book of Records</i>, weighed 23.5 kg (51 lb 9.4 oz) and
was exhibited by Ian Neale at the National Giant Vegetable Championship,
Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, England, on 7th September 2001. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="st"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Storage</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot, fodder beet and sugar beet store well
and are amenable to long-distance transport. Fully mature beets store better
than immature roots. Beets have traditionally been stored outdoors on farms,
in covered heaps or buried in hogs or clamps. Fodder beets have often been
stored in bulk in silos. However, when grown commercially, beets are now
moved indoors and stored under controlled environmental conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot needs around 12 to 16 weeks of growth to
reach a sufficient maturity for storage. Long and cylindrical rooted
cultivars are usually considered better for storing when mature, while
cultivars with globe-shaped roots are considered better for immature use, but
all beetroot cultivars store reasonably well. Before storing, the leaves are
either twisted off or cut 5 to 8 cm above the crown. Beetroot can be stored
in strong boxes in sand, earth, or sawdust, in a cool, frost-proof location.
Under favourable conditions, beetroot can be stored up to five to six months.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The best storage conditions for beetroot,
described in Stanley Kay's <i>Postharvest Physiology of Perishable Plant
Products</i>, are in cool temperatures (0 to 5°C) and high humidity (90 to
95% relative humidity). High humidity is important because the maximum
acceptable loss of water is 7% from stored roots, or 5% when beetroot is
bunched with leaves, before beets are considered unmarketable. Beets (no
leaves) are comprised of around 88% water. High humidity minimizes water loss
during storage. The freezing point for topped beetroot, with leaves removed,
is -0.9?C, while for bunched beetroot is it -0.4°C. Below these temperatures,
freezing damage will occur. High levels of carbon dioxide may also be detrimental
to beetroot storage. In high levels of carbon dioxide (30-70%), beetroot
increases its respiration rate, which leads to a higher metabolic rate.
Storage methods utilizing high carbon dioxide are therefore inappropriate for
beetroot, while some degree of air circulation that prevents carbon dioxide
from building up may enable beetroot to be stored for longer. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Topped beets for the fresh market in the USA are
typically graded, washed and packaged in polyethylene bags. They are stored
for up to five months at below 5°C (around 32°F) and 90-95% relative humidity
before being sold. Beetroot should not be stored in large bulk, but ideally
in pallets or crates that allow good air circulation around each beet. These
are mostly marketed within six months, enabling the crop to be sold
throughout autumn and winter. If beetroot is to be kept for longer,
preservation is required. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Commercially grown beetroot is mainly preserved
before sale, by being either boiled or pickled. In the USA, boiled and canned
beets are common, while in Europe, mini-beets or sliced beetroot pickled in
glass jars is more prevalent. The Germans and British, in particular, consume
large quantities of beetroot pickled in malt vinegar. Industrial processing
involves cleaning, slicing or dicing; then steaming or boiling, which cooks
and sterilizes the beets; followed by mechanical skinning. The beetroot are
then vacuum-sealed in a preserving solution such as vinegar. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">During World War II, beetroot was found to be one
of the most satisfactory dehydrated vegetables for military and civilian use.
It can still be bought in freeze-dried form in health food stores, because
beetroot is undergoing a revival as a health tonic (see Chapter Six). </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Seed Crops</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When beetroot is grown as a vegetable, it is
treated as an annual and harvested after the first growing season. However,
to produce seed, it must be allowed to complete its two-year life cycle. When
raising beetroot for seed, the crop can be sown in spring or early summer and
grown normally during its first season. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot requires a cooling period (vernalisation)
at the end of the first season's growth before it will flower in the second
season. Beetroot seed is produced commercially in colder climates, in
northern Europe and North America, so that this period of cooling is easily
achieved and where pest and disease problems are minimized. In temperate
areas, two weeks at between 2 and 10°C should induce flowering. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">For seed production, beets are lifted at the end
of the first season and the best material is selected. These roots are stored
in sand or earth in a cool but frost-free place. They are then planted out in
the following spring and allowed to grow until they produce seed. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The guidelines of the Heritage Seed Library, part
of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), suggest replanting roots
of beetroot in blocks with plants 30 cm apart. The crowns are positioned at
soil level and watered well to encourage re-rooting. Beetroot is
self-incompatible and will not self-fertilize. Therefore, blocks or rows of
beetroot of the same cultivar are necessary to produce seed. Different
beetroot cultivars should also be isolated when grown for seed to avoid
hybridization and maintain varietal purity. Although pollination is mainly by
wind, <i>Beta vulgaris</i> flowers produce nectar and are visited by insects.
In gardens, where large isolation distances are often not possible when seed
saving for personal use, horticultural fleece can be used to isolate blocks
of flowering plants to help reduce cross-fertilization. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet seed production is an industry in
itself. Plants that are used to produce seed are known in their first year as
stecklings. These are carefully chosen from the available plants. Stecklings
are harvested and stored without tops like other sugar beet, but are then
mechanically transplanted into different fields to begin a second year's
growth. Alternatively, the roots can be left in the ground to overwinter
after the first year's growth, with the plants being allowed to grow on into
their second season. This can only be done in northern latitudes where the
temperatures become cold enough for vernalisation, but is a method that
significantly reduces labour costs. As the second year's growth begins, the
main shoot tip is removed to encourage side branching, which increases the
number and quality of the seed produced. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">All the cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
(e.g. leaf beets, beetroot and sugar beet) can readily interbreed. Wind-born
pollen can fertilize beet flowers over long distances. Commercial seed crops
of beetroot, therefore, are often grown several miles away from sugar beet or
fodder beet seed crops because cross-pollination could ruin seed purity for
one or other crop. Minimal isolation distances of up to 3,200 metres have
been stipulated for sugar beet seed crops in order to maintain varietal
purity during seed production. In the UK, for example, the Beet Seeds
Regulations 1985 (as amended in 1989) state that the minimum distances from
neighbouring plants for the production of seed for sugar beet and fodder beet
should be 1000 metres away from other <i>Beta vulgaris</i> pollen sources. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The flower spike is harvested when all the
seedballs have fully developed. The seedballs are removed by pinching them
off the stalks and they are stored intact. The HDRA guidelines suggest that
beetroot seed can be stored for up to six years under cool dry conditions.
Seed production is difficult under tropical conditions, so seed is imported
into many countries where beetroot is now grown. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A recent theory suggests that the location on the
flower spike from where seeds are harvested may be significant. Research in
China has found that wheat seed collected from the centre of the spike grows
into plants that have significantly higher yields than wheat plants grown
from seed collected from the top or bottom of the spike. Stephen Coleman has
suggested that this might also apply to other crops having seeds spaced out
along spikes. Seed position on the spike of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, for
instance, may have been a factor in the differentiation of this species into
different cultivated forms selected for either top or root growth. Localized
selected seed experiments with <i>Beta vulgaris</i> may become an interesting
area of exploration. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biod"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Biodiversity</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crop biodiversity is preserved <i>in situ</i>,
especially in a crop’s centre of origin and genetic diversity, in seedbanks,
botanical collections and gardens. Seed saving organizations around the world
are playing an important role in preserving traditional, heritage or heirloom
crop varieties. The Heritage Seed Library of the HDRA in England, for
example, maintains seed for many crop varieties that are no longer registered
for sale in seed catalogues. The Heritage Seed Library maintains several
traditional beetroot varieties, which are available to amateur gardeners on paying
a subscription to the library. Because European Union (EU) legislation states
that seeds not listed on National Seed Registers cannot be sold, seeds for
many heritage varieties must be swapped or exchanged in this manner in order
to preserve crop biodiversity. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It is important that heritage varieties continue
to be cultivated. Agriculture is culture in all its aspects. History is
present in heritage varieties. A garden of traditional and heirloom varieties
is a fascinating living museum. It offers clues to how our ancestors lived
and how they improved food plants, and it propagates a unique aesthetic
beauty. Beetroot has in the past, for instance, been grown for its ornamental
value far more than it is today. Varieties that have dropped out of fashion as
food plants still look beautiful in gardens. The taste of traditional
varieties is also different to modern cultivars, which like all horticultural
crops are today mainly bred to satisfy the demands of intensive agriculture,
food processors and supermarkets. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Heritage varieties offer a unique genetic
resource for future generations. Genes from them, for instance, may encode
traits that may be beneficial against emerging pests and diseases or to help
crops adapt to climate change. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A rich genetic heritage of wild <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
and related <i>Beta</i> species still exists in Europe. However, many of the
natural habitats where these plants occur are under threat. It is important
to preserve this genetic material in its natural habitat, within in <i>in
situ</i> conservation projects, as well as in seed banks and botanical
collections. Within the genus <i>Beta</i>, species in the section <i>Procumbentes</i>
are largely restricted to the Canary Islands, where tourism is a threat to
genetic diversity through habitat destruction. The only species in the
section <i>Nana</i> (<i>Beta nanae</i>) is restricted in distribution to
snowy patches above 2000 metres on several Greek mountains. Nature reserves
will be needed for its long-term survival. Several <i>Beta</i> species in the
section <i>Corollinae</i> are potentially threatened in central Asia, for
example, by changing farming practices. Meanwhile, in the section <i>Beta</i>,
populations of the perennial species <i>Beta patula</i> are mainly found on a
small island near Madeira; while an unusual polyploid strain of <i>Beta
macrocarpa</i> is restricted to salt mine workings in the Canary Islands,
which are vulnerable to pressures from tourism. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Germplasm from wild <i>Beta</i> species has
already been used to make improvements to sugar beet in terms of pest and
disease resistance. It is therefore important to preserve all existing
germplasm within the genus <i>Beta</i> for future breeding programmes. An
International Data Base for Beta (IDBB), funded by the European Commission,
is in the process of being established (2004), which will facilitate access
to germplasm held in a decentralized network of genebanks around the world.
Molecular marker techniques will be used to look for novel and potentially
useful genetic diversity, while material will be evaluated for resistance to
root rots and fungal pathogens, viral diseases, and for tolerance to saline
and drought conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet breeders in Europe and North America
maintain collections of wild and cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> from its
area of origin in the eastern Mediterranean, and from its secondary centres of
diversity. The International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) has
given <i>Beta vulgaris</i> high priority as a species needing preservation,
due to a rapid erosion of its diversity in the wild. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Most beetroot breeding work is done in temperate
countries, but some is also done in southern China and northern India. The
traits breeders aim to incorporate include improvement in the speed of root
formation, the limitation of leaf production, the production of homogeneous
colour, good symmetrical shape and appearance, improved taste
characteristics, and the prevention of bolting. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biot"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Biotechnology</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> was
among the first crops to be modified by genetic engineering. Sugar beet has
been modified to be resistant to herbicides, as previously noted. With world
sugar production exceeding demand, there has been little incentive to modify
sugar beet to increase yield. Herbicide-resistance makes weed control in
sugar beet more efficient and reduces on-farm costs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There have been sound commercial reasons for concentrating
on herbicide-resistance as a trait in transgenic crops. It helps, for
instance, to preserve the market share for brand-name herbicides. Monsanto,
for instance, have modified a range of crops to be resistant to glyphosate
herbicide at a time when its Roundup glyphosate herbicide is coming out of
patent. Roundup has been one of Monsanto's most profitable products over
recent years. Farmers must sign a licensing agreement with Monsanto when
growing the company's Roundup-Ready crops, in which they agree to spray only
Roundup herbicide, and not generic glyphosate products, on these crops. New
factories producing Roundup are springing up around the world, most notably
in South America, to meet demand for increased Roundup spraying on Round-up
soybeans, maize, cotton, oilseed rape and sugar beet. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Although herbicide-resistant sugar beet is being
grown successfully in the USA and other countries, its introduction into
Europe has been delayed due to concerns that its cultivation will be
detrimental to the environment. Countryside and agriculture are much more
intrinsically linked in Europe than in North America. In an extensive
three-year programme of farm-scale evaluations of transgenic crops in the UK,
it was found that herbicide-resistant sugar beet was sprayed with more
herbicide than conventional sugar beet, reducing weed biomass sixfold late in
the season, with detrimental effects on biodiversity. Reductions in seed and
insect food could have serious long-term effects on bee, butterfly and bird
populations. In parts of Europe there is a move to see farmers not just as
producers of food but also as custodians of the countryside; a view that
acknowledges the economic importance of rural tourism. When growing a crop
that is already overproduced, moves towards methods of cultivation that
enable crop production and nature to co-exist need to be encouraged. The
scorched earth, weed-free transgenic crop route is out of step with this way
of thinking. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Other concerns expressed about the cultivation of
transgenic sugar beet include gene flow and the increased possibility that
resistance will develop in weeds to herbicides. Transgenes could easily
spread from transgenic sugar beet to other cultivated and wild <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> plants, all of which readily interbreed. The exchange of genes
between bolting sugar beet and weeds has been demonstrated in France, where
hybrid weed beets are a significant weed problem. The acquisition of
herbicide-resistance genes could make weed beet an even greater problem. The
spread of herbicide-resistant transgenes from one sugar beet crop to another
was first reported in Europe in 2000. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The first wave of transgenic crops was primarily
modified for herbicide-resistance. However, a wider range of modifications
are now being made to crops. Sugar beet, for instance, is now being modified
for resistance to the viral pathogen Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus (BNYVV)
and resistance to nematode pests. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Transgenic sugar beet could soon be developed
with a modified sugar content. Work in Europe, for instance, is underway to
produce a range of sugar molecules called fructans in sugar beet roots. Novel
fructans will be designed to meet a range of needs as functional foods or
food ingredients, including low-calories sweeteners, dietary fibre or bulking
agent in processed food. Fructans can also be used as raw materials in a wide
range of non-food products such as biodegradable plastics, detergents and
adhesives, and in cosmetics. Such modifications would effectively convert
sugar beet into a new crop. Sugar beet farmers in Europe would benefit from
diversification and increased markets, at a time of sugar overproduction and
when their subsidies for growing sugar are being threatened by a World Trade
Organization (WTO) ruling (May 2004). Beet may become an important crop in
which to produce novel chemicals for industrial applications. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar beet has been put to a range of uses over
the years. In addition to refined sucrose and sweet products, the tops and
pulp have been used as animal fodder, the dried pulp has provided a coffee
substitute, and its by-products have been used to manufacture industrial and
pharmaceutical products. Its juice can be processed into a tough varnish with
industrial applications, for example, while sugar beet is a source of citric
acid. The cosmetics industry makes extensive use of citric acid, which is
added to products to help them match the pH of the skin. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet crops may become increasingly used in the
production of biofuels. The technology for this is already in place. The
gasohol that drives cars in Brazil, for example, is made using sugar cane.
Using the same principle, sugar beet is one of the crops that can produce
bioethanol in Europe. Mixtures of bioethanol and petrol are used to fuel cars
in some European countries. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Biotechnology is extending the industrial uses of
sugar beet by-products. Beet pulp is a raw material used as a substrate for
the culturing of bacteria. The ferulic acid naturally found in beet pulp, for
example, can be converted into vanillin by a species of soil bacterium in the
laboratory. Vanillin is the most important component of vanilla essence. A
range of industrial products, including ethylene fuel and polyurethane foams
could be produced from sugar beet with the aid of biotechnology. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The techniques of tissue culture and genetic
engineering developed for sugar beet are applicable to beetroot. Tissue
culture involves the production of clonal regenerants from tissue taken from
a plant; usually undifferentiated callus tissue from the cotyledon of a plant
embryo. Regenerants grow into normal plants. They are easily screened in
breeding programmes and are ideal for genetic manipulation. An additional
advantage of large-scale tissue culture is that it gives rise to somaclonal
variation or novel genetic material for plant breeders to exploit. Beetroot
was included to a limited extent in early studies of regenerating <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> in tissue culture, although most work has been done on sugar
beet. Sabir and Ford-Lloyd included a fodder beet and four beetroot cultivars
in their study of the mass production of regenerants in tissue culture
(micropropagation). This study showed that all the tested forms of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> produced large numbers of regenerants under tissue culture
conditions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot could be genetically engineered for
herbicide-resistant or for resistance to viral pathogens in the same way as
sugar beet. However, it is unlikely that such modifications can be justified
in commercial terms. Modifications relating to colour or to root components
having medicinal properties are more likely goals. Variations in beetroot
pigments, specifically the betalains that give the roots their distinctive
red colour, have been studied using clonal material obtained by tissue culture.
Girod and Zryd demonstrated the importance of light, for instance, in the
induction of betalain synthesis using beetroot cell cultures. It may soon be
possible to manipulate betalain pigments in beetroot to influence root colour
or to make the pigments more stable. This could be done to improve their
value as a source of natural food colouring. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">However, beetroot is a rustic crop, on the
fringes of agribusiness. It is not a natural designer crop. The market for
beetroot is small compared to most of the crops that have been genetically
modified. These crops have tended to be commodity crops that are heavily
processed, whereas beetroot is usually just boiled and pickled when
processed. Beetroot also has relatively few pest and disease problems, and is
easy to cultivate organically without pesticides. The main problem that has
beset beetroot growers over the years has been bolting or premature
flowering. Conventional breeding methods have produced cultivars that are
resistant to bolting, which can be grown early in the season. It is therefore
unlikely that transgenic beetroot will ever be sold as a fresh vegetable.
However, it is quick and easy to grow, and the methods to genetically
engineer it have already been worked out using sugar beet. Therefore, in the
future beetroot could be genetically modified to produce high-value products
for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Four</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Allen, A. (2003) Saving seed from biennial veg, <i>The
Organic Way</i>, 173: 22-23. </span></span></div>
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38-42. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bosemark, N.O. (1993) Genetics and breeding, in:
D.A. Cooke & A.K. Scott (eds.) <i>The Sugar Beet Crop</i>. London:
Chapman and Hall, pp. 67-119. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Castellane, P.D., D.E. Foltran, M.E. Ferreira and
P.A. Bellingieri (1990) NPK fertilization of carrot (<i>Daucus carota</i> L.)
and beetroot (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) crops on soil of high fertility, <i>Revista
de Agricultura, Piracicaba</i>, 65(3): 257-266. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chiji, H., S. Tanaka and M. Izawa (1980) Phenolic
germination inhibitors in the seed balls of red beet, <i>Agricultural
Biological Chemistry</i>, 44: 205-207. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Coleman, S.M. (2004) 'Oriental wisdom', <i>Seed
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cooke, D.A. (1993) Pests, in: D.A. Cooke &
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429-483. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Darwin, C. (1859) <i>The Origin of Species</i>.
Harmondsworth: Penguin Classics, p. 357. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Draycott, A.P. (1972) <i>Sugar-beet Nutrition</i>.
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Duan, X., J.S. Burris (1997) Film coating impairs
leaching of germination inhibitors in sugar beet seed, <i>Crop Science</i>,
37: 515-520. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Duffus, J.E. and E.G. Ruppel (1993) Diseases, in:
D.A. Cooke & A.K. Scott (eds.) <i>The Sugar Beet Crop</i>. London:
Chapman and Hall, pp. 347-427. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Girod, P.A. and J.P. Zryd (1987) Clonal
variability and light induction of betalain synthesis in red beet cell
cultures, <i>Plant Cell Report</i>, 6: 27-32. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hellyer, A. (1993) <i>The Hellyer Pocket Guide</i>.
London: Hamlyn. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">HDRA (2003) <i>Seed Saving Guidelines</i>. Henry
Doubleday Research Association, Ryton, UK. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hruschka, H.W. (1977) Postharvest weight loss and
shrivel in five fruits and five vegetables, <i>USDA-ARS Market Research
Reports</i>, 1059, 23pp. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kays, S.J. (1997) <i>Postharvest Physiology of
Perishable Plant Products</i>. Athens, Georgia, USA: Exon Press, pp. 347,
356. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nottingham, S.F. (2002) <i>Genescapes: The Ecology
of Genetic Engineering</i>. London: Zed Books. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Philips, R. and M. Rix (1993) <i>Vegetables</i>.
London: Pan, pp. 70-75. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">RHS (Brickell, C. ed.) (1992) <i>Royal
Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening</i>. London: Dorling
Kindersley. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sabir, A.A. and B.V. Ford-Lloyd (1991) Processing
crop plant germplasm <i>in vitro</i> for mass production of regenerants: a
case study with beet, <i>Journal of Biotechnology</i>, 17: 257-268. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Salter P.J., J.K.A. Bleasdale <i>et al.</i>.
(1979) <i>Know and Grow Vegetables</i>. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Santos, D.S.B., and M.F.A. Pereira (1989)
Restrictions of the tegument to the germination of the <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
seeds, <i>Seed Science and Technology</i>, 17: 601-611. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smit, T. and P. McMillan Browse (2000) <i>The
Heligan Vegetable Bible</i>. London: Cassell Illustrated. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Strickland, S. (1998) <i>Heritage Vegetables: The
Gardener?s Guide to Cultivating Diversity</i>. London: Gaia Books. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sudell, R. (ed.) (1935) <i>The New Illustrated
Gardening Encyclopaedia</i>. London: Oldham Press, pp. 99-101. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Taylor, A.G., M.C. Goffinet, S.A. Pikuz, T.A.
Shelkovenko, M.D. Mitchell, K.M. Chandler and D.A. Hammer (2003)
Physio-chemical factors influence beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) seed
germination, in: G. Nicolas K.J. Bradford, D. Come, and H.W. Pritchard (eds.)
<i>The Biology of Seeds: Recent Research Advances</i>. Wallingford, UK: CABI
Publishing, pp. 433-440. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thornton, N.C. (1933) Carbon dioxide storage.
III. The influence of carbon dioxide on oxygen uptake by fruits and
vegetables, <i>Boyce Thompson Inst. Contrib.</i>, 5: 371-402. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Whitney, E.D. (1989) <i>Beta maritima</i> as a
source of powdery mildew resistance in sugar beet, <i>Plant Disease</i>, 73:
487-489. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-58203031863938593952018-02-21T17:41:00.001+00:002018-02-21T17:41:46.474+00:00Beetroot: 5. Colour
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">5. Colour</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
tops of cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i> are typically dark green in colour
and the roots are white, yellow or red. Root colour is at its most intense
and variable in beetroot (beets, garden beet or table beet). Most beetroot
cultivars have red roots, in shades ranging from deep reddish-purple to
bright vermilion, but some cultivars also have orange, yellow or white roots.
These colour differences are due to different levels of pigments (betalains)
that are characteristic of beetroot. Beetroot red or betanin is used as a
food colouring, while beetroot juice is used as a natural dye for fabrics.
Betaine compounds also contribute to beetroot's importance as a
health-promoting vegetable. This chapter examines the pigments in beetroot
and the uses to which they are put. The condition known as beeturia is also
described, in which betalains are not processed normally by the human
digestive system and therefore colour the urine red. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bp"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet Pigments: Betalains</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are four main classes of plant pigment:
chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids and betalains. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chlorophylls and carotenoids are insoluble in
water and are found in the organelles of cells. Organelles are the structures
in cells that have a particular function, for example, the nucleus,
chloroplasts and mitochondria. When organelles are coloured by pigment they
are also called chromoplasts. Chlorophylls are blue-green or yellow-green
pigments that are mainly found in the chloroplasts. Chlorophylls are the
primary light-trapping pigments involved in photosynthesis. Their main role
is to absorb light energy and convert it into chemical energy. The
carotenoids also trap light energy and act to prevent the degradation of
chlorophyll molecules in the chloroplasts. Carotenoid pigments occur in red,
orange, yellow and brown colours. The carotenoids produce many of the colours
typical of autumn foliage; floral colours that attract pollinators; and the
characteristic colours of many fruits and vegetables. The carotenoids are
divided into two subgroups: the carotenes and the xanthophylls. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Flavonoids and betalains are water soluble
pigments found in vacuoles, spaces within a cell filled with air, water or
other liquids, and the cytosol, the semi-fluid part of the cell in which the
organelles are suspended. Flavonoids are yellow, orange, red and blue
pigments. They are responsible for many of the intense colours in vegetables,
flowers and fruits. Flavonoid pigments come in a wide range of colours due to
subtle structural variations and differences in concentration. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The betalains are a group of nitrogen-containing
pigments that are yellow, orange, pink, red and purple in colour. Unlike the
other three main classes of plant pigment, betalains have a limited
distribution. Most red colouration in plants is due to carotenoids and
flavonoids. The red colour of most fruit and vegetables, such as
strawberries, grapes and red cabbage, is due to anthocyanins, which are in
the flavonoid class of pigments. Betalains are restricted to plants in the
order Caryophyllales, and the fungal genus <i>Amanita</i>. In addition to <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> (family Chenopodiaceae), betalains have been described from
Cactaceae fruits (prickly pear), Amaranth seeds (Amaranthaceae), <i>Bougainvillaea</i>
bracts (Nyctaginaceae), and flowers or other plant parts within the
Aizoaceae, Basellaceae, Didieraceae, Phytolaccaceae and Portulaceae. Nine of
the eleven families within the order Caryophyllales have plants containing
betalains. The other two families (Caryophyllaceae and Molluginaceae) have
anthocyanins (flavonoids) instead, which probably reflects an early taxonomic
division within this plant order. Red beetroot and prickly pear (<i>Opuntia
ficus-indica</i>) are the only edible sources of betalains. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalain pigments were first isolated from the
red roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>; the betalain class of pigments are in fact
named after the plant genus <i>Beta</i>. Incidentally, bett is the Celtic
word for red, although the published suggestions that this is how <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> got its name are pure speculation. There are currently over
fifty known betalain pigment molecules, which occur in flowers, fruits,
shoots and roots. The betalains are subdivided into two structural groups:
the red-violet betacyanins and the yellow betaxanthins. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot contains a complex mixture of betalain
pigments. However, the characteristic purple-red-violet colour of beetroot is
mainly derived from a betacyanin pigment called betanin. Betanin was first
discovered in around 1920, while a crystalline form of betanin dye was
produced in the 1960s. Up to 200 mg of betanin is typically found in one
beetroot. It normally occurs at much higher levels in the roots of red
beetroot than other betacyanin pigments. Like all betacyanins, betanin is
metabolically derived from a molecule called 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine
(L-DOPA). Betanin is formed from two L-DOPA molecules. The first undergoes a
change to form betalamic acid. The second L-DOPA molecule is changed to
cyclo-DOPA glucoside (CDG), which condenses with betalamic acid to produce
betanidin. A change in structure, involving the addition of glucose, converts
betanidin to betanin. Other minor biochemical modifications give rise to
other betacyanin pigments. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">After betanin, the yellow betaxanthin pigments
vulgaxanthin-I and vulgaxanthin-II are the next most significant in beetroot.
Mario Piattelli and colleagues, working in Naples, first described these
pigments in beetroot in the 1960s. They found at least six betaxanthins in
the cultivar they studied (Piatta d'Egitto), all present in minute
quantities. In total, they listed sixteen different betalains, including
indicaxanthin, isobetanin, neobetanin and prebetanin. The characteristic root
colouration of beetroot cultivars is due to variations in levels of different
betalain pigments, especially the relative concentrations of betanin and the
yellow betaxanthin pigments. Cultivars with deep purple-red roots have a high
ratio of betanin to betaxanthin pigments, while yellow and gold cultivars
such as Burpee's Golden have relatively high levels of betaxanthins and very
little or no red betanin pigment. Cultivars with white roots, including
Albina Vereduna and Blankoma, have extremely low levels of both betacyanin
and betaxanthin pigments. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Distinct light and dark rings are usually visible
when beetroot is cut transversely. This is due to different amounts of
pigment in the vascular system and storage tissue of the root. The vascular
system appears as darker bands due to higher levels of pigment, while the
storage tissue appears as lighter bands. In some deep red cultivars like
Boltardy and Red Ace this colour difference can be quite subtle. The colour
difference is at its most obvious in Chioggia, with its concentric bullseye
pattern of rosy red bands (vascular system) and white bands (storage tissue).
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The betalains are distributed mainly towards the
outer parts of the roots of beetroot. However, betalains are not just
confined to the roots, but contribute to the redness observed in leaves,
stalks and flowers. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="fc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Food Colouring Applications</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Foods have been coloured red using beetroot juice
in the home for many years. In the eighteenth century, for example, Mrs.
Raffald used beetroot colouring, in a recipe for pink pancakes, in <i>The
Experienced English Housekeeper</i> (1769). Today, it is used to provide
colour in a wide variety of dishes. The colourful world of beetroot cuisine
is explored in Chapter Seven. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It is not just for its red colour, however, that <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> has been utilized. For many years, extracts of leaf beet and spinach
were used to colour confectionary green. Laura Mason, in her book about the
prehistory of sweets, lists beets among the plants used to colour sweets, up
until the Victorian era in Britain. Beet leaf green was a benign addition
compared to some of the things that were added to colour sweets in former
times, such as dye from quinces cooked in pewter (lead), acid fruits cooked
in untinned copper vessels (copper), and Prussian blue (cyanide). Following a
scandal, when fatalities occurred after lozenges were consumed in 1850, a
major reappraisal of the colourings and ingredients used in foodstuffs was
undertaken. This eventually led to modern food-safety legislation. In the
1860s, however, new synthetic pigments replaced many of the old colourings
(including beet green), and these gave an intensity and consistency of colour
not previously seen in confectionary. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalains are important natural colourings within
the food industry. The main source of betalains is beetroot. During
commercial extraction, beet roots are first crushed, and the coloured juice
is collected and concentrated. Betalain pigments are sold to the food
industry either as juice concentrates or powders. Juice is concentrated under
vacuum until it comprises around 60-65% of total solids. Freeze drying
techniques are used to produce a powder, typically containing 0.3-1.0%
pigment. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A higher level of pigment concentration in juice
and powder products can be obtained through fermentation. The fermentable
solids present in beet juice can be removed in a biofermentor, using yeasts
such as <i>Candida utilis</i> and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, to leave a
more concentrated pigment product. Powders obtained after fermentation of
beet juice contain five to seven times more betacyanin than powders obtained
from unfermented beet juice. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalain extracts can have a range of colours,
depending on the relative proportion of betacyanin and betaxanthin pigments
present. Colouring products are usually odourless and tasteless, but they can
impart odour and flavour to food. The most important food colouring is pure
betanin or beetroot red, which is used to colour a wide range of processed
food products. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalain stability</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> The
stability of betalains dictates their range of food colouring applications.
Betalain extracts need to be treated with care because they are sensitive to
environmental conditions, particularly pH, heat, light, moisture and oxygen.
These environmental factors have interactive effects, and pigments can
quickly discolour under adverse conditions. The red pigment betanin, for
example, degrades on exposure to air, bright light and high temperatures to a
light brown colour. This discolouration is partially reversible, if adverse
conditions are only temporary. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalain colouration is unaffected by pH in the
range 3.5 to 7.0 (acid to neutral). Beetroot extracts in most foods will
therefore not discolour as a direct result of pH. The optimum pH for both
betacyanin and betaxanthin pigments occurs in the slightly acidic 5.0-6.0
range. The colour of red beetroot extract changes from red towards blue as pH
increases above 7.0. Root tissue exposed to high or alkaline pH (7.5-8.5)
becomes discoloured. Cut beetroot retains its purple-red colour well in
acidic solutions such as malt vinegar (acetic acid). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The heating of betalains can cause
discolouration. The red pigment betanin, for example, can become light brown
if gradually heated, especially if high temperature is accompanied by an
alkaline pH. High light intensities accelerate pigment discolouration. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The stability of betalains is greatest in food
products with low moisture content. High moisture levels increase pigment
degradation rates. Exposure to oxygen accelerates pigment darkened or
discolouration in food products over time. Betalains react with the oxygen in
the air, but discolouration is partially reversible if oxygen levels are
subsequently lowered. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Despite having lower stability than synthetic
food colourings, betalain pigments are widely used in food products.
Delgado-Vargas <i>et al.</i> (2000) list numerous products containing
betalain food colourings. They note that betalain pigments are particularly
suitable for use in food products with a short shelf-life, that have been
produced with minimum heat treatment, and that are packaged in a dry state
under reduced levels of light, oxygen and humidity. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The tendency for betalain pigments to discolour
under certain environmental conditions has resulted in them being used in the
detection of food oxidation. Betalain formulations can be used as indicators
of oxidation. The colour change from red to brown on oxidation is clearly
visible, and calibrated betalain strips inside food packaging offer an
alternative method to sell-by or use-by dates for avoiding the sale of
spoiled food. A system of this type has been patented in the USA. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betanin</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> The
main betacyanin in red beetroot is betanin. It is known as beetroot red when
extracted from beetroot and is used in many processed foods, especially in
ice creams and frozen desserts, to give colour without imparting flavour.
Beetroot red is used, for example, to enhance the redness of tomato paste,
strawberry ice cream and yoghurt, oxtail soup, tomato products in pizzas,
sausages, cooked ham, bacon burgers, liquorice, fruit preparations, sauces,
jams, jellies, marzipan, dry powder beverages, sugar confectionary, biscuit
creams, and a range of dessert products. Only a small amount of pigment is
usually required to obtain the required colour in food products (e.g.
0.1-1.5% levels). Betanin is mainly used to impart a deep purplish-red
colour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Europe, the framework legislation for food
additives is provided by the Directive on Additives (1989). Additional
Directives cover particular additives, including a 1994 Directive on colours
used in food. Food additives, including colours, are assigned E-numbers. In
Europe, betanin is either listed by name or as E162 on food labels. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Natural food colourings are undergoing a revival
within the food industry. In a review of trends in the use of colouring in
foods, Downham and Collins noted that the use of naturally derived colours
was expanding, due to improvements in stability and public concerns about
synthetic food dyes. The synthetic Red Dye number 2, for instance, has been
prohibited in foodstuffs because of health concerns. Recent health scares
have centred around the presence of the banned synthetic red dyes Sudan 1 and
Para Red in foods. Betalains have no toxic effects in the human body and are
seen as a natural and safe alternative to synthetic red colourings. Natural
pigments such as betalains may therefore become increasingly used in food
products. Methods are being developed to improve the production of betalain
in beets, through plant breeding, and cell tissue culture and biotechnology.
In addition to increasing the quantity and quality of betalains, the ultimate
aim is to improve the stability of betalain molecules in food products. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Plant breeding</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
Selective breeding is being carried out to produce beetroot cultivars with
increased betanin content. The average red pigment content of beetroot is
around 130 mg per 100 g fresh weight, but new red beetroot cultivars bred for
pigment extraction can yield up to 450-500 mg per 100 g root fresh weight. A
Hungarian study identified the cultivar Rubin as having high levels of
betanin and a good suitability for food colourant production. Seneca Foods
(USA) have selectively bred a beetroot with high pigment content, which
enables pigment concentrations of 1.4% to be achieved. The use of
high-concentration pigments means that smaller amounts can be added to colour
foods, with no taste being imparted. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Tissue culture and biotechnology</span></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> Betanin
has to date been extracted from harvested roots to produce concentrates and
powders. However, new technologies are now available that could be used to
produce betalains from beet cells in tissue culture. Cell tissue culture
systems could be used to supply the food industry with cheap, continuous,
uniform and high-quality sources of plant pigments, without the environmental
changes that alter pigment qualities in the field. However, bioreactor
systems are expensive to operate. Therefore, pigment yields and downstream
processing methods need to be optimized before betalain production by this
method becomes commercially viable. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultures established from <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
callus tissue have been obtained that exhibit a variety of colours, including
yellow, orange, red and purple, depending on the proportion of red
betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins in the cell vacuoles. It has been
possible to obtain cultures that produce specific betalains in comparable or
larger quantities than observed in the tissues of the original plant. Both
red and yellow pigment products are likely to be produced for the food
industry using this method in the coming years, although in commercial terms
betanin will probably be the most important product. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A range of factors influence pigment production
in cell tissue culture, including light, temperature, and the presence of
growth regulators and micronutrients. Studies are ongoing to establish
optimum conditions, in order to create controlled conditions within cell
culture production systems. Light is necessary for the initial synthesis of
betalains, due to the light-sensitivity of certain enzymes involved in the
synthetic pathway. Light induction is therefore vital when beetroot clones
are being raised in cell cultures. Betalain synthesis in the field is
enhanced at lower growing temperatures and this is also likely to be the case
for <i>Beta vulgaris</i> cell tissue culture. Growth media, for optimum
pigment production from beet cells, have been formulated through adjustments
in the levels of minerals and micronutrients present. Levels of betacyanin
production of around 40 mg per litre of media per day have been reported,
which are promising yields in commercial terms. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalains are set to become increasingly
important as nutraceutical ingredients (foods marketed in terms of their
health benefits), as they replace synthetic food colourings. The betalains
have a number of health-giving properties. Infusions of betalains from the
bracts of <i>Bougainvillaea</i> mixed with honey, for example, are used to
treat coughs in parts of Mexico. Some antiviral and antimicrobial activity
has been attributed to betalains. This has evolved against viral and
microbial pathogens. Red pigment has been shown to be active, for example,
against <i>Pythium</i>, a pathogenic fungi of beets. This antiviral and
antimicrobial activity could also be beneficial in medicinal terms. The main
focus of interest, however, has recently been on betalain pigments as
antioxidants. The presence of betalains means that beetroot has a stronger antioxidant
activity than most vegetables. Antioxidants in the diet reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease and cancer. The following chapter looks at the health
benefits of consuming beetroot in more detail. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sd"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Stains and Dyes</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A downside of preparing beetroot is its ability
to stain both skin and clothing. However, some food writers have blown the
'problem' out of all proportion. They may even have needlessly put some
people off preparing beetroot. Jane Grigson, who was not a fan of beetroot,
for instance, wrote that beetroot "is not an inspiring vegetable, unless
you have a medieval passion for highly coloured food. With all that purple
juice bleeding out at the tiniest opportunity, a cook may reasonably feel
that beetroot has taken over the kitchen and is far too bossy a
vegetable". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is relatively easy to prepare, but much
of the effort of preparing it is aimed at preventing the colouring (and
nutrients) escaping prematurely. It is best to cook the roots intact, without
stabbing, slicing or damaging them in any way that promotes bleeding.
Nevertheless, it is not advisable to handle beetroot when wearing your best
clothes. Wearing rubber gloves will prevent staining to the hands. In any
case, betalains are water-soluble pigments and wash off hands and cooking
implements relatively easily. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Removing beetroot stains from clothes is no
harder than removing other vegetable and fruit stains. A rinse in cold water
loosens the stain, while beetroot pigments respond well to biological washing
powders. For persistent stains of this type, non-chlorine bleach has been
recommended. Being red, beetroot juice is more easily noticed on surfaces
than other vegetable juices that have similar staining properties. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A dislike for food that visibly stains has led to
a revival for Golden beetroot, with improved cultivars being produced from
Burpee's Golden. G Marketing of Ely in Cambridgeshire, for instance, have
bred a Golden beetroot that grows successfully in the UK. The beetroot was
launched in October 2004 as a new line in a British supermarket chain
(Waitrose). The product has been marketed as "a beetroot that doesn't
stain". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot juice has been used as a vegetable dye
since at least the sixteenth century. It was fashionable in Britain during
Victorian times, for instance, where it was used to dye all manner of
foodstuffs, and it was even used as a coloured hair rinse. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There have been repeated attempts to use beetroot
as a natural dye for textiles. Up until 1856, almost all textile dyes were
made from natural sources, such as the leaves, fruits, roots or flowers of
plants, and certain minerals. After 1856, however, things changed when Sir
William Henry Perkin (1838-1907) made mauve, the first synthetic dye, from
aniline obtained from coal tar. Synthetic dyes subsequently replaced natural
dyes in textiles and other industrial applications. However, natural dyes are
making a comeback, in part due to health and environmental concerns about
synthetic dyes, which can be toxic or carcinogen, and are generally
non-biodegradable. Around one-fifth of textile dyes are azo dyes. This type
of dye is particularly harmful and, for instance, is known to trigger
allergies in allergy-sensitive people. In one German study, 30% of children
were found to suffer from some degree of textile-related allergy. Germany has
banned certain synthetic azo dyes due to health and environmental concerns. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Vegetable dyes have therefore grown in popularity
for textile dying, with a growth in the market for natural products and lower
impact dyes. A natural red colour has been hard to achieve, however, with
madder, cochineal, brazilwood and beetroot all failing to meet the required
standard to act as alternatives to synthetic red dyes. The problem with
beetroot dye, in this respect, is that the betanin pigment degrades to give a
brownish or pinkish-cream colour. Moreover, vegetable dyes are water soluble
and have to be fixed, to make the colour fast or permanent, using fixatives
or mordants. The red colour of beetroot cannot be fixed with any of the
mordants traditionally used in textile dying. A method of obtaining a
colour-fast red dye from beetroot would enable it to be exploited as a
natural textile dye. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="b"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beeturia</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Some people pass red urine, even after eating a
modest amount of beetroot. This occurs because the pigment betanin passes
straight through their digestive system and is harmlessly excreted in the
urine and stools. This condition is known as beeturia or betacyaninuria.
Betanin and other betalain pigments are usually absorbed by the digestive
system and so do not normally colour the urine so dramatically. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beeturia produces no ill effects, but it can have
serious consequences if it is misdiagnosed as blood in the urine (haematuria).
An article by Dr. Rees in <i>The Lancet</i> in 1836 relates how a patient on
the verge of being treated for haematuria was re-diagnosed, when the urine by
a mere chance fell to his observation, and "I discovered the red
colouration to proceed from the presence of a vegetable matter. On enquiry,
the patient stated that he had been eating a salad, of which beetroot was an
ingredient". A misdiagnosis of haematuria could initiate unnecessary and
risky treatments. Today, hospitals still get referrals for suspected haematuria,
which turn out to be beeturia. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It has long been know that some individuals
produce pink or red urine after eating beetroot, while others appear immune
to the condition. This observation led scientists in the 1950s to conclude
that beeturia was a genetic trait, that is, an inherited condition that is
passed down through the generations. It is commonly reported that beeturia
occurs in about one person in eight, or in around 10% to 14% of the
population. Zindler and Colovos first reported a figure in this order in
1950. They examined 78 patients and found beeturia in 12.6% of cases. In
1956, Allison and McWhirter found that out of 104 subjects, 10 of them or
9.6% had beeturia. The latter authors postulated that a single recessive gene
controlled the characteristic. However, other scientists, including Penrose
in a letter to the <i>British Medical Journal</i>, were critical of such
studies, which reached conclusions based on insufficient data. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A widely reported figure for beeturia is that it
occurs in 14% of individuals. This derives from a study conducted by Watson
and his co-workers at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, published in 1963. The
study was initiated after a patient with severe anaphylactic shock was also
found to have gross beeturia. An early theory of beeturia suggested that it
was associated with food allergy. The Glasgow team found that food allergy
was not a factor in causing beeturia. The group, however, did provide a
valuable insight into the condition by looked at beeturia in groups of people
with different clinical conditions. The control group of healthy subjects had
a 13.8% incidence of beeturia, but the clinical group with iron deficiency
had an unusually high incidence of beeturia. Around 80% of the iron-deficient
clinical group had red-coloured urine. Iron-deficiency anaemias in these
patients were caused by several factors, including haemorrhoids, bleeding
peptic ulcers, hernias and poor diet. In further tests, by giving iron to
this iron-deficient group, along with a standard amount of beetroot, the
incidence of beeturia was reduced to around 49%. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Glasgow study started a shift away from
regarding beeturia as being primarily a genetic condition, toward one that is
environmentally determined. Studies have now demonstrated that environmental
factors are the main determinants of beeturia, with genetic factors at best
only having a small influence by increasing susceptibility to the condition.
Steve Mitchell, from Imperial College in London, evaluated all the available
data on beeturia in 2001 and concluded that, "beeturia is more a
function of an individual's physiological constitution and not a phenomenon
under direct polymorphic genetic control as originally implied". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A range of evidence has helped to topple the
simple genetic model for beeturia. Firstly, people reported to have beeturia
do not have the condition consistently. The excretion of red urine comes and
goes over time, suggesting additional environmental factors. A study from the
1990s demonstrated that individuals who took the same amount of beetroot on a
number of different occasions showed a wide range of variation in the amount
of betanin they excreted in their urine. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Secondly, as studies of healthy individuals have
accumulated, there has been an increasingly wide range of variation in the
proportion of people reported to have beeturia. Studies conducted in Hungary
in the 1960s and 1970s, for instance, reported close to 100% of subjects
excreting red urine after consuming beetroot. Presumably, some undisclosed
environmental factor in this population was causing the high levels of
beeturia. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thirdly, the use of spectrophotometry in recent
beeturia studies has shown that there is a continuous spread in the degree of
redness in the urine within a population. If the condition were genetically
controlled there would be distinct categories, such a non-excretors and
excretors. The non-excretors in such studies may simply be producing too
little pigment to be visible to the naked eye. The increasing sensitivity of
the scientific equipment used may also explain the higher recorded incidence
of beeturia in studies since the 1960s. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fourthly, studies with twins have failed to show
any obvious hereditary pattern for beeturia. Fifth and finally, the type of
beetroot used affected the outcome in one beeturia study, with individuals
giving intensely coloured urine after consuming one cultivar, but a normal
urine colour after eating a different one. Betalain pigment content is known
to vary between beetroot cultivars. Steve Mitchell notes that time of
planting and harvest also influence the pigment content of beetroot, while
some pre-packaged brands enhance beetroot colour by adding concentrated
beetroot extract. Furthermore, chemicals such as oxalic acid and ascorbic
acid, which are found in beetroot, can limit the digestive system's ability
to process betalains. All in all, these factors make the wide variation in
the reported incidence of beeturia unsurprising. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betanin is degraded to a certain extent in the
stomach, by the acids present and through bacterial action, but the pigment
is mainly absorbed in the colon or large intestine. An acceptor substance
usually transports ingested betanin through the intestinal wall; therefore
little is recovered from the urine. In contrast, if betanin is injected into
the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system, most of it is recovered in
the urine. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In cases of beeturia, the absorption process in
the intestine is disrupted. Iron deficiency appears to be the most effective
disrupter of betanin absorption. The oral administration of iron can
partially rectify the condition. However, there appears to be no simple
correlation between iron levels in the blood and beeturia. If very large
quantities of beetroot are eaten, it should be noted, the pigment will
overload the digestive system's capacity to absorb it and red urine will
almost certainly be excreted. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><b>I thank Jason Avent for comments on this chapter.
</b></span></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Five</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Adams, J.P., J.H. von Elbe and C.H. Amundsen
(1976) Production of betacyanine concentrate by fermentation of red beet
juice with <i>Candida utilis</i>, <i>Journal of Food Science</i>, 4: 78-81. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Akita, T., Y. Hina and T. Nishi (2002) New medium
composition for high betacyanin production by a cell suspension culture of
table beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.), <i>Bioscience, Biotechnology, and
Biochemistry</i>, 66(4): 902-905. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Allison, A.C. and K.G. McWhirter (1956) Two
unifactorial characters for which man is polymorphic, <i>Nature</i> (London),
178: 748-749. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bauer, J.A. (2001) Study of the metabolic
pathways leading to betanin in <i>Beta vulgaris</i> L. cell cultures by
incorporation of tyrosine and dihydroxyphenylalanine. PhD Thesis, Facultees
Sciences de l'Universitee Lausanne, </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Delgado-Vargas, F., A.R. Jimenez and O.
Parades-Lopez (2000) Natural pigments: carotenoids, anthocyanins, and
betalains - characteristics, biosynthesis, processing, and stability, <i>Critical
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Downham, A. and P. Collins (2000) 'Colouring our
foods in the last and next millennium', <i>International Journal of Food
Science and Technology</i>, 35: 2-22. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forrai, G., G. Bankovi and D. Vaguljfalvi (1982)
Beetinuria: A genetic trait?, <i>Acta Physiol. Acad. Sci. Hung.</i>, 59:
265-282. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forrai, G., D. Vaguljfalvi and P. Bolosky (1968)
Beetinuria in childhood, <i>Acta Paed. Acad. Sci. Hung.</i>, 9: 43-51. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forrai, G., D. Vaguljfalvi, J. Lutter, E. Benedik
and E. Soos (1971) No simple association between betanin excretion and iron
deficiency, <i>Folia Haematol</i> (Liepz), 117: 424-426. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Girod, P.A. and J.P. Zryd (1987) Clonal
variability and light induction of betalain synthesis in red beet cell
cultures, <i>Plant Cell Reports</i>, 6: 27-30. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hanssen, M. (1984) <i>E for Additives</i>.
London: Thorsons. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Harmer, R.A. (1980) Occurrence, chemistry and
application of betanin, <i>Food Chemistry</i>, 5: 81-90. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kays, S.J. (1997) <i>Postharvest Physiology of
Perishable Plant Products</i>. Athens, Georgia, USA: Exon Press, pp. 190-201.
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kujala, T.S., J.M. Loponen and K. Pihlaja (2001)
Betalains and phenolics in red beetroot (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>) peel extracts:
Extraction and characterization, <i>Z. Naturforsch.</i>, 56c: 343-348. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kujala, T.S., M.S. Vienola, K.D. Klika, J.M.
Loponen and K. Pihlaja (2002) Betalain and phenolic compositions of four
beetroot (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>) cultivars, <i>European Food Research and
Technology</i>, 214: 505-510. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Leathers, R., C. Davin and J. Zryd (1992)
Betalain producting cell cultures of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> L. red beet, <i>In
Vitro Cell Dev. Biol.</i>, 28: 39-45. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mabry, T.J. and A.S. Dreiding (1968) The
betalaines, <i>Recent Advances in Phytochemistry</i>, 1: 145-160. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mason, L. (1998) <i>Sugar-plums and Sherbet: The
Prehistory of Sweets</i>. Totnes, UK: Prospect Books. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mitchell, S.C. (2001) Food idiosyncrasies:
Beetroot and asparagus, <i>Drug Metabolism and Disposition</i>, 29(4):
539-543. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Penrose, L.S. (1957) Two new human genes, <i>British
Medical Journal</i>, 1: 282. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Piattelli, M., L. Minale and G. Prota (1965)
Pigments of Centrospermae III. Betaxanthins from <i>Beta vulgaris</i> L., <i>Phytochemistry</i>,
4: 121-125. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rees, G.O. (1836) On the analysis of the blood
and urine in health and disease. With directions for the analysis of urinary
calculi, <i>The Lancet</i>, 1: 969-971. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Saldanha, P.H. (1962) On the genetics of betanin
excretion, <i>Journal of Heredity</i>, 53: 296-298. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Saldanha P.H., L.E. Magalhaes and W.A. Horta
(1960) Race differences in the ability to excrete beetroot pigment (betanin),
<i>Nature</i> (London), 187: 806-807. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sayid, R. (2004) 'The beetroot that doesn't
stain', <i>The Mirror</i>, 3 September, http://www.mirror.co.uk/ </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Stafford, A. (1991) The manufacture of food
ingredients using plant cell and tissue cultures, <i>Trends in Food Science
Technology</i>, 5(2): 116-122. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Strack, D., T. Vogt and W. Schliemann (2003)
Recent advances in betalain research, <i>Phytochemisty</i> 62: 247-269. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Stintzing, F.C., A. Schieber and R. Carle (2002)
Identification of betalains from yellow beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) and
cactus pear (<i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> (L.) Mill.) by high-performance
liquid chromotography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, <i>Journal
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</i>, 50(8): 2302-2307. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Watson, W.C., R.G. Luke and J.A. Inall (1963)
Beeturia: Its incidence and a clue to its mechanism, <i>British Medical
Journal</i>, 2: 971-973. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Watts, A.R., M.S. Lennard, S.L. Mason, G.T.
Tucker and H.F. Woods (1993) Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot
pigments, <i>Pharmacogenetics</i>, 3: 302-311. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Zindler, G.A. and G.C. Colovos (1950)
Anthocyaninuria and beet allergy, <i>Annals Allergy</i>, 8: 603-617. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-22783179858573433922018-02-21T17:37:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:37:43.896+00:00Beetroot: 6. Health and Nutrition
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright: Stephen Nottingham 2004</span></b></div>
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Note: <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The information contained in this book is not intended to be used as a
basis for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is recommended that a doctor is
consulted if in doubt about treatment for medical conditions. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">6. Health and Nutrition</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cultivated
forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> have been utilized for their medicinal
properties since ancient times. Beetroot has long been considered beneficial
to the blood, the heart, and the digestive system. It has been regarded as a
laxative; a cure for bad breath, coughs and headaches; and even as an
aphrodisiac. More recently, it has been advocated as a cancer preventative
and as a means of bolstering the immune system. Beetroot is rich in many
important minerals and micronutrients; it is a nutritious vegetable with many
health-giving properties. This chapter examines the medicinal and nutritional
benefits of eating beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="anc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Ancients</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beta vulgaris</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> has
long been regarded as a medicinal plant. In Roman times it was used to treat
fevers, constipation and other ailments. Although cultivated <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
was widely consumed as a green vegetable in Roman times, the roots were
mainly taken medicinally. Dioscorides (in <i>De Materia Medica</i>) and
Galen, for example, both refer to the root of white beet as a medicine. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Apicius' <i>The Art of Cooking</i>, as noted
in Chapter Two, there are five recipes for broth to be used as a laxative, of
which three contain the roots of beet. In the first, very small beets (Betas
Minutas) are boiled in water with leeks in a shallow pan. Pepper and cumin
are pounded, moistened with liquamen and passum, and added to the pan. The
mixture is boiled and the broth is served immediately. Liquamen is a sauce
used in lieu of salt in Roman times. It contained anchovies or other fish and
was made in factories that produced their own distinct brands. Passum is a
very sweet Roman wine. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the second recipe, the main ingredient is the
fern polypody (<i>Polypodium vulgare</i>) and beetroot is not included. The
rhizome of polypody is cooked, pushed through a sieve, mixed with pounded
pepper and cumin, and bought to the boil in water. The broth is drunk warm.
The Greek physician Dioscorides had previously described the rhizome of
polypody as a laxative. <i>Polypodium vulgare</i> contains osladin, a
sweet-tasting saponin. It is listed in modern herbals for its mild purgative,
expectorant and digestive properties. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the third recipe, bunches of beetroot
(betaciorum) are wiped down (not washed), sprinkled with cooking soda, and
placed into water. When they have cooked, passum or caroenum is added, along
with a sprinkling of cumin and pepper, and a little oil. This is bought back
to the boil, and pounded polypody and chopped nuts are added in liquamen. The
broth is used at once. Caroenum is a reduction of wine that has been boiled
down to two-thirds of it original volume. Whereas wine is added and boiled
down in volume as part of the cooking process today, in Roman times a range
of pre-reduced wines were available to the cook, which could be added toward
the end of cooking. In this recipe, both leaves and roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
may have been added to the pot together (Apicius has previously informed us
that cooking-soda is added to greens to make them appear bright green).
Polypody is added, which has known purgative effects, along with cumin, which
the Romans used like pepper. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the fourth recipe, attributed to Varro,
beetroot (betacios) is rubbed clean and cooked in mulsum with a little salt
and oil, or boiled in water and oil with salt, to make a broth. The broth is
better if a chicken has been previously cooked in it. Mulsum is a drink of
wine and honey, which is also used for cooking. Dry white wine is apparently
the best wine to mix with honey. As a drink, it is chilled and enjoyed with
the starter. This prototype beetroot soup may have led Apicius to consider
preparing beetroot in further ways. The fifth and final laxative recipe is a
broth made from celery and leeks. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hippocrates advocates the use of beet leaves as
binding (bandages). He uses beets as binding, for example, after the
treatment of fistulae with ointments, in <i>On Fistulae</i> (400 BC).
Fistulae are long abscesses or ulcers under the skin. Juice from the leaf
bindings was thought to aid the healing process. In <i>On the Articulation</i>,
Hippocrates uses leaves of beet or coltsfoot boiled in dark-coloured wine as
an application to wounds. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the Talmud, the book containing the civil and
canonical Jewish laws, written in the fourth and fifth centuries AD, the
rabbis recommend eating beetroot, drinking mead and bathing in the Euphrates,
as part of a prescription for a long and healthy life. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="herb"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Herbalists</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">After the Middle Ages, beetroot came to be used
as a treatment for numerous illnesses, mainly those relating to digestion and
the blood. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Platina writing in his seminal <i>De Honesta</i>
in 1460 notes that beetroot is a cure for bad breath, especially "garlic
breath". He recommends toasting beetroot over coals and eating it with
garlic, to nullify the excessive odour of garlic on the breath. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In his <i>Herball</i> of 1597, John Gerard notes
that the juice from boiled White Beet, ‘conveighed up into the nostril doth
gently draw forth flegme, and purgeth the head’. Nicholas Culpeper, however,
in his <i>Herball</i> of 1653 says that it is the juice from the root of the
red beet that, 'put into the nostrils purgeth the head, helpeth the noise in
the ears, and the toothache'. Furthermore, if the juice is snuffed up the
nose, it cures stinking breath. Culpeper says that juice from white beet, 'is
good for the headache and swimmings therein, and all affections of the
brain', while 'put into the nostrils, it purges the head'. He also records
that beetroot juice applied to the temples, 'stayeth inflammations in the
eyes'. Culpeper was misled into making distinctions between white and red
beet, which have very similar properties, by astrology. According to
Culpeper, Jupiter governs white beet and Saturn governs red beet. He
concludes from this that white and red beets have distinct medical virtues.
Unfortunately, astrology is still marring assessments of herbal remedies in
the twenty-first century. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In medieval England, beetroot juice or broth was
recommended as an easily digested food for the aged, weak or infirm. John
Parkinson, in <i>A Garden of Pleasant Flowers</i> (1629), writes that the
leaves of beets are much used to mollify and open the belly, while the roots
of white beet scrapped and mixed with a little honey and salt will provoke
stools if rubbed on the belly. Culpeper in his <i>Herball</i> (1653) notes
that, 'White Beet doth much loosen the belly, and is of a cleansing and
digesting quality and provoketh urine. The juice of it openeth obstructions
both of the liver and spleen'. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There is an old saying to the effect that
beetroot is good for the blood. It has often been described as
'blood-building', a tonic or detoxifier of the blood, or as an aid to
effective blood circulation. The red colour of beetroot has reinforced its
association with the blood. This may have resulted in its blood-building
properties being oversold. However, both the roots and leaves of beetroot
contain iron, potassium and folic acid. Iron is at the centre of the
haemoglobin molecule, the red pigment in the red blood cells that is
responsible for transporting oxygen around the body. Potassium, along with
other minerals and vitamins may help to regulate blood pressure and
heartbeat. Folic acid has been shown to have a positive effect on certain
anaemias. In this respect, beetroot is a tonic to the blood and heart. Modern
herbals describe beetroot as being mildly cardio-tonic. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Since the time of the early herbals, beetroot has
been recommended to treat menstrual problems. Culpeper notes, in his
seventeenth century <i>Herball</i>, that, 'The red beet is good to stay the
bloody flux, woman's courses and the whites, and to help the yellow
jaundice'. The relatively high levels of iron and manganese, in particular,
help to alleviate problems caused by heavy bleeding, which lower haemoglobin
levels in the blood. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Anglo-Saxons Britons used juice extracted from
pounded <i>Beta vulgaris</i> roots as a bone-salve, an emetic, and as a
treatment for wounds and bites. Culpeper notes that the juice of white beet
acts as a balm to burns, when used without oil, and is also good for all
wheals, blisters, and blains of the skin. White beet leaves boiled and laid
on chilblains are said to cure them. Culpeper also writes that a decoction of
white beet in water and some vinegar will heal itches if they are bathed with
it. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A decoction is generally defined in Culpeper as
taking a root and simmering it over a fire until the liquid has reduced by a
third. The root broth is strained and the liquid is drunk. This decoction is
said to also, 'cleanseth the head of dandruff, scurf, and dry scabs, and
relieves running sores, ulcers, and cankers in the head, legs, or other
parts, and is much commended against baldness and shedding of the hair'. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Most of the skin-related applications of beet
juice in Culpeper and other herbals of his time do not make it into modern
herbals. There would seem to be more effective treatments for these
conditions. However, beetroot juice is still recommended, for instance in the
modern juicing literature, as a herbal remedy to ease piles or haemorrhoids
(see later). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Culpeper also records that beetroot juice is
effective against all venomous creatures, presumably snakes and other
organisms that inject poisons into the blood. However, there is no known
substance in beetroot that can detoxify snake venom or other poisons. Another
claim made in the herbals, which persists in some of the modern lifestyle and
health literature, is that beetroot juice acts to boost brainpower. Apart from
its contribution to a generally healthy diet, there is probably nothing
unique in beetroot that elevates IQ. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The ancients and the herbalists therefore
prescribed <i>Beta vulgaris</i> for a number of medical conditions. Many of
these applications appear ill-conceived in the light of modern knowledge,
although science provides support for several traditional beetroot
treatments. The medicinal properties of beets have, nevertheless, been
periodically dismissed as of little value. Mrs. Grieve notes in 1931 in <i>A
Modern Herbal</i>, for example, that 'of old beetroot was considered to have
distinct medicinal properties', but concludes, 'modern medicine disregards
the Beet'. However, since the 1930s, with notable setbacks, beetroot has
undergone a revival as a herbal remedy and as a treatment for modern
diseases, especially cancer. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="canc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A Cure for Cancer?</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In his book <i>Plants Used Against Cancer</i>,
Jonathan Hartwell notes many instances of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> being used to
treat various cancerous conditions throughout history. Beetroot has mainly
been prepared as a decoction, with the root juice being drunk, although
poultices are occasionally specified. The conditions treated have included
tumours of the intestines, head, leg, genitals and rectum, lung cancer,
prostate cancer, breast cancer and leukaemia. Many of the reports, however,
have either been anecdotal or from studies with small numbers of patients. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot has been used as a treatment for cancer
in Europe for several centuries. In Rosenberg's review of the literature, he
notes that J.F. Osiander of Gottingen used beetroot as a treatment for
tumours of the nose in 1826. However, the modern interest in beetroot as a
treatment for cancer dates from around 1930. Two German doctors (Farberse and
Schoenenberger) used beetroot to treat cancer patients in 1929. In 1939, a
Hungarian professor (Bakay) carried out experiments on patients with cancers,
including leukaemia, and observed improvements in their general condition. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Erdos, a Mexican travelling in Europe and Africa
in 1939, collected some of the anecdotal evidence for beetroot and cancer. He
describes meeting a healer in the Atlas Mountains, for example, who claimed
to have successfully treated malignant tumours with beetroot. Erdos also
recalls meeting a healer in Yugoslavia who pointed out that in areas of the
country where large quantities of beetroot are eaten, no fatal cancers of the
stomach or lung are reported. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The therapeutic use of beetroot in cancer
treatment came to prominence with the work of the Hungarian physician
Alexander Ferenczi in the 1950s. He introduced a revolutionary new treatment
for cancer using nothing but raw beetroot juice. In his papers from the late
1950s and early 1960s, he reported remarkable success in treating cancer
patients. His patients suffered from a range of different cancers. His
reputation grew and beetroot juice became a sought-after treatment for
cancer. Ferenczi's treatment was based on consuming a litre of beetroot juice
daily, for at least two to three months. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">However, Ferenczi's claims for beetroot are
almost certainly overstated. His 1957 and 1961 papers, for example, were
based on studies involving only 18 and 16 patients, respectively. The nature
of the pigment in beetroot was also uncertain in the 1950s. Ferenczi thought
the red colour was due to anthocyanins, and he claimed a similar effect for
red wine due to the presence of the same pigments. Although red wine has
anthocyanins, the red colour in beetroot is known to be due to betalains,
which are unlikely to have the same physiological function. The tide turned
against Ferenczi at a medical congress in 1979 when his peers criticized the
unconvincing evidence he presented. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nevertheless, beetroot contains several compounds
with suspected anti-cancer properties, including the alkaloid allantoine. In
the 1960s, allantoine was shown to have an anti-tumour effect by
Constantinescu, working in Romania. Beetroot extracts normalized the
respiration of isolated cancer cells in several laboratory studies conducted
in the 1960s. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the 1990s, cell culture and animal studies,
such as those conducted by Edenharder <i>et al</i>. and Kapadia <i>et al.</i>,
respectively, confirmed that beetroot juice had significant tumour-inhibiting
and antimutagenic effects. In a review of the subject, Rosenberg concluded
that beetroot’s effect on cancer cells is probably due to the combined
effects of betanin, allantoine, vitamin C and other compounds present, such
as farnesol and rutine. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is probably not a cure for cancer along
the lines advocated by Ferenczi. In 1988, Weiss concluded that, 'beetroot
cannot be regarded as a genuine cancer treatment. It may however have a
strengthening effect, improving the general health of the patient'. Recent
research on beetroot juice and cancer strongly suggest that beetroot can play
a beneficial role in cancer prevention. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A high intake of vegetables and fruits can reduce
the risk of developing cancer and other disease. Beetroot has unique
chemicals (e.g. betalains) and high levels of important micronutrients, which
make it a valuable vegetable to include in the diet as a means of deterring
the onset of cancer and other diseases. The betalains, for instance, act as
antioxidants (see below). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Just as the Romans drank glasses of beetroot
juice for their health, today a daily glass of beetroot juice is one of the
recommended methods to lower the risk of developing cancer. Beetroot juice
frequently features among the foods in anti-cancer diets in the alternative
health literature. 'Bio-Beet' and other dried beetroot powder preparations,
for example, are marketed as food supplements to protect against cancer and
other illnesses. Powdered preparations are made without subjecting the beets
to high temperatures that would degrade minerals and vitamins. Freeze dried
beetroot, in powdered form or cubes, is also available from specialist
suppliers. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="betal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betalains</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Chapter Five, the betalains were introduced as
characteristic pigments of beetroot. Unlike other classes of plant pigments,
the betalains have a restricted distribution. The prickly pear cactus (<i>Opuntia
ficus-indica</i>) is practically the only other edible source of betalains.
Recent research has identified the betalains as being dietary antioxidants. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A number of different antioxidants are found in
fruits and vegetables, including flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These are
important to human health because they prevent the oxidative processes that
contribute to the onset of many diseases. Oxidative reactions occur when free
radicals are generated in the body. Free radicals are atoms or groups of
atoms with an unpaired (spare) electron, which makes them extremely reactive.
They can cause injury to cells and metabolic processes due to their
excessively reactive nature. Antioxidants act to mop up or scavenge free
radicals. This prevents them causing damaging oxidative reactions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betanin is the most prevalent betalain in red
beets, which typically contain large quantities of it (e.g. 300-600 mg/kg).
In laboratory studies, betanin has been shown to inhibit a wide range of
oxidative reactions (e.g. lipid peroxidation and the decomposition of heme in
the blood) that have negative effects in the body. Betaxanthins (yellow and
orange betalain pigments) also have antiradical activity, although to a
lesser extent than betanin. Betanin is taken up effectively in the gut, with
very little being excreted under normal conditions. It is a dietary
antioxidant with a particularly high bioavailability. You do not need to eat
much beetroot for it to be beneficial. Kanner and co-workers concluded in
2001 that, 'red beet products used regularly in the diet may provide
protection against certain oxidative stress-related disorders in humans'. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="hiv"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">HIV/Aids in Africa</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is generally considered to prevent
illness by bolstering the immune system. Where the immune system is targeted
by disease, consuming beetroot as part of a health-promoting diet can help
the body fight the severity of the disease. In the influential booklet <i>Positive
Health</i>, David Orr and his partner David Patient advocated beetroot as
part of a diet designed to maintain the health of the immune system, for
people living with the HIV retrovirus that causes Aids (acquired immune deficiency
syndrome). Patient had been HIV positive since 1983. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Positive Health</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> shows
HIV-positive individuals how to maintain the health of their immune systems,
in order to delay the onset of Aids for many years. Nutrition plays an
important role, alongside an active life-style. Orr recommends eating food
from three groups each day: building foods (e.g. meat, beans, eggs), energy
foods (e.g. rice, bread), and protector foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables).
Foods that include antioxidants are particularly recommended, along with
foods rich in vitamins and micronutrients such as selenium. Beetroot, garlic
and ginger are noted for their range of beneficial properties. Kitchen
gardens have a positive role, while sugar-rich food and alcohol is to be
avoided. The booklet contains specific suggestions for Africa. Orr has acted
as a consultant to African governments, including the one in Mozambique. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Controversy arose in South Africa, however, when
a dietary approach to HIV/Aids was advocated at the expense of
anti-retroviral drugs. Beetroot and other health-promoting items in the diet
are not a cure for HIV/Aids. They are beneficial in helping to keep the
disease contained, but are not a substitute for medicinal drugs. The only
known medical treatment with a hope of curing HIV/Aids [at the time of writing]
is anti-retroviral drugs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The problem in South Africa started in 1999, when
President Thabo Mbeki, of the African National Congress (ANC) party, refused
to acknowledge the link between HIV and Aids, thereby calling into question
the validity of expensive anti-retroviral drug treatments. The Health
Minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang advocated a diet rich in beetroot, lemon
juice, olive oil, ginger, garlic, spinach and African potatoes (<i>Hypoxis
rooperii</i> - not a potato) for those diagnosed with HIV. However, this
nutritional approach was not accompanied by a policy to facilitate people
getting access to anti-retroviral drug treatments. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">South Africa has one of the highest Aids rates in
the world, with around 5.3 million people (about one in nine of the
population) living with HIV or Aids. By 2003, the disease was killing around
600 people a day. The five-year delay in utilizing anti-retroviral drugs in
South African represents a major policy failure in the fight against
HIV/Aids. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The dietary approach to living with HIV became
widely criticized, because it was being advocated instead of anti-retroviral
drugs. Beetroot became a word of abuse to fling at ANC politicians in South
Africa in the months leading up to the general election of April 2004, in which
Aids was an important issue. Allafrica.com, for instance, took to calling the
Health Minister a beetroot. The ANC was re-elected, but with a changed policy
on HIV/Aids treatment. They agreed on a programme to distribute free Aids
drugs just weeks before the date of the election. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The demonization of beetroot is unfortunate, as
it can play its part in an immune-boosting diet for people living with
HIV/Aids. A combination of drugs and holistic approaches should be available
to fight this terrible disease. Good nutrition and medication act in a
complementary manner. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="nut"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nutritional Composition</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is a nutritious vegetable that is an
ideal component of a healthy diet. In Britain, the advice is to consume at
least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. More specific advice from
some nutritionists is to select fruit and vegetables of different colours to
eat as your daily portions: the 'red, amber, green rule'. In terms of
vegetables, this could include beetroot (red), carrots (amber) and spinach
(green). This recognizes the important role played by different plant
pigments in disease prevention. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is a rich source of carbohydrates, a
good source of protein, and has high levels of important vitamins, minerals
and micronutrients. It is a good source of dietary fibre, has practically no
fat, and no cholesterol. This makes beetroot relatively low in calories
(kilojoules). One small beet root (40g) provides around 1.6g of dietary fibre
and 75kJ of energy, according to <i>The Oxford Dictionary of Food and
Nutrition</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the analysis presented in McCance and
Widdowson’s <i>The Composition of Foods</i>, 100g of raw beetroot (peeled,
but not grated) contains 87.1g of water, 7.6g of carbohydrate, 1.7g of
protein and 0.1g of fat. It provides 154 kJ (36 kcal) of energy. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The same amount of beetroot boiled for 45 minutes
contains 82.4g water, 9.5g carbohydrate, 2.3g protein and 0.1g fat. It
provides 195 kJ (46 kcal) of energy. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pickled beetroot (drained), in comparison,
contains 88.6g water, 5.6g carbohydrate, 1.2g protein and 0.2g fat, per 100g.
It provides 117 kJ (28 kcal) of energy. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boiling beetroot increases its carbohydrate and
protein content compared to raw beetroot, with a corresponding increase in
energy value. Pickling boiled beetroot decreases the carbohydrate and protein
content (to a level below raw beetroot), with a corresponding decrease in
energy value. Acetic acid (vinegar) will contribute to the energy value of
pickled beetroot, however, if it is eaten undrained. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is often recommended in
calorie-controlled diets because of its relatively low calorific value. In the
literature, a figure of around 35 to 45 calories is usually given for 100g of
beetroot. The figure is usually lower for raw beetroot, often around 35
calories, but sometimes as low as 17 calories, per 100g. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In McCance and Widdowson, raw beetroot has 0.27g
of total nitrogen per 100g, while boiled and pickled beetroot have 0.37g and
0.19g, respectively. This reflects the relative protein content, but also
traces of nitrates (see below). Of the different groups of fatty acids, all
beetroot preparations contain only trace amounts of saturated and
mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and 0.1g of polyunsaturated fatty acid, per
100g. Cholesterol is not present in any beetroot preparation. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Raw beetroot contains 7.0g total sugars, while
boiled and pickled beetroot contain 8.8g and 5.6g, respectively. Most of the
carbohydrate in raw and boiled beetroot, and practically all of it in pickled
beetroot, comprises sugars. Beetroot is slightly higher in carbohydrates than
most other vegetables, but has one of the highest sugar contents of any
vegetable. This is not surprising when one considers that sugar beet was bred
from beetroot in the nineteenth century. Because of its relatively high sugar
content, beetroot is not usually recommended as a vegetable to diabetics. Of
the remaining carbohydrate, raw beetroot contains 0.6g starch per 100g, while
boiled beetroot contains 0.7g. However, only trace amounts of starch occur in
pickled beetroot. Dietary fibre is around 2.8g, 2.3g and 2.5g per 100g of
raw, boiled and pickled beetroot, respectively. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is a good source of minerals. The
mineral content of beetroot, given by McCance and Widdowson, however, can be
markedly different with different preparation methods. Raw, boiled and
pickled beetroot contain 66g sodium (Na) and 380g potassium (K), 110g Na and
510 K, and 120 Na and 190 K, respectively. Boiled beetroot is particularly
high in potassium. Calcium (Ca) ranges from 19g in pickled to 29g in boiled
beetroot, while magnesium (Mg) is lowest in raw beetroot with 11g and is also
highest in boiled beetroot with 16g, per 100g of root. Pickled beet has a
lower level of phosphorous (P), only 11g, than raw beetroot with 51g and
boiled beetroot with 87g per 100g. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are 0.5g and 0.3 g
in pickled beetroot, compared to 1.0g and 0.4g in raw and 0.8 and 0.5g in
boiled beetroot, respectively. The iron content of beetroot is comparable to
other vegetables. Its image as a high iron food to combat anaemia has
therefore often been overstated. Chlorine (Cl) levels are much higher in
pickled beetroot - 210g per 100g of root, due to the presence of acetic acid,
compared to raw beetroot with 59g, while levels are too low to detect in
boiled beetroot. Manganese (Mn) is present at 0.7g, 0.9g and 0.2g per 100g of
root in raw, boiled and pickled beetroot, respectively. Traces of selenium
(Se) occur with all preparation methods, but iodine (I) is absent. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Folate (folic acid) occurs in higher levels in
beetroot than in most other vegetables. McCance and Widdowson found 150mg and
110mg of folate per 100g in raw and boiled beetroot, respectively. Only 2mg
folate per 100g, however, occurs in pickled beetroot. Raw and boiled beetroot
have 20mg and 27mg of carotene, respectively, although only traces occur in
pickled beetroot. Raw and boiled beetroot have 5mg of Vitamin C per 100g, but
it is absent in pickled beetroot. Pantothenate varies from 0.12mg to 0.10mg
per 100g of beetroot. Vitamin B6 has 0.03mg to 0.04mg, thiamin 0.01mg to
0.02mg, riboflavin 0.01mg to 0.03mg, and niacin (nicotinic acid) 0.1mg, per
100g in all beetroot preparations. Trace levels of vitamin E and biotin occur
in all cases. However, no traces of retinol, vitamin D or vitamin B12 were
detected in beetroot. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="pop"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Popeye's Spinach</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The leaves of beetroot, and other cultivated forms
of <i>Beta vulgaris</i>, are rich in minerals and vitamins, in particular
vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and other carotenes, potassium, iron and
folic acid. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach (<i>Spinacia oleracea</i>) has leaves
with a similar vitamin and mineral content to <i>Beta vulgaris</i>. Both
plant species are in the family Chenopodiaceae. However, spinach is more
celebrated for its health effects than leaf beets or beetroot leaves. This
may have something to do with its number one sponsor: Popeye. In an article
in <i>The Lancet</i> in 1971, Richard Hunter asks, 'Why did Popeye take
spinach?' Why not, say, Swiss chard? The answer takes us back to the 1930s,
when Max Fleischer was creating Popeye and casting around for an instant
restorative and energizer for his hero to take in times of adversity. It had
been reported by the 1920s that spinach was rich in iron, calcium, and
vitamins A and C. Americans rapidly increasing their consumption of the
vegetable, which was being promoted on the basis of its health-giving
composition. Hunter relates that spinach production rose from 5,000 to
105,000 acres in just a couple of years. Its rising popularity at the time
and its image as a healthy vegetable made it a natural choice for Popeye.
However, Hunter acknowledges that none of the minerals and vitamins recorded
from spinach in the 1930s could possibly account for Popeye's astonishing
feats of vigour. The exceptionally high level of iron reported for spinach in
the 1920s was itself fictional. The figure originated from work done by E.
von Wolf in 1870. When his work was reanalysed in 1937 it was found that a
decimal point had been misplaced, and spinach only had one-tenth the iron
content that was claimed. Furthermore, most of the iron in spinach is bound
to oxalic acid (the substance that gives it a furry mouthfeel), and cannot be
utilized by the human body. Spinach's iron levels are in no way superior to
those of leaf beets. Popeye could just have well slugged down spinach beet! </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Since the 1930s, spinach has been identified as a
rich source of folic acid. In 1937, a medical trial using spinach extract
showed promising results as a treatment against a type of anaemia (deficiency
in red blood cells). In 1941, the active factor from spinach leaf extract was
described. It produced optimal growth of beneficial bacteria, when it was
added to the synthetic growth media on which they were cultured. This factor
was a new vitamin in the vitamin B complex called folic acid, named after
folium (the Latin word for leaf). In 1945, folic acid became available as a
treatment for certain types of anaemia. Leaf beets and beetroot leaves have
similarly high levels of folic acid. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">On a more cautious note, spinach, beetroot and
lettuce were identified as having relatively high nitrate levels in a study
conducted by the Ministry of Farming, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in the UK
(archived by its successor the Food Standards Agency). Beetroot had 1211mg of
nitrate per Kg, which was more than for most vegetables surveyed. This was
for commercial beetroot and levels may be lower for home-produced beetroot,
in the absence of intensive farming methods. Nitrate is not in itself
harmful, and vegetables provide most of the nitrates in our diet. On storage,
however, nitrate can chemically reduce to nitrite, which in high quantities
may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and possibly methaemoglobinaemia in infants. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="geo"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Geosmin</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is good for you, but some people are put
off by the earthy characteristic of its flavour. This 'earthiness' is due to
a volatile chemical called geosmin, which is produced by</span><span style="font-family: calibri;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">bacteria
living in the soil and on the roots. The levels of geosmin were found to vary
between four cultivars in a study conducted by Lu and co-workers in the USA: the
popular commercial variety Detroit Dark Red had the lowest concentrations
(9.7 mg/kg) and the heritage variety Chioggia was associated with the highest
concentrations (26.7 mg/kg) of geosmin.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="fol"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Folates and Pregnancy</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is an excellent source of folates,
including folic acid (tetrahydrofolate). Both the greens and roots of
beetroot have been recommended for women who are planning to get pregnant,
because they provide a good source of folic acid, along with other beneficial
vitamins and minerals. Folic acid is a vitamin (in the vitamin B complex)
that functions as a carrier of carbon units in a variety of metabolic
reactions in the body. It is essential for the synthesis of compounds called
purines and pyrimidines, which play an important role in developmental
processes. Foods such as beetroot, green-leaf vegetables, liver and kidneys
are rich in folates. As noted above, grated raw beetroot is better than
cooked beetroot, while pickled beetroot is a much poorer source of folate. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The average UK mixed folate intake in the diet is
200-300 mg per day. Eating folate-rich foods can boost this, but it is
advisable to also take folic acid supplements (400 mg per day) prior to and
during the early stages of pregnancy. Taking folic acid supplements prior to
pregnancy has been shown to reduce the incidence of spina bifida and other
neural tube defects in babies. Catherine Zeta Jones's pregnancy craving for
beetroot and marmite, reported in the celebrity gossip magazines at the time
in the usual 'irrational food' terms, is actually a nutritionally-astute
choice (and tasty). </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="betaine"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betaine</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betaine is a nitrogenous
compound found in beetroot. In structure, it is like an amino acid. Betaine
is distinct from the betalain pigments that have previously been described.
It has a different chemical structure and is more widely distributed than the
betalain pigments. Betaine, for example, is also found in broccoli, spinach,
legumes, eggs, fish and liver. However, <i>Beta vulgaris</i> provides a
particularly rich source of betaine in the diet. Because of its prevalence in
beets, it is one of the commonest non-sugar impurities in the juice extracted
from sugar beet. Beets with high levels of sugar also have high levels of
betaine. In the root it plays a role in osmosis, regulating the diffusion of
water into cells as a counterbalance to their sugar content. In the past,
betaine was considered a potential impurity problem in sugar. However, today
it is not considered of importance, because it is inert during the processing
of sugar beet juice into sucrose. However, betaine is extracted from beet
juice, because it has become a valuable by-product of sugar beet processing. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betaine is a mood modifier. In
the diet, betaine-rich foods are pharmacologically active, and can have a
positive effect on mood by relaxing the mind. Beetroot, because it contains
betaine, is therefore a minor 'mood food', alongside ginseng and foods
containing caffeine, tryptophan and other pharmacologically-active compounds.
More seriously, betaine forms part of the treatment for mood disorders,
particularly clinical depression, and a range of other medical conditions.
Sugar beet is the main source of medicinal betaine. It is sold as a white
powder, having a sweetish taste. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Clinical depression is a
chronic disease that is very prevalent in industrialized countries. It has
been estimated, for example, that up to one in twenty Americans suffer from
clinical depression, to the extent that they require some form of treatment.
Depression is closely linked to the dysfunction of neurotransmitters in the
brain, particularly serotonin. Low levels of serotonin affect a range of
physiological processes that result in depression. One approach to treating
depression is through diet and dietary supplements. A number of compounds in
foods have been shown to raise serotonin levels and induce a subsequent
calming effect in patients suffering from depression. Betaine, which is also
known as trimethylglycine (TMG), is one of these. Treatment with betaine
(TMG) raises levels of a compound called s-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which in
turn influences serotonin metabolism. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">TMG and SAM are said to be
'methyl donors', because they donate methyl groups to other molecules to
facilitate beneficial chemical processes. In addition to neurological
effects, betaine acts a methyl donor to affect changes in the cardiovascular
system, the liver and other organs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betaine is used to treat a
genetic condition called homocystinuria. People with this condition have
unusually high levels of the amino acid homocysteine (Hcy) in their blood.
This chemical can be toxic and it contributes to an increased risk of heart
disease and strokes. Betaine supplements, acting with other nutrients,
particularly SAM, folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, break down Hcy and
prevent it from reaching toxic levels in the blood. High levels of Hcy can
also occur in people without homocystinuria, who have high Hcy in their
blood, for example, due to a dietary imbalance. These patients can also be
treated with betaine supplements. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Betaine may also be an
effective treatment for alcohol-induced liver failure. In the liver, it
promotes the regeneration of liver cells and facilitates the conversion of
fats. Betaine has also been advocated as a treatment for a type of hepatitis
(non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), kidney disorder, and antherosclerosis.
However, further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of betaine
supplements in these cases. The most serious side effect of taking betaine
supplements is that it may cause a body odour. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="juice"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Juicing</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is valued as a healthy cooked vegetable.
However, when taken medicinally beetroot is usually consumed as a juice or
broth. The benefits of drinking vegetable juice have long been recognized.
Early in the twentieth century, Norman Walker and Bernard Jensen worked on
the scientific basis of using juices as part of a daily diet. Juicing is said
to enable nutrients and other beneficial chemicals to be absorbed more easily
and efficiently in the gut. Three juice types form the core of their juice
program: a green vegetable juice, carrot juice, and beetroot juice (green,
amber, red). These can be drunk in combinations to provide a nutritious diet
supplement. Raw beetroot, and the juice made from it, is high in
carbohydrate, low in fat and is a good source of minerals, including sodium,
phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium, and vitamins, including
folic acid, niacin and vitamin C. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The juicing movement prizes beetroot as a
nutritious tonic to the immune system, through its stimulation of the lymphatic
system; a source of antioxidant minerals and vitamins; and as a source of
easily assimilated sugars, which provide instant energy (revitalizer). The
tops of beetroot are also valued for juicing, in the same way as spinach, for
being rich in folic acid, beta-carotenes, calcium and iron. Beetroot’s
antioxidant chemicals, including vitamin C and beta-carotene, help fight
infection and may help detoxify a range of carcinogenic chemicals. Juicing is
part of the raw food movement, which promotes raw as opposed to cooked food
because nutrients, enzymes, and other beneficial chemicals can often be
broken down during the cooking process. While acknowledging the undoubted
benefits of consuming raw beetroot, however, it should probably be consumed
in moderation. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Ancients and the herbalists referred to
beetroot’s laxative properties. Today, beetroot is regarded as a mild
laxative that eases constipation. Beetroot juice is regarded as having good
cleansing powers when taken regularly. It is said to stimulate liver, bowel
and kidney function, and enhance the elimination of toxins and wastes. In the
juicing literature, fruits and vegetables with high fibre are recommended for
constipation. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The following modern juice recipes can be found
in Anne McIntyre's book, which is typical of its kind. Her recipe for <i>Hungarian
beetroot and carrot cleanser</i> simply blends together the juices of the two
vegetables. It is served with a coriander garnish. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A soothing effect in the digestive system, it is
claimed, makes beetroot an effective remedy for indigestion, acidity,
gastritis and heartburn (where stomach acid rises up the oesophagus toward
the throat). Its beneficial effects on digestion may relieve other problems
associated with the stagnation of food and food toxicity, such as skin
problems, headaches and lethargy. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gerard and Culpeper noted that beetroot could be
used as a decongestant. Beetroot juice is still regarded as a good
decongestant, especially if taken as a hot soup or juice. The hot vapours
help to clear catarrh during colds, coughs and flu. McIntyre describes <i>Beet
borscht cocktail</i> as a 'flu-busting' juice. It contains beetroot, carrot
and cucumber juices, lemon juice and a dollop of yoghurt. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The herbalists noted that beetroot vapours could
clear the head. In Eastern Europe, where beetroot has been an important winter
root crop since at least the fifteenth century, it is still used as a
treatment for headache and toothache. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is advocated to ease piles or
haemorrhoids (varicose veins forming in the anal region). McIntyre gives a
recipe, aimed at easing distress, called <i>Russian relief</i>, which
contains beetroot and celery juice, mixed with live yoghurt and topped with
fresh mint leaves. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sex"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot and Sex</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When people blush in embarrassment, due to a rush
of blood to the skin surface, they are often described as blushing like a
beetroot. In period novels this often occurs in the presence of members of
the opposite sex. In L.M. Montgomery's <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908),
for instance, when a young girl reads a personal message from a boy, written
on a schoolroom slate, she 'blushed as red as a beet and giggled'. More
explicitly, purple passages of prose are described as if steeped in juices
squeezed from its virile root. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot has on occasion been regarded as an
aphrodisiac - a substance arousing sexual desire. In Roman times, juice from
roots of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> was considered aphrodisiac. Paintings of <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> adorn the walls of brothels in Pompeii. They are portrayed
amidst carnal scenes. Seeds and other traces of beetroot have been excavated
from Pompeii, a town destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. Murals
depicting Romans drinking glasses of 'red wine' have recently been
re-interpreted, and it is now thought that at least in some cases they may be
drinking beetroot juice. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In a modern volume on Indian medicinal plants, <i>Beta
vulgaris</i> is noted as being an aphrodisiac (in addition to being an
expectorant, a tonic, a cough medicine, and an anti-inflammatory agent). The
bitter-tasting seeds are unusually noted as being a particularly active
source of these properties. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In England, beetroot production is increasing as
its image is changing. No longer just a pickled relic in a glass jar,
beetroot is regarded as an invigorating fresh vegetable. In July 2003, <i>BBC
News</i> and <i>The Guardian</i> newspaper reported that hopes of a
specialist aphrodisiac market had helped secure a government grant for
Lincolnshire beetroot farmers Chris and David Moore. Chris Moore was quoted
as saying, 'The lads here swear by beetroot. Some of them even eat it for
breakfast'. The National Farmers Union (NFU) voted Mr. Moore the sexiest
farmer in the North of England in a recent poll. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Modern claims for beetroot being an aphrodisiac
are based on its being a rich source of the mineral boron, which plays a role
in the production of human sex hormones. While some aphrodisiacs have a
scientific basis, others need only be activated by the imagination, writes
Isabel Allende in <i>Aphrodite</i>. She describes an aphrodisiac is a bridge
between gluttony and lust. The farmers in Lincolnshire do not need a
scientific explanation for their aphrodisiac; they are convinced of its
invigorating powers. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The British field-marshal Viscount Montgomery
(1887-1976), famous for the victory of Alamein during the Second World War,
encouraged his soldiers to 'find favours in the beetroot fields'. In other
words, he hoped to raise the morale of his troops by having them consort with
local prostitutes. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Favours In The Beetroot Fields</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is the
title of a track on British Sea Power's debut album <i>The Decline of British
Sea Power</i> (Rough Trade Records, 2003). British Sea Power explore notions
of landscape and memory in their songs, particularly the lingering effects of
the British Empire. When playing live, they used to wear First World War
military clothing and decorate the stage with tree branches. The collision of
war and nature is a recurring motif, for instance, on <i>Something Wicked</i>,
which contains the line: 'It starts with love for foliage and ends in
camouflage'. The chorus of <i>Favours In The Beetroot Fields</i> contains the
repeated line 'all the little seeds' and puns on the sowing of (multigerm)
beetroot seed and the ejaculation of semen. It is a merging of Montgomery's
exhortation to his troops to satisfy their sexual appetite and Gerard's 1597
description of a red beet, which 'did bring forth his rough and uneven seed
very plentifully'. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is overlooked in much writing about
aphrodisiacs, possibly because it is not exotic. Fashionable texts
concentrate on romantic tropical fruits and unusual delicacies, for instance,
while ignoring foods as proletarian and basic as beetroot. Despite this,
however, blood-red beetroot has taken on an aura of rustic carnality. It
stands for a mythologized agricultural lustiness. Beets particularly evoke a
masculine sexuality - the juicy heft of globular roots. Health-giving and
rude, the root of the beet will be enjoyed for years to come for its
invigorating properties. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Six</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Acree, T.E., C.Y. Lee, R.M. Butts and J. Barnard
(1976) Geosmin, the earthy component of table beet odor, <i>Journal of
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ferenczi, S. (1955) Tumorbehandlung mit roter
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beets or with anthocyanin pigments, <i>Ztschr. Ges. Inn. Med. Grenzgebiete</i>,
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Grieve, M. (1931) <i>A Modern Herbal</i>. London:
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Juices</i>. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publications. </span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
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Chemistry. </span></span></div>
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(1975) Geosmin: an important volatile constituent of beetroot (<i>Beta
vulgaris</i>), <i>Chemical Industry</i> (London), 15: 973-974. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Orr, N. and D. Patient (2001) <i>Positive Health</i>,
booklet, pp. 88. See, for example:
http://www.journ-aids.org/HIV-AIDS_Positive/Lifestyle.htm </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rosenberg, H. (1990) Cancer chemo(toxico) therapy
revisited and alternative ways of healing,
http://karlloreen.com/biopsy/book/p14.htm </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Schmidt, S. (1961) Additional methods of treating
leukemia, cancer and other tumors, <i>Erfahrungsheilkunde</i>, 10(10):
485-497. </span></span></div>
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Herbs and Herbalism</i>. London: Orbis. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wainwright, M. (2003) The humble beetroot, <i>The
Guardian</i>, 26 July. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Warrior, P.K., V.P.K. Nambiar and C. Ramankutty
(eds.) (1994) <i>Indian Medicinal Plants</i>. Volume One. Hyderabad, India:
Orient Longman Ltd., pp. 265-267. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wettasinghe, M., B. Bolling, L. Plhak, H. Xiao
and K. Parkin (2002) Phase II enzyme-inducing and antioxidant activities of
beetroot (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) extracts from phenotypes of different
pigmentation, <i>Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</i>, 50 (23):
6704-6709. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wilcken, D.E., B. Wilcken, N.P. Dudman and P.A.
Tyrrel (1983) Homocystinuria - the effects of betaine in the treatment of
patients not responding to pyridoxine, <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>,
309: 448-453. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Zakharova, N.S. and T.A. Petrova (1998)
Relationships between the structure and antioxidant activity of certain
betalains, <i>Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology</i>, 34: 182-185. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-56999850580580117662018-02-21T17:32:00.004+00:002018-02-21T17:32:45.859+00:00Beetroot: 7. Cuisine
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">7. Cuisine</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
different cultivated forms of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> have been bred for
different culinary uses. Leaf beets have been selected for their edible
leaves and their roots are not eaten, while both the leaves and roots of
beetroot or table beet are edible. This chapter surveys beet cuisine, from
traditional dishes to the creations of a new generation of enterprising
chefs. The food is discussed in an historical and cultural context. Although
ingredients are given, the reader is referred to the cookbooks listed in the
bibliography for detailed recipes with exact measurements and cooking times.
However, for those who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen as much as I do,
the following should provide enough guidance and inspiration for some
creative cookery. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bl"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet Leaves</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The leaves of wild sea beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i>
ssp. <i>maritima</i>) have been collected from European coastlines and
consumed since at least ancient times. Richard Mabey, in <i>Food For Free</i>,
notes that domestication has not greatly altered the appearance of leaf
beets, although cultivated forms have lost much of the strong tannin-and-iron
flavour of sea beet. Small leaves of sea beet can be used in salads, while
the larger outer leaves are best steamed or boiled. Mabey recommends picking
sea beet between April and November, dispensing with any substantial stalks, and
washing the leaves well. If boiling, add a little water (1 cm) to the bottom
of a large saucepan. Cooked should take a matter of minutes with a lid on,
until the leaves turn a dark green. The leaves can be chopped and pressed
down at intervals. After draining, the beet can be tossed with a knob of
butter. Mabey suggests that sea beet cooked in this way goes well with diced
tomatoes and chopped hazel nuts. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A maritime marriage of <i>Mussels with sea beet</i>
is described in Mabey's book. Sea beet is boiled, pressed to drain, and mixed
with a béchamel sauce containing Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. The
mussels are cooked with white wine and garlic, mixed together with the sea
beet and sauce, topped with further cheese and breadcrumbs, and baked in an
oven for ten minutes. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wild sea beet can be used in any recipe calling
for spinach. A recipe dating from the seventeenth century, for example, uses
sea beet as an alternative to spinach in a pastry tart, with hard-boiled eggs
and a sweet sauce containing raisins and cinnamon. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach beet or perpetual spinach is the
domesticated beet that most resembles wild beet. It is usually cooked like
spinach: steamed, stir-fried or boiled. Although often described as being
like spinach, it is a little coarser in texture. Beet leaves generally have a
more "earthy" taste than spinach. Like spinach, beet leaves are
best boiled in a small amount of water, so that it is evaporated or absorbed
at the end of cooking. This keeps the iron and other minerals with the leaves
and ensures they are eaten rather than being wasted. Alternatively, the
cooking liquor can be used in stocks, soups or gravies. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach beet can be used in recipes instead of
spinach. The leaves can be mixed with ricotta cheese, for example, to make
stuffing for pasta or layers in vegetarian lasagne. <i>Tortelli di Erbette</i>
is a kind of ravioli from the Parma region of Italy, which is filled with
young beetroot leaves, spinach beet, chard or spinach. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Since the Middle Ages, whenever sorrel and dock (<i>Rumex</i>)
leaves have been consumed, beet leaves have often been mixed with them to
lessen the acidity of sorrel and dock in soups and other dishes. This is
still the case, for example, where French sorrel and beet leaves are eaten
like spinach in France. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Turkish cookery, beet leaves can be stuffed,
like vine leaves, with a range of ingredients. Nevin Halicic describes a <i>Sarma
of beet leaves</i> (Pazi sarmasi), with the beet leaves being blanched,
plunged into cold water, and wrapped around a stuffing containing minced
lamb, ground wheat, onion, tomato, green peppers, parsley and other
ingredients. These parcels are tightly arranged in a shallow pan with a
little hot water, some butter and sumac (sour berries native to Anatolia).
The pan is covered, with a plate pressing down on the parcels, over a low
heat for about 40 minutes. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chard is often treated as if it was two
vegetables. The leaf blade is used as beet leaves or spinach, while the
succulent leaf midribs and stalks are cooked independently. However, the
leaves and midrib can be cooked together in the same pan, with the midribs
being cooked for longer. Swiss chard and other chard varieties all have the
same taste. Chard can simply be cooked in a covered pan with olive oil, lemon
juice and seasoning. Ingredients such as capers, garlic, raisins, olives and
pine nuts can be added to the pan. Chard is often prepared with ingredients
like raisins and pine nuts, in dishes with Arabic origins. Swiss chard and
rice soup is an Egyptian speciality, for instance, which includes chickpeas,
onion, garlic, cumin and yoghurt. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chard (midribs) is probably at its most
interesting when it is cooked like asparagus, being steamed, stewed, baked or
boiled, and served with melted butter or a range of sauces. Chard can be used
in most recipes that call for asparagus. White sauce, cheese or tomato sauce
can be poured over cooked chard. Sauces that are used for celery and cardoons
are also good on chard. Sophie Grigson, for example, describes a recipe for <i>Chard
in a curried cream sauce</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chard is popular around the Mediterranean,
especially in Provence and Catalonia. In France, chard is called cardes de
bette or blettes. Many recipes for chard, such as <i>Poirée à carde</i>
(stewed chard), originated in France, where it is often cooked with cheese in
tarts, gratins and quiches. Elizabeth David gives a recipe for <i>Blettes à
la crème</i> (chard with cream sauce) in <i>French Provincial Cookery</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Italy and Spain, chard is sometimes used in
pizza. Its leaves are also incorporated into soups, pancakes, and meat
products such as pies, black pudding and faggots. <i>Sopas Mallorquinas</i>
is a popular chard dish from the Balearic Islands. It is a vegetable and
bread stew - solid peasant fare - that exists in many versions. Sophie
Grigson presents a recipe using dried bread, the shredded greens of chard
(the midribs are used for something else), garlic, leeks, tomatoes, olive oil
and herbs. The stew is poured on top of the bread in a serving bowl. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot leaves are a little coarser and stronger
tasting than the leaves from beets cultivated exclusively for their leaves.
However, fresh bright beetroot leaves should not be overlooked in the
kitchen. They can be lightly cooked and are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Young beetroot leaves with crimson-veins add colour when mixed with other green
vegetable leaves. Beetroot leaves do not keep as long as beetroots after
harvest, and are only of value when fresh. Leaves from traditional varieties,
such as Bull's Blood and Early Wonder, which tend to have more abundant
foliage, are often better to eat than the leaves of many modern varieties,
where plant breeders have concentrated on traits relating to the root. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot leaves are commonly eaten in many parts
of the world. Young leaves are treated like leaf beet and spinach, for
example, in Indonesia and Japan. The first delicate leaves of beetroot can be
eaten raw in mixed salads, where they provide colour. Beetroot leaves can be
lightly steamed and flavoured with a little freshly-ground black pepper or
they can be stir-fried with garlic and soy sauce. The dark green foliage and
purple veins of beetroot leaves can be a colourful addition to stir-fried or
steamed spinach, chard or other green-leaf vegetables. Chopped or shredded
beetroot leaves are often added to soups and stews. <i>Botvinya</i> is a
traditional cold sweet-and-soup Russian soup made from beetroot leaves,
spinach and sorrel. It is garnished with cucumber or small pieces of fish. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="br"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beet Roots</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When buying, look for beetroot that are firm to
the touch and have unblemished skins. The leaves should ideally be attached
or twisted off around 5 cm above the root. When preparing, roots should be
gently washed to remove soil particles, for example, using a sponge. Heavy
scrubbing may damage the skin and cause bleeding. A bleeding root is messy to
handle and is losing colour and nutrients. The roots should be undamaged and
unpeeled before cooking, unless the intention is to make soup or to colour a
dish with beetroot juice. Peeled beetroot can also be grated and eaten raw,
but it is usually cooked before being peeled and used in salad and as a
vegetable. The two main methods of cooking are boiling and baking. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">To boil beetroot, the roots are placed in a pan
of lightly salted water, covered and simmered for between 45 minutes and two
hours, depending on their size. Jane Grigson recommends a tablespoon of salt
for 1 Kg (2 lb) of beetroot, although the trend now is to use less salt when
cooking vegetables. Small beets and minibeet varieties may cook in as little
as 30 minutes. Large mature roots may take at least two hours to cook,
although such large roots are rarely sold in shops. Cooking small or
medium-sized beets for over two hours, by any method, will cause the roots to
go hard. After boiling, beetroot can be refreshed in cold water, which also
cools them enough for the skins to be easily removed. Aluminium pans should
be avoided when boiling beetroot. Chemicals in the beet react with the
aluminium, discolouring the pan and causing them to taste bitter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Although boiling is often given as the cooking
method in recipes, I prefer to bake beetroot. Baking retains the flavour of
the beetroot better than other cooking methods. The roots develop a sweeter,
fruitier, and richer flavour when baked. To cook beets relatively quickly,
they can be individually wrapped in aluminium foil and placed on a baking
tray in an oven (160°C to 180°C) for around 45 to 90 minutes, depending on
size. An hour at this temperature is usually sufficient for small to
medium-sized roots. Small beetroots may be cooked in as little as twenty minutes.
Very small beetroots or minibeets, however, can easily become overcooked in
an oven, and boiling may be preferable in this case. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Temperatures above 180°C (350°F) should be
avoided when baking, as beets need time at a lower steady temperature to cook
evenly and develop their full flavour. If time permits, oven temperatures of
140-150°C and longer baking times give beetroot an excellent flavour.
Beetroot is therefore a good vegetable to cook when the oven is being used
for other slow-cooked dishes. When cooking several beetroot, they can be
placed closely together (almost touching) in a covered baking dish, with a
little water to prevent them drying out. Even-sized beets give the best
result, as they cook to the same degree. As an alternative to cooking in
foil, beetroot can be wrapped in their own leaves, to preserve moisture, and
baked in a moderate oven. In Italy, it is considered traditional to cook
beetroot slowly in the embers of a dying fire. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Some cookbooks suggest the microwave oven as a
method of cooking beetroot. Beetroot are placed in a bowl with a few
tablespoons of water and covered with a microwavable plastic film. The advice
for medium to large-sized beets is something like full power for five
minutes, rest, and power again for five minutes. However, I am not a fan of
microwave ovens and consider this is a waste of good beetroot. Rapid cooking
by microwaves can easily lead to rubbery flesh texture, unappealing skin
charring, a depletion of nutrients, and an undeveloped flavour. If time is a
limiting factor, pre-cooked beetroot can be bought. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The skin of cooked beetroot is easy to peel off.
If the skin does not budge, the beet is not cooked. A skewer or fork is
sometimes recommended to test whether beetroot is cooked, but piercing causes
bleeding of the root. Once cooked, beetroot can be cooled a little before
rubbing with the finger and thumb to remove the skin. Kitchen gloves can be
worn to prevent temporary staining of the hands. To speed the cooling
process, a running cold-water tap can be used. Peeled cooked beetroot are
then ready to use in a wide range of dishes. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="bor"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch or borshch is the Russian name for a
collection of Eastern European beetroot soups. These date back to at least
the fourteenth century, when beetroot was first introduced into this region.
Borsch is particularly popular in Russia, the Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland.
Beetroot is the principal ingredient, giving borsch its distinctive colour
and flavour, although no two recipes for it are the same. It probably originated
as a hearty one-pot meal in countries where maincrop beetroot was a staple in
the diet of the rural population. It has provided winter sustenance, for
instance, to the Russian peasantry for many centuries. Borsch can be served
hot or cold, or hot and then subsequently cold. It is at its most complex as
a lavish Ukrainian speciality, and at its most modern as an elegantly clear
and chilled consommé. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch is of great cultural significance in
Central and Eastern Europe. In Poland, for example, beetroot soup is one of
twelve Lenten dishes eaten during the period of fasting leading up to Easter.
Borsch is a traditional dish of the Ashkenazi Jews, who took it from Eastern
Europe to countries around the world. In Sergei Eisenstein's classic film <i>Battleship
Potemkin</i> (1925), Soviet workers eat borsch, which symbolises their roots
in Russia's soil, in contrast to the aristocracy who consume imported and
frivolous concoctions. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In the nineteenth century, a French influence
entered the cuisine of Poland and Russia. The influence was felt first in
Poland, where sauces started to become richer in wealthier homes. The Russian
aristocracy then imported French influences into their cooking by employing
French chefs. One of the original celebrity chefs, Antonin Carême cooked for
Alexander I, the Tsar of Russia from 1801 to 1825, at his court in St.
Petersburg. The French fashion in Russian cuisine continued until the Russian
Revolution of 1917, when there was a backlash against foreign influence and a
patriotic return to traditional foods. Ironically, it was at this time that
borsch became one of the first Russian dishes to become popular in France,
due to the arrival of emigres in the 1920s who were departing Russia in the
wake of the Revolution. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch may have originated in the Ukraine, and
Ukrainian borsch is borsch at its most extravagant. It can take several days
to prepare, is made in large quantities, and is a dish fit for a feast.
Numerous borsch recipes exist in cookbooks (e.g. <i>Food of Eastern Europe</i>,
<i>Russian Cookery</i>, <i>The Good Cook's Encyclopaedia</i> and <i>Larousse
Gastronomique</i>). The <i>Larousse</i> recipe is based on one handed down by
Carême and based on his time in the Russian court. Butter is first melted in
a large pan, although lard would have traditionally been used for frying in
Eastern Europe. Chopped onions are fried in the butter, with the beetroot
being added next. Beetroot is the main vegetable and it is usually uncooked
to start with, being peeled and either sliced or grated. Stewing steak (as in
Carême) or other meat such as streaky bacon, cooked ham or sausage can be
added at this stage, although meat can be cooked and served separately. The
stock or water, typically a rich beef or chicken stock is added to the pot,
along with a selection of other vegetables. A fresh stock is often made, for
instance using shin beef, as the first stage of cooking borsch. The
vegetables added can include shredded cabbage, carrot, celery, celeriac,
parsnip, Hamburg parsnip, potatoes, tomatoes or tomato puree swede and
garlic. These vegetables tend to be root vegetables, as this is traditionally
a winter dish. Shredded beetroot leaves can also be added. Herbs including
parsley, peppercorns and a bay leaf are often tied in a muslin bag, and added
along with salt and pepper. Flour, or a roux made from lard or butter and
flour, is added to thicken the soup. Borsch is simmered for a couple of
hours, or until all the vegetables are tender. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Towards the end of cooking, either reserved
beetroot juice or kvas is usually added to a classic borsch. Kvas is a
fermented beetroot juice that gives the soup an intense ruby colour and adds
a sour tang or tartness to its flavour. The fermentation is started several
days in advance of cooking. Raw grated beetroot is steeped in warm water,
along with stale rye bread and some sugar. It is covered, left for three or
four days, and strained before being added to the soup. Where kvas is
unavailable, boiling grated beetroot in stock with lemon juice and straining
can produce a similar effect. Some recipes suggest adding red wine vinegar,
cider vinegar, malt vinegar, dry sherry or lemon juice, with or without
sugar, at the same time as the stock to impart a tangy component to the
flavour. The addition of kvas or fresh beetroot juice toward the end of
cooking is important to achieve a vivid red colour. The colour needs reviving
because prolonged cooking causes the pigment in beetroot to fade and to take
on a brownish tinge. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch is served in bowls and topped with a
garnish of soured cream (sour cream or smetana), swirled on its surface,
usually with chopped chives or other herbs (e.g. dill or parsley). Ukrainian
borsch is traditionally served with a range of accompaniments. Bowls of
smetana (soured cream) or fresh cream are the most common side dish, to spoon
into the soup according to taste. A selection of fresh meats often
accompanies borsch, which can include roast beef, bacon or game. Claudia
Rosen notes that if meat accompanies borsch at a Jewish meal in Eastern
Europe, it is traditional to thicken the borsch with egg yolks and serve it
without sour cream, in keeping with dietary laws. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Russia, Poland and the Ukraine, piroshki or
pirozki are served with borsch at feasts. These are little dumplings made
from various types of dough, or pastries, which can be stuffed with various
meats, cabbage, rice, mushrooms or curd cheese. They are traditionally
crescent-shaped. Buckwheat kasha is also traditionally served with borsch.
Kasha is a type of porridge or gruel popular in Eastern Europe, which is made
with crushed or powdered buckwheat. Roasted buckwheat kasha is baked with
water and butter. It can sometimes be spooned into soup bowls before the
borsch. Alternatively, blini (buckwheat pancakes) might be served. Borsch can
also be served with white kidney beans or mushrooms. Garlic cloves are
optionally eaten between mouthfuls of borsch. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Numerous variations of borsch and its accompaniments
exist. <i>Larousse Gastronomique</i> even lists a fish borsch and a green
borsch; the latter made with sorrel or spinach. In vegetarian versions,
mushrooms can be used for the stock. Summer borscht recipes, featuring greens
rather than root vegetables, are an intermediate step in this direction.
Borsch recipes from Eastern Europe that include sorrel, celery, leeks, apples
and dried fruit were geared toward summer feasts. Jane Grigson's <i>Summer
borsch</i> includes courgettes, spring onions and beetroot leaves. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Borsch is generally cooked in large quantities,
and may be eaten hot initially and cold on subsequent occasions. Cold borsch
is usually chilled. An early Lithuanian recipe, cited by Claudia Rosen, is
for <i>Sour iced beetroot soup</i>. Iced borsch stands comparison to the
chilled fruit soups (e.g. cherry, plum) characteristic of Hungarian cuisine.
Versions of chilled borsch have become popular outside of Central and Eastern
Europe, for example, in the Mediterranean where it can be considered a
distant cousin of Spanish gazpacho (chilled tomato soup). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are many other beetroot soups, utilizing a
wide variety of ingredients. <i>Zuppa Ebrea</i> (Hebrew Soup) is a chilled
beetroot soup made with eggs and served with potatoes. <i>Swekolnik</i> is an
iced Russian soup, made using the leaves and roots of beets, cucumber,
tarragon, chives, mint, fennel, cream and vinegar. <i>Beetroot and caraway
soup</i> is a Hungarian speciality. Parsnips and beetroot make good
companions in soup. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Consommé is a clear soup made from clarified meat
stock, which often includes vegetables. Delia Smith presents a
summer-orientated recipe for <i>Chilled beetroot consomme </i>for her British
audience, in which diced raw beetroot is boiled with chopped spring onions
and a bouquet garni for one hour. Diced peeled cucumber is added towards the
end of cooking, when the soup is sieved and red wine vinegar, lemon juice and
seasoning are added, along with a garnish of yoghurt and chopped chives.
Clear versions of beetroot soups have fewer vegetables, tend not to include
potato, and are well strained before serving. However, they are still
typically garnished with soured cream and chopped herbs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Elizabeth David gives a recipe for a clear <i>Iced
beetroot soup</i> in <i>A Book of Mediterranean Food</i>. She makes it with
aspic jelly and spoons it over cooled poached eggs. She suggests that the
method of serving is important, to "avoid it looking like nursery
jelly". <i>Jellied beetroot consommé</i> was a feature of the menu at
Bibendum, Michelin House in South Kensington, London, when Simon Hopkinson
was the chef in the 1990s. It was restaurants like this that helped beetroot
to become fashionable again. The jellied consommé is served with sour cream
and chives, with (optional) caviar. Alastair Little gives a recipe for <i>Chilled
borscht with baby vegetables</i>, which is also made with a jellied consommé.
It is served in his restaurant with chopped chives or chervil leaves, crème
fraiche and horseradish, although a small amount of harissa is suggested as
an alternative to horseradish. A beef gelling agent is considered to work
best in these dishes. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="sal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Salads</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When beetroot is eaten raw, it is usually grated
and served in a salad. It has an appealing crunchy texture. The grating can
be done wearing gloves or in a food processor to reduce staining. Marinating
raw grated beetroot in a little vinegar can enhance its flavour. In one
version of <i>Russian salad</i>, grated beetroot is marinated in cider
vinegar, along with celery, chopped fresh herbs and spring onions, seasoning
and apple juice. Russian salad can also include diced potato, green beans,
peas, carrots and boiled eggs. Grated beetroot can also be lightly fried in
butter, then tossed with lemon juice and chopped herbs. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Raw beetroot goes well with oranges in salads. In
a typical recipe, grated raw beetroot, orange segments and a little raw red
onion are mixed together with red wine vinegar and topped with a dressing
that includes yoghurt, olive oil and wholegrain mustard. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cooked beetroot can be sliced, diced or quartered
and placed in a serving dish with a range of ingredients to make salad. Baked
beetroot can simply be skinned, sliced and served with vinegar, sugar and a
little water. An old Eastern European recipe calls for cooked and diced
beetroot to be mixed with chopped mild onion, sugar and sour cream, and
dressed with salt, lemon juice or vinegar. In many beetroot salads, the red
colour of beetroot is compartmentalized by assembling the ingredients at the
last moment before serving. This lets the different components retain their
identity, rather than being infiltrated with beetroot juice. Jane Grigson
describes a <i>Beetroot and orange salad</i>, for example, that is assembled
so the ingredients keep their intrinsic colour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A touch of sharpness counteracts the sweetness in
beetroot, making wine or malt vinegar, lemon juice, mustard or horseradish
ideal ingredients to add. A little raw shallot or onion is often added to
beetroot salads. Capers are also sometimes included for their saltiness and
complementary flavour. One of the simplest salads is small beets served with
lemon juice or vinaigrette dressing (oil and wine vinegar), salt and milled
pepper. <i>Beetroot salad a l'alsacienne</i>, given in <i>Larousse
Gastronomique</i>, is a combination of sliced baked beetroot, vinaigrette
dressing with mustard, and finely chopped shallots and herbs, marinated for
one hour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Elizabeth David describes a <i>Salade de céleris
et betteraves</i> (celery and beetroot salad). This winter salad is
traditionally served with turkey at Christmas in parts of France. Cooked and
diced beetroot are tossed in highly seasoned oil and vinegar dressing, with
garlic and chopped parsley. Strips of celery are separately dressed with
seasoning, oil and lemon juice and scattered on top of the beetroot just
before serving. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Vinegar is a frequent accompaniment to beetroot.
In Britain and Germany, for instance, most people know beetroot primarily as
boiled beetroot steeped in malt vinegar. During my childhood in the 1960s and
1970s in England, I can't remember encountering a beetroot that was not
pickled and in a glass jar. Pickled beetroot is fine in moderation, but its
ubiquity has given beetroot a bad name. Malt vinegar is too strong a taste
for many people, who may be put off beetroot for life through only eating it
pickled. Beetroot is too interesting and versatile to deserve this fate. A
more subtle acidity is often best, to counter its sweetness, while the
addition of something creamy or oily further enhances its flavour. Beetroot
is now being served in a wider variety of vinegars than ever before. Wine and
cider vinegars, flavoured vinegars and balsamic vinegar, for example, are all
alternatives to malt vinegar. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Yoghurt (or sour cream) is often used in chilled
beetroot salads. Grated carrot and sliced onions often feature as additional
vegetables. The fruits most frequently added to beetroot salads are apple,
orange, pear and grape. The herbs most commonly used are chives, dill,
marjoram, mint and parsley. Walnut is the nut most commonly added to beetroot
salads. In addition to salt and pepper, cumin or other ground spices are
sometimes used. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In recipes for beetroot, variety or cultivar is
rarely mentioned. Beetroot recipes usually call for generic beetroot. An
exception to this is salads that exploit the different colours of beetroot.
Slices of white beetroot (e.g. Albina Vereduna, Blankoma) can be alternated
with orange-yellow beetroot (e.g. Burpee's Golden) and deep red beetroot
(e.g. Detroit, Boltardy). The red and white bullseye pattern of sliced
Chioggia is also striking, although it fades with cooking. To use it in a
colourful salad, the peeled root can be cut into thin slices that are boiled
in salted water for around seven minutes or until tender. This short cooking
time leaves the distinct pattern intact. Chioggia does not bleed like most
red beetroot. Chioggia slices can therefore be neatly arranged, for example,
with sliced hard-boiled eggs, olives and fresh dill. The flavour of Chioggia
is distinctive, being an old variety with an unimproved flavour. It appears
to be an acquired taste, because descriptions of its flavour in the
literature range from "insipid" and "horrible", to
"delicious when baked" and "generally very tasty". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The variety of beetroot used is also significant
where size is important. Beetroots range in size from minibeets, to golf and
tennis ball size, to mature roots the size of cannonballs or large parsnips.
Minibeets are good pickled and in salads, large roots are ideal for making
large amounts of borsch or casserole, but medium-sized beets tend to be best
when serving beetroot as a hot vegetable. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="hv"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hot Vegetable</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Baked beetroot can be served simply in their
skins by slicing them open and adding butter and seasoning. Alternatively, a
sauce of crème fraiche, creamed horseradish and chopped fresh dill can be
used to fill baked beetroot. This works best with larger globe-shaped roots.
There are, however, numerous other ways that beetroot can be prepared as a
hot vegetable dish. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Italian regions have their own traditional
ways of preparing beetroot. Beets are parboiled and baked in cream in the
Valle d'Aosta, for instance, while in Emilia-Romagna they are baked in a
béchamel sauce topped with Parmesan cheese. Antonio Carluccio describes an <i>Italian
beetroot and red cabbage dish</i> (Barbabietola e cavola rosso), in which the
vegetables are baked in stock with cumin seed, a bay leaf and red wine
vinegar, for serving with game or roast beef. <i>Beetroot á la Lyonnaise</i>
is a French recipe, listed in <i>Larousse Gastronomique</i>, which calls for
parboiled beets to be peeled, sliced and cooked until tender in butter with
thinly sliced onion. The dish is finished, over heat, with the addition of a
little brown stock or bouillon and additional butter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot and potato are combined in a recipe from
Mrs. Conrad's <i>Home Cooking</i>. The beetroot is cooked with onions, cream,
sugar, white wine vinegar and dill; then served inside a ring of hot mashed
potato. This red and white, sweet and sour, beetroot dish originated in
Poland suggests Jane Grigson, who reproduces the recipe in her <i>Vegetable
Book</i> of 1978. The red and white zones are suggestive of the Polish flag,
while the author's husband Conrad was from that country. Joseph Conrad, the
famous author of <i>Heart of Darkness</i>, wrote in the preface of his wife's
first cookery book that of all books, only cookery books are morally above
suspicion because their one aim is to increase the happiness of mankind. Jane
Grigson also gives a recipe for <i>Polish braised beetroot with stuffed eggs</i>,
which combines the interesting textures of a creamy egg stuffing, a crisp
outer egg coating, and grated beetroot flavoured with horseradish and lemon
juice. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Russian beetroot casserole</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
resembles a thickened borsch, but with less liquid and a sweet-and-sour flavour.
Onions are fried in melted butter, to which stock, chopped vegetables,
including beetroot, and mushrooms are added. After simmering for about an
hour, lemon juice, chopped mint with other herbs, seasoning and paprika are
stirred in or used to garnish, along with the inevitable soured cream. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A traditional Dutch method of preparing beets is
to simmer them in water thickened with corn starch, along with butter,
vinegar, sugar, onions, cloves and seasoning. The influential French cookery
writer La Varenne describes the frying of slices of pre-cooked beetroots in
butter with chopped onions and a dash of vinegar. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot became popular in Turkey during the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and a recipe for beetroot casserole from
that time advises cutting up peeled roots and cooking them with butter,
parsley, chopped onion and garlic, with flour being added to the water to
thicken the sauce. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A recipe for <i>Glazed beetroot</i> is given in a
traditional British cookbook (<i>Good Housekeeping Cookery Book</i>). Sliced
cooked beetroot is added to melted butter in a saucepan, along with lemon
rind and juice, sugar and seasoning. The beetroot is stirred and heated,
while capers and chopped chives and parsley are added, before serving hot.
Sophie Grigson gives a recipe for <i>Beetroot with apple</i>, in which slices
of dessert apple are first pan-fried in oil and butter, followed by sliced
cooked beetroot. The apple and beetroot are transferred to a serving dish.
Lemon juice and horseradish sauce are added to the pan and mixed with the
juices, and then poured over the apple and beetroot immediately before
serving. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A modern British recipe for <i>Roast balsamic
beetroot</i>, from a book by Nigel Slater, involves cutting cooked beetroot
into wedges, and tossing them into a roasting tin with onion segments and
olive oil. This is covered and the dish roasted for 30 minutes, after which a
little balsamic vinegar and salt are added. It is then roasted uncovered for
30 minutes longer. Cooked sliced beetroot can also be given a roasting in an
orange sauce (orange juice, flour to thicken and vinegar or lemon juice to
sharpen), with orange segments being added near the end. Another modern
treatment for beetroot is to cut them raw into thin strips and stir-fry them,
with the later addition of beetroot leaves and spinach. Stir-fried beetroot
can also include garlic, ginger, soy sauce, spring onions, chilli or
mushrooms. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Hot beetroot goes well with double cream, soured
cream (smetana), crème fraîche, fromage frais, buttermilk or yoghurt. A simple
way of serving, for instance, involves heating cream with the beetroot
cooking liquor and pouring over hot baked beetroot. <i>Baby beets and spring
onions stewed in cream</i> is a version from Alastair Little's <i>Keep it
Simple</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The first recipes for <i>Beetroot fritters</i>
appeared in early British cookbooks. John Nott, in his 1723 cookbook, dips
slices of baked beetroot in a batter of flour, white wine, cream, egg,
crushed cloves and nutmeg, and seasoning. He then coats them in flour,
breadcrumbs and parsley, and fries them. The fritters are served with lemon
juice. Beetroot fitters were popular in British cookbooks of the 1930s. Gary
Rhodes has recently updated beetroot fritters, with wedges of floured and
seasoned beetroot being deep-fried in a thick batter of flour, salt and lager
beer. They can be served with salt and vinegar, like French fries or chips. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thinly sliced beetroot can be deep-fried in hot
oil to make <i>Beetroot crisps</i> (chips in the USA). Along with parsnip
crisps, beetroot crisps are an alternative to potato crisps. They are gaining
in popularity. At least one international sandwich bar chain is now stocking
beetroot crisps. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gary Rhodes gives a recipe for <i>Beetroot bubble
and squeak</i>, substituting beetroot for the brassicas (e.g. Brussels
sprouts) traditionally used in this British recipe, but retaining the potato,
onion and butter. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot can be mashed, like potato. It can never
be made as smooth as mashed potatoes, but the rougher texture lends itself to
recipes containing toasted seeds (e.g. poppy seeds) and roasted nuts. A dash
of red wine vinegar and a generous spoonful of double cream enhance a bowl of
mashed beetroot. Mashed beetroot found its way onto fashionable restaurant
menus in the 1990s. <i>Sabodet with beetroot and horseradish mash</i>, for
example, has featured on the Bibendum menu in London; sabodet being a
traditional French sausage made using pigs’ heads. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot biscuits</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> were
in the past made by mashing boiled roots and beating them with sugar, butter,
eggs, spices and a little water and lemon juice. The resulting paste was
flattened and patted into small cake shapes, before cooking slowly in an
oven. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="wm"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">With Meat</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is a good accompaniment to meat,
particularly game, sausages and cold roast meats. Pickled beetroot is popular
served with cold meats, especially sausages and hams. However, beetroot can
be served with a wide variety of meats, in many adventurous ways. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A recipe for <i>Kidneys with beetroot</i> is
given by Sophie Grigson, who adapted it for home cooking from one by Pierre
Koffman (who used veal kidneys). Lamb's kidneys are first sauté in oil and
butter. The kidneys are set aside when cooked, while shallots and diced
beetroot are added to the pan, along with white wine. When the wine has
evaporated, stock is added and the vegetables are cooked until the stock has
reduced by half. Cream is then added, followed by wholegrain mustard and the
cooked kidneys. Alastair Little gives a recipe for <i>Calves' livers with
beetroot</i>, based on one by Michel Guérard. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The French chef Edouard de Pomiane produced a
much-copied recipe for hare served with hot beetroot in the 1930s. Michel
Guérard gives a more recent version, <i>Râble de li&egarve;vre à la
betterave</i> (saddle of hare with beetroot), in his influential book <i>Cuisine
Gourmande</i>. He describes it as "tender rosy hare with a Russian
flavour". The meat is marinated for several days in red wine with onion,
crushed juniper berries, cloves and herbs. It is then roasted in an oven. The
sauce is made by first sauté thin slices of beetroot and shallots in fat from
the roasting dish. Wine vinegar and marinade are added and the liquid boiled
to reduce. Finally, cream is stirred in to give the sauce a delicate pink
colour. The sauce is poured over the saddle of hare, along with a sprinkling
of chives, while thin slices of beetroot are served around it. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The organic restaurant of the (Lost) Gardens of
Heligan in Cornwall sometimes serves a hearty <i>Casserole of beef, beetroot
and beer</i>. This sweet, meaty and colourful casserole also includes chunks
of onion and a couple of teaspoons of horseradish sauce. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Meatballs with sweet and sour beetroot</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> (Kofta
shawandar hamudh) is a classic Jewish dish that originated in Iraq. The
meatballs are made with beef or lamb, onion, parsley, lemons, cinnamon, sugar
and seasoning. Beetroot are simmered for an hour and placed into another pan
to cook with the meatballs. It is served with rice, and according to Claudia
Rosen, has a very individual taste. She notes that the red colour of the
beetroot and meatballs looks extraordinary against the white rice. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot purée in the Dutch style</span></i></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is cooked
with apples, onion and grated nutmeg. It is traditionally sprinkled with
chives and served in ramekins with duck, ham or sausages. A beetroot puree
with wine vinegar is described by Michel Guérard as a "deep
rose-coloured sweet-sour puree; that goes well with game, as an alternative
to chestnut puree". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A wide range of meat is served with beetroot in
modern restaurants. Beetroot goes well with pork and lamb chops (e.g. <i>Lamb
chops with beetroot soufflé</i>). A beetroot sauce with blackcurrants or
redcurrants and port is recognized as an ideal accompaniment to duck and
game. Scottish restaurants serve venison with beetroot. <i>Rye-gratinated
fillet of reindeer with dark boletus mushroom sauce and smoked beetroot</i>
is served at the Hotel Merihovi in Finland's Lapland. Meanwhile, South
African chef Bruce Robertson has developed a speciality dish of <i>Beetroot
and warthog biltong</i>. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A popular recipe from the USA is <i>Red flannel
hash</i>. This is made from beets, corned beef, butter, onions, beets,
potato, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and seasoning. The vegetables are
cooked, mixed with the corned beef, and stacked on a plate. It can be topped
with a fried egg. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In a different vein, the American humourist F.H.
Curtis wrote in 1891 that, "dead beets should be served in summary
manner. Winter beets in a wintry manner. Boil them, and having obtained a
supply of hearts, serve two hearts but with a single beet". </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="wf"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">With Fish</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot has enjoyed a long association with
fish. Scandinavian beetroot salads often include fish. These are among the
earliest beetroot recipes. Herring is the most common fish used in salads
with beetroot in Norway and around the Baltic Sea. The herring can be sweet
and smoked, unsmoked, or salted (matjes herring). Herring, sliced hard-boiled
eggs, onion, parsley and vinaigrette are typically used as a garnish with
cooked beetroot. Cooked potatoes, apple, and a cream dressing can also be
used. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Anchovy fillets and radish, in addition to
beetroot and potatoes, are ingredients in a typical Flemish winter salad. <i>Beetroot
with an anchovy dressing</i> (Betteraves a la Provencale) is a related French
dish. <i>Cappon magro</i>, from Liguria in Italy, is a type of Russian salad
with beetroot and other vegetables layered up with fish and covered in a
green sauce. Baked beetroot is one of the vegetables dipped into the
traditional Piedmont garlic and anchovy sauce <i>Bagna cauda</i>, which is
traditionally served in a huge copper pot that is dipped into communally at
harvest festivals. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Jewish community in Poland developed a
version of the classic dish <i>Gefilte fish with chrain</i> using beetroot.
Gefilte fish is poached fish balls; chrain is a sauce made with horseradish
and, in this case, beetroot. Both fish and sauce are served cold. Claudia
Rosen, in <i>The Book of Jewish Food</i>, describes the preparation of this
appetizer, in which a slice of carrot is traditionally placed on top of each
fish ball. Not all chrain recipes include beetroot, although grated
horseradish is essential. The version developed in Poland has a sauce made
using either beetroot juice or grated cooked beetroot, which is sweeter than
most recipes for chrain. The beetroot softens the piquant flavour of the
sauce and gives it a bright-red colour. The amount of beetroot added to
chrain can vary from very little to around three times the amount of
horseradish. Salt, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar and vinegar are other
typical ingredients. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In <i>Adam's Luxury and Eve's Cookery</i>, an
English cookbook of 1744, beetroots are fried as a garnish for carp and other
fish. More recently, Jane Grigson offers a recipe for <i>Sole with a beetroot
gratin</i> (Sole au betterave), which "rings with brave
affrontery". She also suggests trying the recipe with brill, cod,
haddock or whiting. The <i>Good Housekeeping Cookery Book</i> has a post-WWII
British recipe for <i>Sardine and beetroot salad</i>, using cans of sardines
(mashed), grated apple and diced pickled beetroot, served with salad cream
and lemon juice on a bed of lettuce leaves. Gary Rhodes gives beetroot an
updated East London feel in a recipe for <i>Fillets of smoked eel on a warm
potato, onion and beetroot salad</i>. Modern British restaurants serve
beetroot with a wide range of fish, in dishes such as <i>Beetroot mould with
turbot tartare</i> and <i>Loin of tuna with beetroot and red onion comfit</i>.
Nina Planck provides a recipe for <i>Wild salmon, couscous and marinated
beetroots with greens</i>, in which sliced beetroot is boiled, making a pink
stock that is absorbed by the couscous, and served with briefly-boiled
beetroot leaves alongside seared salmon fillets. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="pg"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pies and Gratin</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">An Elizabethan pie containing beetroot features
in Lorwin Madge's <i>Dining with Shakespeare</i>. Grated beetroot, cheese,
carrots, cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger, egg yolks and butter are cooked under
a rustic piecrust. Ingredients listed for pies of this period give the
impression that whatever was at hand was chucked in. Few recipes for beetroot
cooked in pies feature in modern cookbooks. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Recipes for <i>Beetroot au gratin</i> occur in
British cookbooks of the 1930s. It is a dish that has undergone a revival in
recent years, and can be served with meat and fish. Beetroot gratin benefits
from being made simply, with lemon juice, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and
breadcrumbs. Nevertheless, elaborate versions occur on restaurant menus. A
recent celebrity chef dish is <i>Beetroot tarte tatin</i>, basically beetroot
and apple stewed under a pastry crust, which is served upside down with, say,
coriander crème fraîche. Another dish from the menu of a fashionable
restaurant is <i>Gratin of plums and apricots with beetroot sauce</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="rp"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Risotto and Pasta</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are many variations on <i>Beetroot risotto</i>.
In one recipe, red onion and fennel are first added to butter, followed by
beetroot, tomatoes, Arborio rice, stock, lemon juice and parsley. Pancetta or
smoked bacon, carrots, mushrooms, peas and Parmesan cheese are also common
ingredients. One version includes a dash of vodka with lemon. In another,
half of a raw finely-shredded beetroot is cooked from the start, while the
other half is added towards the end of cooking. This has the advantage of
reviving the red colour of the risotto. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot juice is a common way of making
red-coloured pasta. Jamie Oliver gives a recipe for <i>Beetroot pasta</i>,
using pureed beetroot (in a little water), flour and eggs. He suggests
serving this red pasta with pesto sauce or mussels and white wine. Beetroot
can be can also be added to basil to make a red pesto sauce, or included in
the ingredients that make the stuffing for ravioli. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="pc"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pickles and Chutney</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pickling is a good way of preserving beetroot. <i>Pickled
beetroot</i> is usually preserved in malt vinegar, although white wine
vinegar or other vinegars can be used. Boiled or roasted beetroot are skinned
and packed into wide-mouthed sterilized glass jars. The vinegar is boiled
with salt and a range of spices, which can include allspice, cloves, cinnamon
and ginger. The vinegar is passed through a sieve into the jars, which are sealed
and stored for up to six months. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In Eastern Europe, pickled vegetables have been
popular for centuries, with their strong flavours providing a pleasing
contrast to the blandness of potatoes and bread. Pickled beetroot, cabbage,
cucumber and gherkin, for instance, have been staple items in Poland,
Lithuania, Russia and the Ukraine for many centuries, being stored in barrels
for winter consumption. Early German recipes for preserving beetroot can be
straightforward, but also include horseradish, anise, coriander or caraway,
and various vinegar and wine mixtures. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There are numerous recipes available today for
beetroot pickles. Jill Nice in her book <i>Home-Made Preserves</i> gives
several, including <i>Küemmel's beetroot pickle</i>. The name is misleading
and may be a mistranslation, as she explains, because küemmel is German for
caraway, which gives the pickle its distinctive taste. In addition to cooked
sliced beetroot and caraway seeds, the pickle contains soft brown sugar, sea
salt, ground pepper and malt vinegar. A <i>Spiced beetroot pickle</i>
contains malt vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, mace and allspice. A <i>Hot beetroot
pickle</i> contains malt vinegar, allspice, green ginger, horseradish and
cayenne pepper or dried chilli. A <i>Sweet beetroot pickle</i> contains extra
soft brown or white sugar. Pickled beetroot in the USA is often sweet; for
instance, the sweet-and-sour version called <i>Harvard beets</i>. After six
months, all types of beetroot pickle will start to become soft. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Jill Nice gives a recipe for <i>Beetroot chutney</i>
made from beetroot, onions, white wine vinegar, cooking apples, sultanas,
pickling spices, ginger and white sugar. Oranges can also be included in
beetroot chutneys. Madhur Jaffrey gives a beetroot chutney recipe from Tamil
Nadu in her book <i>Flavours of India</i>. <i>Sweet beetroot chutney</i>
(Beetroot pachhadi) contains grated beetroot, sugar, ground cardamom and
honey. This chutney keeps for about a week. The Middle Eastern turnip pickle <i>Torshi
lift</i> contains beetroot, which gives it a characteristic colour and
sweetness. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="icj"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ice Cream and Jelly</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot juice can be used to make ice cream. At
least one British restaurant has <i>Beetroot ice cream with cardamom</i> on
its menu. This is the type of food that modern chefs delight in when
challenged the expectations of diners. If someone is told they are eating ice
cream, they expect something made from sweet ingredients. Heston Blumenthal
has written on this subject and tested various dishes to confirm that the
brain predisposes the palate to register more sweetness than is actually
present when desserts like ice cream are served. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">At his restaurant, <i>The Fat Duck</i> in Bray,
England, Heston Blumenthal serves savoury ice creams, such as smoked bacon
and egg ice cream. A crab risotto is topped with crab ice cream, rather than,
say, frozen crab bisque. The restaurant also serves beetroot jellies.
Beetroot jelly first became (briefly) fashionable in England in the 1950s,
when moulds of salad containing pickled beetroot were set within blackcurrant
jelly. The Fat Ducks jellies, however, are served with petit fours and are
modelled on traditional pate de fruits. If tartaric acid is added to beetroot
to make jelly it becomes very much like eating blackcurrant, in colour and
taste, especially when glucose, sugar and pectin are added. One consumer when
told that a beetroot jelly they were eating was blackcurrant said it was delicious,
but when told an identical dish was beetroot they said it was disgusting! </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">There is nothing unusual about beetroot in ice
cream, however, because it is commonly added to commercial ice creams, in the
form of beetroot red colouring or E162. Strawberry ice cream and numerous
other processed food products contain the red colour of beetroot. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot has a relatively high sugar content for
a vegetable, and can be used in a number of dessert dishes instead of fruit,
including <i>Beetroot sorbet</i>. This is made from boiled beetroot, heated
and blended with apple juice, caster sugar, lemon juice, double cream, salt
and pepper. This mixture is chilled and mixed to freezing in an ice cream
maker. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="d"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Drink</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot juice is consumed as a health drink. It
can be purchased from health food shops or made at home in a juicer. It is
renowned for its medicinal properties, as noted in Chapter Six. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fermented beetroot juice (kvas) was encountered
earlier in this chapter, as an addition to borsch that gives it a tangy
flavour and revives its colour at the end of cooking. A considerable amount
of alcohol can be obtained from the distillation of beet roots, due to their
high sugar content. Home-stills in Eastern Europe have, on occasion, included
beetroot, fodder beet or sugar beet as an alternative to potato. Home-brewed
ales can be made from mangolds. In Southwest England, beetroot is sometimes
added to cider-apples during pressing to give cider a rich golden colour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is made into a robust wine. Beetroot
wine is popular among amateur winemakers worldwide. Yorkshire in England is
particularly associated with beetroot wine. Recipes for beetroot wine usually
involve boiling up sliced beetroot, with lemon juice and zest, white and/or
brown sugar, yeast and yeast extract or nutrient. In traditional British
recipes, the yeast is often spread on a slice of toasted bread (toast), which
supplies the nutrients, and this is floated on top of the liquid prior to
fermentation. Ginger, raisins, cloves and other ingredients can also be added
at this stage. Fermentation takes around three weeks, after which the wine is
placed in dark bottles, in a dark place, so its red colour is not
compromised. Beetroot wine can be drunk after about three months. However,
young beetroot wine can sometimes have an earthy flavour that is not to
everyone’s taste. Ageing the wine, for between one to two years, mellows its
flavour. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The term "beetroot" can be used to
describe a note in the taste of wines from the vine. It is listed in Michael
Broadbent's <i>Wine Tasting</i>, alongside such terms as farmyards,
geraniums, goats, petrol, rubber and sweaty mangoes. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In his book on the River Thames, Peter Ackroyd
notes that the riverside town of Buscot, upriver from London, was once known
for its brandy distilled from beetroot; he further notes that the beverage
was not universally popular. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="hs"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Home-made Sugar</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sugar (sucrose) is extracted from sugar beet in
factories. However, you don't necessarily need an industrial refinery to get
sugar out of a sugar beet. You can do it on your kitchen table, if the urge
takes you. Richters Herbs in the USA have supplied details, based on home
experiments. You will need an orange juicer, a percolator top, a large pan and
a meat slicer, grinder or grater. Firstly, take two washed sugar beet, each
weighing around 4-5 Kg (8-10 lbs), and put them through a slicing, grinding
or grating machine. Then boil the processed beet in ample water in a large
pan until soft and mushy (around one hour). Strain off the juice and reserve
the pulp (it can be fed to animals). </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The next step is to purify the juice. For three
quarts of liquid, add half a cup of milk of lime (a suspension of calcium
hydroxide with a milky constituency) and a shot of seltzer water. Let the
juice stand for about two hours, after which time the semi-solids should have
settled to the bottom. The water is then carefully poured from the top. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The semi-solid sugar mass obtained after the
liquid has been poured off is cooked carefully and slowly. It takes around an
hour and a half to reduce it to a molasses-like thickness, stirring
frequently. When boiling is complete, around a cup and a half of a viscous
black liquid should remain. This reduced sugar mass is poured through a
percolator top into an orange juicer. The fast-spinning juicer separates the
molasses from the refined sugar. The juicer should be covered as the spinning
throws the white sugar onto the bowl of the juicer, while the molasses drips
through the spout into a waiting container. This should produce around a cup
of sugar, and half a cup of black-strap molasses (treacle). The damp white
sugar can be air-dried before use. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="rev"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Beetroot Revival</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This survey has shown that <i>Beta vulgaris</i>
has been central to many culinary traditions, including Slav and Flemish
cuisine. Beetroot is likely to continue being an important staple in Central
and Eastern Europe. Its fortunes have fluctuated, however, in other parts of
the world. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cooks in eighteenth century England made innovative
use of beetroot. However it subsequently suffered many years of neglect. In
British cookbooks, from <i>Mrs. Beeton's Book of Cookery and Household
Management</i> (1861), to <i>Good Housekeeping</i> (1944), and even to the
books of the 1960s, beetroot recipes tended to only call for the root to be
boiled or pickled. Beetroot has therefore primarily been associated with jars
of pickled boiled beetroot in Britain and a number of other countries. Many
people claim not to like beetroot, based solely on the experience of having
encountered pickled beetroot. To others, as Alastair Little puts it, the
perception of eating beetroot in acid vinegar has become so deeply imbued
that "many actually grow to love the sensation of putting something in
their mouths which causes involuntary pursing of the lips and a sudden
inhalation of air". </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">However, things have changed. Beetroot has
undergone a revival, especially in Western Europe. It has started to sever
its connection with the malt vinegar bottle and is being appreciated more by
lovers of fine food. Tangentially, <i>Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany</i>
lists a hierarchy of gastronomy, descending from the gastronome (a judge of
good eating and drinking), to the gourmet (a connoisseur), to the epicure
(with fine tastes), to the gourmand (takes pleasure in eating), to the goulu
(glutton) to the goinfre (greedy-guts). Beetroot has risen up this hierarchy
in recent years, being consumed once again by gourmets and epicureans. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cooks updating traditional cuisine or searching
for new flavour combinations have rediscovered beetroot. The trend to mix
refined foods with humble foods has worked to elevate beetroot to new
respectability. You can eat beetroot in risottos, gratins, casseroles, in
innovative ways with meat and fish, in an ever-increasing range of vegetarian
dishes, in myriad salads, in a wide range of soups, as fritters and crisps,
mashed, moulded and soufflé and even in jellies and ice cream. The culinary
uses for beetroot have become more diverse than ever. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The trend towards beetroot during the 1990s in
fashionable restaurants, however, may not have entirely been a good thing. A
number of novelty dishes appeared that had more style than substance. Antonio
Carluccio for one thought that the use of beetroot to impart an unusual colour
to risottos and gnocchi was a nonsensical fad, producing dishes that appealed
to the eye but not necessarily to the palette. The fashion for beetroot in restaurants
may have peaked, but it is unlikely to go into a steep decline. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The times when beetroot was only eaten boiled or
pickled are long gone. In dishes with an honest and rustic air, to those with
sophistication and depth, beetroot is starting to again realize its
potential. However, beetroot still tends to be sold generically in markets
and supermarkets, while the cultivars of other vegetables are clearly
indicated. Moreover, the cultivars sold have largely been those developed for
ease of processing, rather than for distinctive taste. It is to be hoped that
beetroot's revival will continue and lead to consumers being able to purchase
globe, tankard and long-rooted varieties; minibeets and mature roots; and
golden, white and red beets. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot is being appreciated as a wholesome
vegetable with health-giving properties that can be prepared in many
different ways. It is a vegetable with attitude. Bold in colour and brash in
style, it demands attention. It is also now widely consumed around most of
the world, from North America, throughout Europe and the Middle East, to
Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. New approaches to beetroot are
arising from its spread into new cultures and culinary traditions. Its future
in the kitchen appears rosy. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="biblio"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bibliography for Chapter Seven</span></b></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rhodes, G. (1995) <i>More Rhodes Around Britain</i>.
London: BBC Books. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Richters Herbs (2000) Instructions for home
refining of sugar beets. <i>Richters InfoSheet</i> D1340,
http://www.richters.com/ </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rosen, C. (1997) <i>The Book of Jewish Food: An
Odyssey from Samarkand and Vilna to the Present Day</i>. London: Viking. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Schott, B. (2003) <i>Schott's Food and Drink
Miscellany</i>. London: Bloomsbury. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Siegel, F. (1974) <i>Russian Cooking</i>. Moscow:
Mir. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Slater, N. (1997) <i>Real Cooking</i>. London:
Michael Joseph. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smit, T. and P. McMillan Browse (2000) <i>The
Heligan Vegetable Bible</i>. London: Cassell Illustrated. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smith, D. (1978) <i>Delia Smith's Complete
Cookery Course</i>. London: BBC Books. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-13645203936133762622018-02-21T17:25:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:25:49.230+00:00Beetroot: 8. A Dictionary of Cultivated Varieties
<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot (2004)</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">Stephen Nottingham</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright: Stephen Nottingham 2004</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">8. A Dictionary of Cultivated
Varieties</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
first section has entries for beetroot cultivars in alphabetical order.
Although I have tried to make this listing reasonably comprehensive, it
should be appreciated that new cultivars are continually being introduced and
old one dropped from seed catalogues. A shorter alphabetical section on leaf
beets follows the beetroot listing. Fodder beet and sugar beet are usually
only sold to commercial operations and are therefore not included. A listing
of selected seed suppliers is given at the end of the chapter. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Most
beetroot grown today has globe or spherical shaped roots, for example,
Boltardy and Detroit. However, the first cultivated beetroot had long
tapering roots and this root shape is still grown, although mainly by amateur
gardeners, for example, Cheltenham Green Top and Long Red. Cylindrical,
half-long or intermediate varieties also include a number of heritage
varieties, but their slicing properties have made some cultivars popular for
processing, for example, Cylindra and Forono. The least common beetroot shape
is flat, for example, Crosby’s Egyptian. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
beetroot cultivars included range from the oldest heritage or heirloom
varieties, through a wide range of other open pollinated varieties, to modern
F1 hybrids. Hybrids have increased seedling vigour, improved growth
characteristics, and resistance to bolting and a range of diseases such as <i>Cercospora</i>.
However, hybrids do not breed true and seed must be purchased each year.
Modern hybrids are usually globe-shaped and have good, if predictable, taste
characteristics. Heritage varieties provide a diversity of root shapes,
colour and flavours, and a range of ornamental foliage. All the beetroot
cultivars listed have multigerm seeds, unless it is specified that they are
monogerm. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">A. Beetroot</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Action</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Action is an F1 hybrid bred by Bejo-Zaden B.V.. It has globe-shaped roots
with dark red flesh and good resistance to bolting and disease. Action was
introduced as a multi-purpose beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Albina
Vereduna</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Albina Vereduna, Albino Vereduna or Albinia Verecunda is a globe-shaped
beetroot with smooth pale and thick skin, and pure white flesh. It is also
sometimes called Albino, Albino White or Snowhite. This is an old Dutch
variety that has a particularly sweet and delicate flavour, being sweeter
than red beetroot, and a potato-like texture. It was one of the early beets
grown for sugar production, for example, in the USA, before modern sugar beet
cultivars became available. The roots are considerably smaller than those of
modern sugar beet. Its nutrient-rich leaves are curled and wavy, and make for
good eating. It lacks pigment and so does not stain like red beetroot. Albina
Vereduna stores well in the ground, but is prone to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Alvro
Mono</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Alvro Mono is a recently introduced monogerm globe cultivar. Only one seed
per seedball germinates, reducing the need for thinning. The roots have fine
hairs. Recommended for early cropping. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Avenger</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Avenger F1 is a recently introduced hybrid, bred by Harris Moran from
germplasm held at the University of Wisconsin, in the USA. It has a flattened
globe shape, with tall glossy tops. Avenger was bred for bunched and sale on
the market as fresh greens and beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Avon
Early</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Avon Early or Avonearly is a globe-rooted British heritage variety. Grown
organically at the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA) as an early
season bunching crop. It has good resistance to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Barabietola
di Chioggia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Chioggia. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bassano</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bassano is a cylindrical (half-long) beetroot. It is an heirloom Italian
variety and possibly descended from Roman Beet. Bassano was one of the first
varieties to be cultivated in the USA. It is ideal for producing uniform
slices and has undergone a revival as a processing beet within the food
industry. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Big Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Big Red is a recent F1 globe hybrid, bred by W.H. Gabelman at the University
of Wisconsin, USA. It has bright-green glossy leaves, dark-red flesh and a
high sugar content that gives it a sweet flavour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Big Top</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe beetroot grown in the USA. Bred and sold, since 1999, by Johnny's Selected
Seeds. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bikores</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br />
Bikores or Red Bikores is a globe-shaped Dutch beetroot bred by Bejo-Zaden
B.V. It has well-developed tops and smooth-skinned red roots with dark-red
flesh. It is suitable for early sowing under cloches. It is resistant to
bolting, grows quickly, and stores well. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Blankoma</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Blankoma is a globe-rooted heirloom Dutch beetroot with ice-white flesh. The
roots are round or slightly conical, with a thick skin and a very sweet
flavour. It is often claimed that white-fleshed varieties taste better than
red, especially by people with a sweet tooth, although their colour may be
less appealing. The leaves make good eating when cooked. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bolivar</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bolivar is a maincrop globe cultivar, bred and marketed by Nunhems Zaden
since 1989. It is good for late season cropping and was bred specifically for
processing. Bolivar has well-developed tops and round uniform smooth-skinned
roots, which are deep red internally. It is resistant to bolting. Bolivar is
related to Detroit 2 Bolivar, which are harvested as minibeets. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Blood
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Long Blood Red. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bluto</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bluto is a large globe beetroot, usually grown as a maincrop. It has deep red
flesh with a fine texture. Good storage properties. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boltardy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br />
Boltardy is a very popular and reliable globe-shaped beetroot. It was first
introduced in the early 1960s. Boltardy is a tried-and-tested cultivar, which
is used as a yardstick against which other beetroot are measured. Plant
breeders, for instance, assess the bolting resistance of new cultivars in
comparison to it. Boltardy can be sown early (March) due to its good
resistance to bolting. It has medium-sized and evenly-shaped globular roots,
with smooth skin and deep red flesh. It has a good texture, without visible
zones or rings, and a fresh sweet flavour. It is often exhibited and grows
well in containers. In Australia, it may be known as Melbourne Early
Slowbolt. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bonel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bonel is a globe-rooted beetroot with good resistance to bolting. It has
upright foliage, making thinning and picking easier. It has smooth deep-red
flesh, with little zoning or pith. It is relatively high yielding and crops
over a long period. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bull’s
Blood</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br />
This globe-shaped beetroot was listed pre-1900 in England. It is probably the
only decorative-leafed Victorian beetroot variety surviving. It is mainly
grown as an ornamental in gardens, but is also good to eat. Its dark crimson
leaves can appear almost black in some light, making a dramatic contrast to
most other foliage. The leaves are broader than other beetroot varieties and
have a particularly sweet taste when cooked. The medium-sized spherical roots
are also dark red, with visible rings when cut. They are tender and have a
good flavour when young, although they can become tough with age. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Burpee’s
Golden</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Burpee's Golden or Golden is a globe-rooted beetroot with distinctive
gold-yellow flesh and a golden-orange skin colour. It is North American in
origin and has been grown since at least the start of the nineteenth century.
It was bred and introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company of Warminster,
Pennsylvania, USA. The roots have distinct darker rings when cut
transversely. The young leaves are bright green, being particularly good to
eat when cooked and served like spinach. Burpee's Golden is often grown
mainly for its colour, but it is has a good flavour that is just like red
beetroot. It is best harvested when small, although it eats well even when the
roots get large. The flesh retains its distinctive colour when cooked,
changing slightly to a golden-yellow or deep yellow colour, and does not
bleed like red beetroot. It is recommended that this variety be sown a little
thicker than normal because it has an inherently lower germination rate.
Modern golden-fleshed cultivars, such as Golden Beet, are primarily derived
from Burpee's Golden. These lines store well and are resistant to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Burpee
Redhart</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company,Pennsylvania, USA, in 1953. A
flattened globe beetroot selected from Crosby's Egyptian. Its roots are
uniform in shape and dark-red in colour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Burpee
White</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1952. A
white globe beetroot, with rattail-like green tops and white-fleshed roots.
Sweeter than red beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cardenal</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe-shaped beetroot, bred by Petoseed and introduced in 1978. It was
selected from a line of Ruby Queen. Cardenal has tops around 30 cm tall, and
smooth-skinned roots that lack fibre or zoning and have bright dark-red
flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Carillon</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A cylindrical, long-rooted cultivar with dark red flesh colour. It has good
resistance to bolting and can be sown early. Carillon has smooth skin and is
good for slicing. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Centurion</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed and introduced in
1999. It has been grown in the USA and France. Similar to Little Ball
(Detroit), it is early maturing, with well-developed tops and blood-red
flesh. The roots do not bleed to the same extent as most other red beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chariot</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Chariot is an F1 hybrid, introduced by Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed in
1999. It has upright foliage for bunching and uniform globe-shaped roots with
blood-red flesh. It is late maturing and similar to Red Ace. It has been
grown in several northern states of the USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cheltenham
Green Top</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Cheltenham Green Top or Cheltenham Greentop is one of the most popular
long-rooted beetroot cultivars grown today. It is an old variety, which has
been around since well before the 1880s in England. Cheltenham Green Top has
long deep-purple tapering roots with a conical crown. It has a lower
germination rate than most beetroot. The roots can reach 15 cm in
circumference and 23 cm in length. The skin is rough and the flesh has a
slightly coarse texture, but an excellent flavour. It stores well. The cooked
roots are bright root and good for slicing. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cheltenham
Monogerm</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A modern long-rooted monogerm, bred from Cheltenham Green Top. It is
resistant to bolting and requires little thinning. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chicago
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Long-rooted cultivar bred by W. Atlee Burpee Company. It has purple-red flesh
that is particularly sweet. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chioggia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Chioggia or Barabietola di Chioggia is a globe-shaped heirloom Italian
variety, with a slightly flattened shape. It was described by the 1840s and
originated from market gardens around Venice. It is also sold under a range
of other names, including or Tonda di Chioggia, Chioggia Pink or dolce di
Chioggia. It has a rosy or orange-pink outer skin, with a distinctive dartboard
pattern when cut transversely. For this reason it is sometimes known as
Bull's Eye Beet or Candy Stripe Beet. Bands of white flesh alternate with
bands of pink or rosy red. The pattern tends to fade toward a soft pink when
cooked. It has attractive dark-green leaves with ruby-red stems that have a
mild flavour when raw or cooked. Chioggia is grown today mainly for its
unusual colouring, but it has a mild and sweet flavour. The flavour is not to
everyone's taste. Some say it is delicious, others insipid. They are best
eaten when young. Modern lines are resistant to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Citation</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Citation is a globe cultivar introduced in the early 1960s by the Northrup
King Company, Minneapolis, USA. It has bright-green tops, and small, very
smooth and round roots, that are suited for shipping over distance. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cook's
Delight</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Cook's Delight is a heritage cylindrical (half-long) beetroot, with roots
having a characteristic tankard shape. It has very dark red leaves and, in
the past, was often grown as an ornamental. The roots are best when picked
small and eaten young, although they store well and retain a good flavour
when mature. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Covent
Garden</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Covent Garden is a globe-rooted English heritage variety. It is cultivated at
the HDRA in England. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crapaudine</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
The long-rooted Crapaudine or Rouge Crapaudine is one of the oldest known
beetroot varieties. It is from France, where it is also known as Betterave
Rouge Ecorce au Crapaudine. In English, it has also been called Rough-skinned
Beetroot or Red Beetroot. It appears in a number of seed catalogues around
1890, but was known for many years before this. It is distinctive due to its
almost black pock-marked and rough skin, which is broken by small cracks and
crevices. It has long irregularly-formed roots, which are sometimes described
as misshapen. The flesh is red, firm and sweet. It crops late in the season
and can be sown to harvest late in the autumn or early winter in areas with a
milder climate, such as southern France. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crimson
Globe</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Detroit Crimson Globe. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crimson
King</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A Detroit-derived medium to large globe cultivar. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crosby
Green Top</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bred from Crosby's Egyptian and introduced in 1951 by the Joseph Harris
Company, of Rochester in the state of New York, USA. It has well-developed
green tops that can thrive under adverse conditions. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Crosby's
Egyptian</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Crosby's Egyptian or Mr. Crosby's Early Egyptian is an American introduction
that was first recorded growing near Boston around 1869. The seed was
introduced to the market around 1880. It may have been bred from Egyptian
beetroot earlier in the seventeenth century, but it is distinct from Egyptian
Flat or Turnip-rooted Egyptian. Crosby's Egyptian, however, shares with this
variety rapid early season growth and a resistance to bolting. The
smooth-skinned roots are thicker and rounder than Egyptian beetroot, being a
flattened heart shape. The glossy-green tops form abundant greens. Early
Wonder, a very popular variety in the USA, was bred from Crosby's Egyptian. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cylindra</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Cylindra is a cylindrical (half-long or stump-rooted) beetroot. It is an old
Danish variety; recorded by 1840 and widely grown by 1880. The tops are small
and matte reddish-green in colour. The red carrot-like roots are tapered,
with a blunt cylinder shape, and are smooth-skinned with dark purple-red
flesh. The roots grow 15 to 20 cm (6-8 inches) long, with up to half of their
length above ground. Cylindra has tender flesh, with a sweet flavour. The
roots are ideal for cutting into uniform slices (it is sometimes called
Butter Slicer). It matures a little more slowly than globe-shaped beetroot,
but because of its cylindrical root shape can be closely planted to give high
yields within small areas. It is best watered regularly to avoid bolting and
root hollowness. It is tolerant of downy mildew. Cylindra stores well over
winter. Some listings erroneously consider Cylindra and Formanova to be the
same variety. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cyndor</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Cyndor is a cylindrical cultivar, with mid-green matte foliage, and red
blunt-cylinder roots having dark-red flesh. It is tolerant to bolting and
resists curved root. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Darko</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar, bred by the French-based Vilmorin company. It has
bright-red flesh and good resistance to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Derwent
Globe</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Derwent Globe is a globe-shaped dark-red beetroot. It was developed by the
Yates company, as Derwentside in Tasmania in the 1920s. Grown by gardeners in
Australia. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit or Detroit Globe is a flattish globe-rooted beetroot with dark red
roots. It has been popular since its first introduction in the 1890s. Modern
lines of Detroit include Detroit Dark Red, Detroit Short Top, Detroit Globe,
Crimson Globe, Crimson Ball, Crimson King and Ruby Ball. The D.M. Ferry Seed
Company first introduced Detroit in 1892, in the state of Michigan, USA. It
was bred from a variety described as an early maturing European Blood Turnip
(Long Red). Today, Detroit is one of the most popular varieties grown
commercially and in gardens in the USA. It is a good maincrop beetroot for
late season, with mature roots that store well, while also being good as a
summer crop with its roots harvested young. It may go under different names
as a winter and summer crop. The tops are short and grow thickly. The leaves
have red veins and are good to eat when young. The roots are smooth-skinned
and bright purple-red when cooked, with a sweet flavour. Its large symmetrical
roots are popular with exhibitors. In addition to being a popular fresh
market variety in the USA, it is one of the beetroot most commonly used for
processing, especially canning. Modern lines are moderately tolerant of <i>Cercospora</i>
leaf spot and downy mildew. A number of distinct cultivars and hybrids have
been bred from the original Detroit stock, some of which are listed below. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Bolivar</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Bolivar or Bolivar is a golf ball sized baby beet, with tender
flesh. It is resistant to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Crimson Globe</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Crimson Globe is a popular improved Detroit globe beetroot
with a rich maroon colouring. It is recommended as a good cultivar to use for
succession sowings. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Dark Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Detroit. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Globe 2</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe beetroot, bred from Detroit, and recently introduced by Sutton's
Seeds, England. It has dark-crimson roots having good texture. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Little Ball</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Little Ball is a smooth-skinned baby or mini-beet. It has dark red
flesh with distinct pale rings. It is ideal for pickling. Little Ball is
fast-growing, resistant to bolting, and a good for late sowing and storing. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Lora</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Lora is an early maturing and high-yielding globe-shaped beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Short Top</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Detroit. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Supreme</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Supreme is a medium-sized globe beetroot, introduced in the 1980s
by the Alf Christianson company. The smoothed-skinned dark-red roots have no
visible internal zoning. Bred from Detroit Dark Red and tolerant to fungal
diseases. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Tardel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 2 Tardel is a mini or baby beet cultivar with spherical and golf ball
sized roots and tender flesh. It has good tolerance to bolting and can be
sown early. It is ideal for pickling or freezing. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit
Rubidus</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Detroit 6 Rubidus is a recent F1 hybrid, bred to be have virtually no
bolting. It can be harvested a week earlier than Boltardy. Bred by Thompson
and Morgan (England), it has a firm smooth skin and deep red fibreless flesh.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Devoy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Devoy is a British heritage variety (not on registered seed lists). It has
long roots and red foliage. The roots have sweet dark-pink flesh. It remains
tender even when grown large. The roots store well over winter. A white form
(White Devoy) has been bred from Devoy, having broad irregular long roots
with pure white flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Dobbie's
Purple</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Dobbie's Purple is a heritage variety with long tapering roots that can be
eaten when fully mature. It was first bred by the Dobbies seed company, in
England, in the early 1900s. It is still available through the Henry
Doubleday Research Association's Heritage Seed Library. The foliage and roots
are purple and it can grow very large. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Doree</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Doree is a traditional golden-fleshed globe variety. It has a very sweet
flavour and smooth texture when cooked. Doree is good for pickling. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Dwergina</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Dwergina is a small globe variety. It has a deep red flesh-colour and is good
for pickling. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Early
Blood</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Early Blood is a long turnip-shaped beetroot that is a heritage variety from
the USA, dating back to at least 1825. It has dark red flesh, with occasional
pink patches, and a sweet flavour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Early
Bunch</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Early Bunch is a globe variety with deep red flesh. It has very good bolting
resistance. A good early-season crop, although less successful as a main or
late crop. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Early
Wonder</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Early Wonder or Early Wonder Tall Top is a globe beetroot, with large thick
roots having a slightly flattened globe shape. It is a North American
introduction that was described around 1880, but it was probably first
introduced much earlier in the seventeenth century than this in the USA. Its
origins are linked to Crosby's Egyptian beetroot, although, like Crosby's
Egyptian, its main connection to Egyptian beetroot (below) is that it also
matures early in the summer. It is less highly coloured than Egyptian and
most other varieties of beetroot. Early Wonder remains very popular in the
USA. The leaves are bright dark-green with red stems and the tops are
abundant and tall. The greens of this variety are tender and are particularly
good to eat. It has good resistance to bolting and is good for both early
sowing and as a maincrop. Early Wonder grows relatively quickly in cool
soils, in spring or autumn, and is popular as a general use beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Early
Wonder Staysgreen</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by the Northrup King Company in the early 1960s, from a
selected line of Early Wonder. It has improved leaf colour and tops that stay
green longer than other cultivars during cool weather. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Eastern
Wonder</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Eastern Wonder is a flattened globe cultivar, introduced in the USA in 1953
by the Eastern States Farmers Exchange of Massachusetts. It is similar to
Early Wonder, but adapted to sandy loam soils. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Egyptian</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Egyptian, Egyptian Flat Rooted or Egyptian Turnip Rooted beetroot is an old
variety, with a variable root shape. It was first described in the early
1800s and was common in seed catalogues from 1870. The type originated in
Egypt. In France, it is known as Betterave Rouge Noir Plate d'Egypte. It is
quick growing, very early maturing, and resistant to bolting. It is good for
early summer salads. Egyptian beetroot has large, often heart-shaped roots
with deep red flesh. It is recommended for shallow soils and cold frames, and
can be grown closer together than most heritage varieties because it does not
develop a large top. Egyptian is particularly good eaten raw, for instance,
grated in salads. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Formanova</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Formanova is a cylindrical (half-long) cultivar, bred by L. Daehnfeldt, of
Odense in Denmark. It was introduced to the market in 1963. Formanova is a
popular cultivar in Scandinavia. It has dark-red sweet-tasting flesh, with
little zoning. Formanova is excellent for processing (canning and freezing)
and can be cropped late in the season. It is similar to Cylindra and is
sometimes referred to as Cylindra Formanova. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forono</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Forono is a medium to long, tankard-shaped, cylindrical (half-long) beetroot
that has a good flavour and yields well. The shoulders of the roots can push
up above ground level. Soil can be pushed back against the root to keep a
smooth skin. When cooked, Forono produces uniform dark-red slices. It stores
well and is good for processing (canning and pickling). It is susceptible to
bolting, so is best sown from mid-summer onwards. It has a full, rounded
"earthy" beetroot flavour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Feuer
Kugel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
This long-rooted red beetroot originates in Switzerland. It is
smooth-skinned, and stays tender and sweet to maturity. Feuer Kugel is now a
relatively rare cultivar. Generally considered to be distinct from the more
popular Kugel cultivar. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Garnet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by Pieters-Wheeler Seed Compamy, California, USA, and
released in 1964. It is similar to Detroit Dark Red, with smooth-skinned
roots that have very dark red flesh and little zoning. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gladiator</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar, introduced in the 1970s by the Northrup King Company.
Similar to Ruby Queen. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Golden</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Burpee's Golden. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Golden
Beet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Burpee's Golden. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Green
Top Bunching</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Green Top Bunching is a somewhat flattened globe beetroot, introduced by the
Ferry-Morse Company, California, USA, around 1940. It has short tops having
abundant green red-veined leaves that retain their colour during cool
weather. The leaves make good eating when cooked and hold their colour well.
The roots are dark-red, sweet and tender when cooked. This is used as a
general purpose cultivar, which can be sown into late July for an autumn
harvest. It is resistant to powdery mildew. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ivax</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Ivax is a globe monogerm hybrid, bred and sold since 1991 by Nunhems. It has
upright foliage and roots with red-red flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">July
Globe</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A red globe-shaped beetroot dating from the 1930s. It is rare today. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kestrel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Kestrel is an F1 hybrid globe beetroot introduced by Alf Christianson in the
USA. It has bright green foliage, and roots with a dark-red flesh and high
sugar content. It is tolerant to a range of fungal diseases. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">King
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar introduced by the Northrup King Company, Minneapolis, in the
USA in 1952. It was bred from a line of Detroit. King Red has short tops,
rounder roots and smoother crowns than Detroit, and is adapted to peat and
high nitrogen soils. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kugel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A Detroit-derived globe beetroot, grown as a maincrop. The roots are a deep
red colour and they are said to store well. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Libero</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A recent Dutch introduction, this smooth-skinned globe-shaped beetroot has
good resistance to bolting and is suitable for early sowing. The roots are
crimson or dark-red. Libero also matures rapidly and is a good maincrop for
winter storage. It is fast growing and high yielding. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Little
Ball</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Detroit Little Ball. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long
Blood Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Long Blood Red or Long Red is an American beetroot with a long deeply-buried
root, which is prone to forking. Vilmorin described it in 1885. It has
dropped off approved seed lists, but is still available as an heirloom or
heritage variety. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Long Blood Red. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lutz
Green Leaf</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe heirloom variety with light-green glossy foliage, with pink midribs,
and half-long roots having purple flesh. Can grow large and retain good
beetroot sweetness and texture. Good for late season cultivation and winter
storage. It is tolerant to bolting and fungal diseases. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">MacGregor's
Favourite</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
An old Scottish heirloom variety with long tapering roots that have distinct
rounded shoulders. The leaves are narrower (spear-shaped) than for most
beetroot, being excellent to eat and shiny-red in colour, curving outwards in
a sickle-like shape from the crown. MacGregor's Favourite has often been
grown as an ornamental. The roots are deep-red, with good texture and
flavour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mammoth
Long</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Mammoth Long is a long-rooted beetroot, with smooth skin, very dark red flesh
and a sweet flavour. It is available from W. Robinson & Sons, located
near Preston in England. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Modella</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A recently introduced monogerm red globe cultivar. No thinning required. Good
bolting resistance. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Monaco</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe mini-beet that is harvested young. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Moneta</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Moneta is a modern monogerm globe beetroot. It has good resistance to
bolting, and therefore can be sown early. It needs no thinning, because each
seedball only produces one plant. It has uniform smooth-skinned roots that
are deep crimson in colour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mono
King Burgundy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A monogerm globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King company and introduced
in 1971. It has medium top growth and a small crown. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Monogram</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Monogram is a monogerm beetroot raised by Dr. C.R. Dawson and introduced by
Tozers of Cobham, England. It requires less thinning because only one plant
is produced per seedball. It has good resistance to bolting and can be sown
early. It has smooth skinned globe-shaped roots, which are slightly flattened
and deep-red in colour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Monopoly</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Monopoly is a monogerm cultivar, with spherical to slightly flattened globe
roots. The flesh is purplish-red, often with distinct pale rings. Monopoly
has a rough skin and is resistant to bolting. It stores well. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Moulin
Rouge</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Moulin Rouge or Moulin Rouge Mini Beet is a globe-shaped baby or mini beet.
It is usually harvested when the roots are between 4 and 5 cm in diameter,
although it will grow to around 8 cm in diameter. It is monogerm, with each
?seed? having only one viable true seed, which reduces the need for thinning.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mr.
Crosby's Egyptian</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Crosby's Egyptian. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nobol</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Nobol is a French globe cultivar, related to Boltardy. Resistant to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pablo</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Pablo F1 Hybrid is a globe-shaped Dutch hybrid, bred by Bejo-Zaden. The roots
are smooth-skinned with dark-red flesh that has no rings or zoning. It is
resistant to bolting. The roots mature and store without becoming woody. It
is a multi-purpose beetroot, which is gaining in popularity and is favoured
for exhibition. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Preco</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by the French-based Vilmorin company. It has
well-developed tops and roots with deep red flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pronto</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Pronto is a recent open pollinated globe introduction. It is recommended as a
mini-beet, with the roots harvested when ping-pong ball size, but the roots
can grow large. The roots are smooth-skinned with red flesh. When very small,
they are good steamed whole or pickled. Pronto can be sown from mid-summer
onwards. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red Ace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Red Ace F1 is a well-established globe-rooted hybrid, introduced by the Alf
Christianson Seed Company in 1981. It displays hybrid vigour and has a better
germination rate, faster spring growth, more uniform root shape, and a
greater degree of resistance to disease such as <i>Cercospora</i> than most
beetroot. It performs well under dry conditions and resists bolting, enabling
it to be sown early. It can be grown as a maincrop with regular, round to
oval roots that have a deep unblemished red colour without rings. The bright
green leaves hold their quality during the summer and can be cooked at an age
when the greens of many other beetroot have gone past the eating stage. The
roots are sweet-tasting due to a relatively high sugar content. It is a
popular show variety. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red
Arrow</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Red Arrow F1 is a modern globe-rooted hybrid. It has upright leaves and roots
with dark rings. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red
Ball</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Red Ball is a globe cultivar, with tender greens and small dark-red fleshed
roots. It has been bred to produce good mini-beets. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red Dart</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar introduced by the Northrup King company in 1979. It has an
upright short top, and small roots with very dark-red flesh. Has only been
grown in the USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red
Bikores</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Bikores. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red
Russian</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A long-rooted cultivar bred by W. Atlee Burpee and Company, in the USA. The
purple-red flesh is particularly sweet. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Red
Velvet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar introduced by Petoseed in 1994, in the USA. It has green
tops, smooth-skinned rots with dark-purple flesh. Red Purple is similar to
Red Ace, matures early and has resistance to powdery mildew. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Redpack</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar, bred for processing by Wes Hansche, in Wisconsin, USA, and
sold by Asgrow Seeds since 1965. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Regala</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe-shaped beetroot raised by Bejo-Zaden B.V., which has relatively small
roots even when mature. The leaves are green and rather small. The root flesh
is very dark, purplish-red with fairly distinct zones. Regala is resistant to
bolting and grows well in containers. Also listed as Regalia in some sources.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rocket</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Rocket is a long-rooted beetroot. Smooth-skinned and red fleshed. It is now
relatively rare. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Roman
Beet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
The beetroot from which many modern beetroot cultivars are ultimately
derived. Distributed around Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. No longer existing as a distinct variety. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rosette</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Rosette is an globe-rooted F1 hybrid, sold by Asgrow Seeds since 1992. Dark
green leaf and red roots have little zoning. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rouge
Crapaudine</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Crapaudine. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Royal
Delight</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by Abbott and Cobb in the USA, and introduced to the
market in 1982. It has uniform roots with deep red flesh and little zoning. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Royal
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Royal Red is a globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King Company from Detroit
parentage and introduced in 1962. The medium-sized roots are smooth-skinned,
dark-red fleshed, and have their globe shape flattened at the base. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ruby
Queen</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Ruby Queen is a globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King Company,
Minneapolis, USA, in the 1950s. It has short tops with dull green leaves
having some maroon colouration. The roots are bright red with smooth skins
and shoulders. When cooked the roots are sweet with a buttery texture, and
have a uniform bright dark-red appearance with no zoning. Ruby Queen is
popular in the Northeast USA as a fresh market and canning beet. It performs
well in poor soils. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sangria</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Sangria is a globe cultivar, introduced by Petoseed in the USA in the 1980s.
It has tall green tops and very smooth roots with dark purple flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Seneca
Detroit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar bred by the Robson Seed Corporation, New York State, USA,
and introduced in their seed catalogue of 1951. It has a tall top, and
uniformly round roots with intense red flesh and low fibre. It is resistant
to boron deficiencies. Grown in the Northwest USA, particularly Oregon. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smooth
Crosby</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A globe cultivar, bred from Tall Top Wonder by the Eastern States Farmers
Exchange, Massachusetts, USA, and introduced in their catalogue of 1956. It
has tall tops with smooth leaf blades, and smooth-skinned red roots with
little zoning. It matures early. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Snowhite</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Snowhite or Snow White is a globe variety with pale white flesh. It has
distinctive curly and very waxy leaves. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Solo</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A monogerm globe F1 hybrid, bred by Alf Christianson. Grown in the USA. It
has dark green glossy leaves and dark-red fleshed roots. Solo matures early
and is resistant to fungal diseases. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sweetheart</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A heart-shaped globe cultivar, bred by A.F. Yeager and E.M. Meader, at the
New Hampshire Agricultural Experimental Station, USA, by crossing a sugar
beet with Detroit Dark Red. The large roots are as sweet as sugar beet.
Introduced in the late 1940s and only ever grown in a few northern states of
the USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Tall
Top Early</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A flattened globe beetroot, with purple-red flesh. Introduced by the D.M.
Ferry seed company in the USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Tardel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Detroit 2 Tardel. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Tonda
di Chioggia</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Chioggia. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">White
Devoy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Devoy. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Warrior</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Warrior is globe-rooted F1 hybrid, bred by the Joseph Harris Seed Company in
1979. It is fast-growing, with smooth round roots. A popular commercial beet
for processing in the USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wodan</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Wodan F1 hybrid was bred by Thompson and Morgan and introduced in their 2004
catalogue. It is a globe beetroot with bright red flesh that can be harvested
as baby or mature beets. Mature beets do not go fibrous and store well. Young
leaves can be eaten as spinach. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Yellow
Intermediate Mangel</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A mangel that is also eaten as a beetroot. A heirloom French beet, listed by
Vilmorin-Andrieux in 1885. Available from the HDRA Heritage Seed Library. The
tapering orange-yellow skinned, white-flashed roots grow large without loss
of their sweet flavour. The leaves can be eaten steamed like chard. The roots
keep well. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ukrainian</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A cultivar formerly in the Unwins seed catalogue, but now only available as a
heritage variety. Larger staple crop beetroot. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">B. Leaf Beets</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bright
Lights</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Bright Lights or Bright Lights Swiss Chard is a recent introduction. It is
bred from Chilean beets and has stems or leaf mid-ribs (petioles) in white,
pink, red, purple, orange and yellow, and shades in between these colours.
Bright Lights has been improved for a milder flavour and its flavour is
milder than for other chards. The leaf blades are medium to green, sometimes
bronzed, and savoyed (crinkled). Leaves and leaf ribs can be cooked together
or separately. Its multicoloured mid-ribs make it a popular decorative
addition to the vegetable garden. Watering well while young minimizes
bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bright
Yellow</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A chard with dark green leaves and distinctive yellow stems or mid-ribs and
veins. Young leaves can be picked and the plant will regrow them like perpetual
spinach. Often grown as an ornamental. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Charlotte</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A Swiss chard with red leaf mid-ribs or petioles and green leaf blades. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chilean
Beet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A collection of coloured chards that have been primarily grown as
ornamentals. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Erbette</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A type of spinach beet or perpetual spinach from Italy. It can be continually
cut throughout the growing season for greens, which have good taste and
texture. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Fordhook
Giant</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Fordhook Giant is a British Swiss Chard variety, introduced in 1934. It has
thick white leaf midribs or stems, with large glossy green leaves that are
highly crinkled or savoyed in appearance. It is high yielding and can supply
greens throughout a growing season. It is considered synonymous with Dark
Green Lucullus. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lucullus</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Lucullus is one of the oldest improved Chard varieties and was named after
the Roman general Lucullus. It has white stalks or leaf mid-ribs. The leaf
blades are heavily crinkled or savoyed. Tall, prolific and can be autumn
planted. Tolerant of high temperatures and highly resistant to bolting. If
left to grow as a biennial even the flower stalks can be eaten, like
sprouting broccoli. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Perpetual
Spinach</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Spinach Beet. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rainbow
Chard</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Rainbow Chard is an ornamental strain of chard, which dates back to Victorian
times in Britain. However, the leaves are good to eat. It was nearly lost,
but has regained in popularity. The leaf midribs have orange, yellow, pink,
red and white stalks. It is sometimes called Five Colour Silverbeet. Rainbow
Chard is also sometimes considered the same as Bright Lights Swiss Chard, but
the latter is strictly an improved modern introduction. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Rhubarb
Chard</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Rhubarb Chard or Ruby Chard is a heritage chard variety, first introduced to
gardeners in the USA in 1857. It is listed in seed catalogues from 1885.
Rhubarb Chard has bright red (deep crimson) leaf midribs (petioles) or stems
and leaf veins. The rest of the leaves are a glossy dark-green and crumpled
in appearance. Ornamental and culinary, dating from a time when there was
less division between flower beds and vegetable garden. It is relatively
prone to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ruby
Red</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Ruby Red is an improved Swiss Chard with red (candy-apple red) stems or leaf
mid-ribs. The leaves are dark green or reddish green and red and green leaf
veins, and heavily crinkled. The stems and leaves have a relatively sweet
taste. Sometimes considered to be synonymous with Rhubarb Chard. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Spinach
Beet</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Spinach Beet or Perpetual spinach is a leaf beet with large smooth dark-green
leaf blades and small leaf midribs. In its modern form, it was introduced in
Europe in 1869. Young leaves can be picked and the plant will regrow them. It
is highly resistant to bolting and can be continuously harvested all year
around. Spinach beet also has good resistance to drought. The leaves can be
cooked like spinach, but have a milder taste. It can produce more fresh
greens per unit area than probably any other vegetable. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Swiss
Chard</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
Swiss chard is a leaf beet characterized by thickened stems and leaf mid-ribs
or petioles. It is also known as seakale beet. The earliest chards probably
had white mid-ribs, but Swiss chards with colourful mid-ribs have been known
since Ancient times. The leaves are usually glossy dark green and the tops
grow to around 45 cm in height. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Swiss
Chard Bright Lights</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
See Bright Lights. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Vulcan</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <br />
A Swiss Chard cultivar with red stems or mid-ribs and dark green,
sweet-tasting leaves. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">C. Selected Seed Suppliers</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">eseeds
(Canada) http://www.eseeds.com/ </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chilterns
Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulveston, Cumbria LA12 7PB, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Mr.
Fothergill?s Seeds, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7QB, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
Heritage Seed Library, Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), Ryton,
Coventry CV8 3LG, UK. (British heritage varieties) </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">E.W.
King, Monk's Farm, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex CO5 9PG, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nichols
Garden Nursery, Albany, Oregon, USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
Organic Gardening Catalogue, Chase Organics, Riverdene Business Park, Molesey
Road, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Plants
of Distinction (UK) http://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">W.
Robinson & Sons, Forton, Nr. Preston, Lancs. PR3 0BN, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Suffolk
Seeds, Monk's Farm, Essex, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sutton's
Seeds, Woodview Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7NG, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thomas
Etty Esq., 45 Forde Avenue, Bromley, Kent BR1 3EU, UK. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thompson
& Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich IP8 3BU, UK,
http://www.thompson-morgan.com </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Thompson
& Morgan USA, PO Box 1308. Jackson, New Jersey 08527-0308, USA. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Van
Hage Garden Company, Great Amwell, Herts. SG12 9RP, UK (British and Dutch
varieties) </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0px;">D. Selected Bibliography</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wehner,
T.C. (1996) <i>Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America: Beets,
Lists 1-26 Combined</i> (ed. I. Goldman), http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/wehner/vegcult/beet.html
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
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<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0.75pt; width: 15%;" width="15%">
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</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">© Copyright Stephen Nottingham, 2004,
2006</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">sf.nottingham@btinternet.com </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-86346996323393543752018-02-21T17:21:00.002+00:002018-02-21T17:21:58.389+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Bikores
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: Bikores</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on the allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Globe roots with good growth characteristics. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPdKDRauVVLc9shyphenhyphensMkc29ZKRa7G8kCKCACQAoA9PPQwXtnryLOTgjfstyouFnQUEvKlXW6wP4uTmnIwQ9R394V0vPn80XFpMSMtCPYEzcERLJB2Gq8Sp4pjSGLRv7OjVizRRlVg0rwY/s1600/bikores3+whole+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPdKDRauVVLc9shyphenhyphensMkc29ZKRa7G8kCKCACQAoA9PPQwXtnryLOTgjfstyouFnQUEvKlXW6wP4uTmnIwQ9R394V0vPn80XFpMSMtCPYEzcERLJB2Gq8Sp4pjSGLRv7OjVizRRlVg0rwY/s320/bikores3+whole+plants.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bikores was consistently one of the highest ranking beetroot in
tasting tests. It is fairly sweet with a full and rounded flavour. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-9xu5-a_mfBcvKfVAXSAUbDsBe-uIVepjeMA4Z4TaIm6wzGzN3Bb8aVOAogRiyIV3zYICFFk_QiQy4WL_9nDK4g4FcBx-nQ6bTBaoRUvEqM84diC67P-8xhdKY02QuhplDgj_fXSErs/s1600/bikores2+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="400" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-9xu5-a_mfBcvKfVAXSAUbDsBe-uIVepjeMA4Z4TaIm6wzGzN3Bb8aVOAogRiyIV3zYICFFk_QiQy4WL_9nDK4g4FcBx-nQ6bTBaoRUvEqM84diC67P-8xhdKY02QuhplDgj_fXSErs/s320/bikores2+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bikores or Red Bikores is a globe-shaped Dutch beetroot bred by
Bejo-Zaden B.V. It has well-developed tops and smooth-skinned red roots with
dark-red flesh. It is suitable for early sowing under cloches. It is resistant
to bolting, grows quickly, and stores well. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-29147221186406986812018-02-21T17:15:00.004+00:002018-02-21T17:15:56.788+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Blankoma
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Blankoma</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2006</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Globe-rooted heirloom Dutch beetroot with white flesh. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQefKxgF_wwvOOm5beI87Uu7uJKGRBniLZSBDvy9m9boRToP7zURQ73Z_ikBff-brclbKlZWO8GAB24_e2_g2LnnhXiMQKDYRb0B0lofBPNx9O1aW-AaBqho8HlfyX1m7W1pyy0muc34/s1600/blankoma1+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQefKxgF_wwvOOm5beI87Uu7uJKGRBniLZSBDvy9m9boRToP7zURQ73Z_ikBff-brclbKlZWO8GAB24_e2_g2LnnhXiMQKDYRb0B0lofBPNx9O1aW-AaBqho8HlfyX1m7W1pyy0muc34/s320/blankoma1+whole+plant.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Small roots produced in 2006 with a sweet taste and 'meaty' texture. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2otWSWEbzv03TObPVB2tAqBT5PGajYc3rE2IZHIvEWHOH4gNowhWrj1Tj9TKp_lOmgpOJ-EJsh-esFbm6s703bHxQJ1VA60YMiopGySZNkquJWHPQuITr3E1RZi9h9fa7st0ZlWIXZ4/s1600/blankoma3+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2otWSWEbzv03TObPVB2tAqBT5PGajYc3rE2IZHIvEWHOH4gNowhWrj1Tj9TKp_lOmgpOJ-EJsh-esFbm6s703bHxQJ1VA60YMiopGySZNkquJWHPQuITr3E1RZi9h9fa7st0ZlWIXZ4/s1600/blankoma3+taste+test.jpg" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-9852863639371587552018-02-21T17:13:00.001+00:002018-02-21T17:13:26.699+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Boltardy
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Boltardy</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smallish globe roots. Good growth performance. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ6sCCLGrBzqtKznLXq8JonHS7qh2K2Y5GOrnpwZ9wFVx02JEB-9xGkqVVa8qQbRusiSNXg2C-hUEQZzPAHGLvFSO40ThxQDo2qexuFd1NWmK3-o5O7rmoIImuFhcE-WZpY3Iok8yM4M/s1600/boltardy3+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ6sCCLGrBzqtKznLXq8JonHS7qh2K2Y5GOrnpwZ9wFVx02JEB-9xGkqVVa8qQbRusiSNXg2C-hUEQZzPAHGLvFSO40ThxQDo2qexuFd1NWmK3-o5O7rmoIImuFhcE-WZpY3Iok8yM4M/s320/boltardy3+whole+plant.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In taste tests, it performed averagely. Flavour is relatively sweet. A
bitter aftertaste was noted in one sample, although damage to roots may have
contributed to this. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsCCvmfzfJd2KOtojXw0E-6yOGGhClQlPXdiIvJDV-BrJ-STWq6wsru533GgOiCj73TE_rW1A-yhbZRJXDza9yqZ6TGNXRtFARNA4Vm92VNf92KZN_oA4dZKU2hc-nYJtRuw30Z4Mm3U/s1600/boltardy2+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="400" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsCCvmfzfJd2KOtojXw0E-6yOGGhClQlPXdiIvJDV-BrJ-STWq6wsru533GgOiCj73TE_rW1A-yhbZRJXDza9yqZ6TGNXRtFARNA4Vm92VNf92KZN_oA4dZKU2hc-nYJtRuw30Z4Mm3U/s320/boltardy2+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boltardy is a very popular and reliable globe-shaped beetroot. It was
first introduced in the early 1960s. Boltardy is a tried-and-tested cultivar,
which is used as a yardstick against which other beetroot are measured. Plant
breeders, for instance, assess the bolting resistance of new cultivars in
comparison to it. Boltardy can be sown early (March) due to its good resistance
to bolting. It has medium-sized and evenly-shaped globular roots, with smooth
skin and deep red flesh. It has a good texture, without visible zones or rings,
and a fresh sweet flavour. It is often exhibited and grows well in containers.
In Australia, it may be known as Melbourne Early Slowbolt. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-28766555772022304972018-02-21T17:11:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:11:11.603+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Bull's Blood
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Bull's Blood</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Large globe roots, somewhat irregular in shape. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCwwPczFMiM9U2oW8WyZQQO_J-s1ZicIjh0BByXXLa6xCB0HyiAdFrEn7z8FqPBiGl5yOwFpOzOsFafie4b90jSHNg8FcVpspKBOSnlGEHVfLdR_oeFin3ULupt4RwNNqrOGROaLzA8U/s1600/bulls2+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCwwPczFMiM9U2oW8WyZQQO_J-s1ZicIjh0BByXXLa6xCB0HyiAdFrEn7z8FqPBiGl5yOwFpOzOsFafie4b90jSHNg8FcVpspKBOSnlGEHVfLdR_oeFin3ULupt4RwNNqrOGROaLzA8U/s320/bulls2+whole+plant.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In one tasting test, the fibrous texture of the roots let it down. In
another tasting, a less fibrous root performed better than expected, having a
good flavour. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVyggEmV7oFkqhAfmQDcwVz6IUyjjBsCaYwe7GQ354N8fwhNlTImCIc1SjMvD_xREYsLDYqVKWMy9LDAnLVwQ0eefNYQK53GagUOxZxgLzHHDkHtmdbFGJAPeSRdVS2xRAZtdTR7u64Y/s1600/bulls1+growing+plant+cover+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVyggEmV7oFkqhAfmQDcwVz6IUyjjBsCaYwe7GQ354N8fwhNlTImCIc1SjMvD_xREYsLDYqVKWMy9LDAnLVwQ0eefNYQK53GagUOxZxgLzHHDkHtmdbFGJAPeSRdVS2xRAZtdTR7u64Y/s320/bulls1+growing+plant+cover+shot.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This globe-shaped beetroot was listed pre-1900 in England. It is
probably the only decorative-leafed Victorian beetroot variety surviving. It is
mainly grown as an ornamental in gardens, but is also good to eat. Its dark
crimson leaves can appear almost black in some light, making a dramatic
contrast to most other foliage. The leaves are broader than other beetroot
varieties and have a particularly sweet taste when cooked. The medium-sized
spherical roots are also dark red, with visible rings when cut. They are tender
and have a good flavour when young, although they can become tough with age. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TJX6uAS9i2QKtnAf-joAaqEN48lrod8Rz3TFR4Ure2h4KiGgeA0ZLDDee1Lg39Ym7q7g94NUemEF3W8xrDoq3uXfib2IXiRbGzt0SCRYvbFk0OLMyErnrLWpH6c0xOaCRYAimgCtVvU/s1600/bulls6+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="400" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TJX6uAS9i2QKtnAf-joAaqEN48lrod8Rz3TFR4Ure2h4KiGgeA0ZLDDee1Lg39Ym7q7g94NUemEF3W8xrDoq3uXfib2IXiRbGzt0SCRYvbFk0OLMyErnrLWpH6c0xOaCRYAimgCtVvU/s320/bulls6+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-83208458436196341102018-02-21T17:08:00.000+00:002018-02-21T17:08:21.580+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Burpee's Golden
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: Burpee's Golden</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A yellow-orange globe beetroot. Poorer growth than modern globe
cultivars. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99BTQx_HeqIPyOvhebp7542tp0iCW9v-Y9mcX74I-ZmWxX7CeR2h1EUPgMKB4o_Xe_qL3_wZtl7Xkm28wNOU3xFNh9aIxjFowR9TyuCR0nrGv0yo1C2cG34K6Y91j-QoDjf0wflI4fbE/s1600/golden2+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99BTQx_HeqIPyOvhebp7542tp0iCW9v-Y9mcX74I-ZmWxX7CeR2h1EUPgMKB4o_Xe_qL3_wZtl7Xkm28wNOU3xFNh9aIxjFowR9TyuCR0nrGv0yo1C2cG34K6Y91j-QoDjf0wflI4fbE/s320/golden2+whole+plant.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The gold colour appeared to influence taste perceptions, as noted when
comparison tasted with eyes closed when it clearly tastes like a typical red
cultivar. A sweet flavour. Mildness and earthiness noted. Good chopped in
casseroles. It does not bleed or strain, and lacks the dominating colour of red
beetroot. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEuVPUox-6hSlPzCtRZSEh57Ov5xZ-uxQTxNUipzCw0QGAL9DkjtWP3foyXxhzJN5usmCjB4NVq_HxtqIgbfBFqGZAhmmK9KiG8YFMFdHJ-muR-Nr-iWrzPI1kYnKgsXO0SsjnTgARPs/s1600/golden4+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEuVPUox-6hSlPzCtRZSEh57Ov5xZ-uxQTxNUipzCw0QGAL9DkjtWP3foyXxhzJN5usmCjB4NVq_HxtqIgbfBFqGZAhmmK9KiG8YFMFdHJ-muR-Nr-iWrzPI1kYnKgsXO0SsjnTgARPs/s320/golden4+taste+test.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Burpee's Golden, often just called Golden, is a globe-rooted beetroot with distinctive
gold-yellow flesh and a golden-orange skin colour. It is North American in
origin and has been grown since at least the start of the nineteenth century.
It was bred and introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company of Warminster,
Pennsylvania, USA. The roots have distinct darker rings when cut transversely.
The young leaves are bright green, being particularly good to eat when cooked
and served like spinach. Burpee's Golden is often grown mainly for its colour,
but it is has a good flavour that is just like red beetroot. It is best
harvested when small, although it eats well even when the roots get large. The
flesh retains its distinctive colour when cooked, changing slightly to a
golden-yellow or deep yellow colour, and does not bleed like red beetroot. It
is recommended that this variety be sown a little thicker than normal because
it has an inherently lower germination rate. Modern golden-fleshed cultivars,
such as Golden Beet, are primarily derived from Burpee's Golden. These lines
store well and are resistant to bolting. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-88351557408255770842018-02-21T17:04:00.001+00:002018-02-21T17:04:32.703+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Carillon
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Carillon</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in a deep bed in
2005</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Carillon has long cylindrical roots, which push up out of the soil
(which can be earthed up around the roots). The roots are smooth-skinned,
red-fleshed, and ideal for slicing. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXtJwOijTbzvy4brx6AUOidfq55znOBXgWaM-x8EceMb85SoCKatGC1jHvTbTiOW9ewntGkoNgT-L8EnjEWO01hq_fO4EgHDIqIUMDFOc5cJgoFHupwazU_dUPV3H6ZEuJo-TKQ0aZRU/s1600/carillon1+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXtJwOijTbzvy4brx6AUOidfq55znOBXgWaM-x8EceMb85SoCKatGC1jHvTbTiOW9ewntGkoNgT-L8EnjEWO01hq_fO4EgHDIqIUMDFOc5cJgoFHupwazU_dUPV3H6ZEuJo-TKQ0aZRU/s320/carillon1+whole+plant.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.66px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carillon has a pleasant mild flavour</span>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxAJnEwDC2tVOl6a4hQa9SGdLlZQNk-FUKaokX3vyrhslaJRdysTuNZfbk10YtR5Aq9elU6ITzOJrgQIUp4Wn9S0hV5pehIR83hyphenhyphenlbbFB4HPvGOaXkWAYEdGPSSLhRtfa-rvvfjfu2mk/s1600/carillon2+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxAJnEwDC2tVOl6a4hQa9SGdLlZQNk-FUKaokX3vyrhslaJRdysTuNZfbk10YtR5Aq9elU6ITzOJrgQIUp4Wn9S0hV5pehIR83hyphenhyphenlbbFB4HPvGOaXkWAYEdGPSSLhRtfa-rvvfjfu2mk/s320/carillon2+taste+test.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-52609083603673099242018-02-21T17:01:00.002+00:002018-02-21T17:01:44.181+00:00Beretroot: selected cultivars: Cheltenham Green Top
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Cheltenham Green Top</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in a deep bed in
2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long and large red roots, parsnip-like in appearance. Grew well. Apart
from top of crown, roots below soil level. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbOu8NXPYdbJWW0l3Qi6uidYPvu5pevHpWZ2eZEVTEy0lkCsftgBfy4urawWejZyIvm0rFwyvzDiBQwYNhyphenhyphenQUvGlwrw6l20HBCO2T4yWUvt6uiDaY5WpiGZnZbUqepuKDUbpS6IRS0ms/s1600/chelt1+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbOu8NXPYdbJWW0l3Qi6uidYPvu5pevHpWZ2eZEVTEy0lkCsftgBfy4urawWejZyIvm0rFwyvzDiBQwYNhyphenhyphenQUvGlwrw6l20HBCO2T4yWUvt6uiDaY5WpiGZnZbUqepuKDUbpS6IRS0ms/s320/chelt1+whole+plant.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In taste tests, it rated fairly well. Compared to eleven other varied
cultivars, it was among the sweetest. It has a delicate flavour, with some
earthiness. Some tasters detected a slight bitterness. It is paler red in
colour when cooked than most modern globe beetroot. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y6EH8SI87pvPu_NQrtAycD6d4boN9ZBsT7AW0JCsv1gOgLogZVhAsaSaLT_X-04KPN868kASmSOtJJLELFDsvPIWKnbh5HU_eCYuM-ZaH1AkyYlKXwR6gpclllWwdoUBtDEDYVhAqgk/s1600/chelt5+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y6EH8SI87pvPu_NQrtAycD6d4boN9ZBsT7AW0JCsv1gOgLogZVhAsaSaLT_X-04KPN868kASmSOtJJLELFDsvPIWKnbh5HU_eCYuM-ZaH1AkyYlKXwR6gpclllWwdoUBtDEDYVhAqgk/s320/chelt5+taste+test.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Cheltenham Green Top or Cheltenham Greentop is one of the most popular
long-rooted beetroot cultivars grown today. It is an old variety, which has
been around since well before the 1880s in England. Cheltenham Green Top has
long deep-purple tapering roots with a conical crown. It has a lower germination
rate than most beetroot. The roots can reach 15 cm in circumference and 23 cm
in length. The skin is smooth and the flesh has a slightly coarse texture, but
an excellent flavour. It stores well. The cooked roots are bright red and good
for slicing. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-18001602530968211912018-02-21T16:59:00.000+00:002018-02-21T16:59:12.267+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Chioggia
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Chioggia</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Small globe roots. Poor establishment and growth compared to other
cultivars grown. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC35rtexQ_cjTtDojHILMvpvTFYpEign6f5Re8FPvadgbw88dxEr1t8XfSZR20DK3dBLUaywpMFd8fBe1KbYxc5ZRzCYi9VR8EdwNGqTPKpKDawPJ9w0a68iWlr622BMJtE44ZtRgy5Y/s1600/chioggia1+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC35rtexQ_cjTtDojHILMvpvTFYpEign6f5Re8FPvadgbw88dxEr1t8XfSZR20DK3dBLUaywpMFd8fBe1KbYxc5ZRzCYi9VR8EdwNGqTPKpKDawPJ9w0a68iWlr622BMJtE44ZtRgy5Y/s320/chioggia1+whole+plant.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The distinctive red and white bands are lost when cooked, to become
white or pale pink. In taste tests, it performed relatively poorly. Flavour is
sweet and bland. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv2RAkKIgpEZ_JjI8nU25Y8ABzd-flZuaw85xSPTReeO_u120YcDmhs-mWBSAqRsONDx7w4BT85gmooea5TmjMQQHpCIFaJUwaTDv9nXKLmzbZzP7YiOaikmrCx0YlouXkAKeqDb1ia4/s1600/chioggia2+root+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv2RAkKIgpEZ_JjI8nU25Y8ABzd-flZuaw85xSPTReeO_u120YcDmhs-mWBSAqRsONDx7w4BT85gmooea5TmjMQQHpCIFaJUwaTDv9nXKLmzbZzP7YiOaikmrCx0YlouXkAKeqDb1ia4/s320/chioggia2+root+close+up.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chioggia or Barabietola di Chioggia is a globe-shaped heirloom Italian
variety, with a slightly flattened shape. It was described by the 1840s and
originated from market gardens around Venice. It is also sold under a range of
other names, including or Tonda di Chioggia, Chioggia Pink or dolce di
Chioggia. It has a rosy or orange-pink outer skin, with a distinctive dartboard
pattern when cut transversely. For this reason it is sometimes known as Bull's
Eye Beet or Candy Stripe Beet. Bands of white flesh alternate with bands of pink
or rosy red. The pattern tends to fade toward a soft pink when cooked. It has
attractive dark-green leaves with ruby-red stems that have a mild flavour when
raw or cooked. Chioggia is grown today mainly for its unusual colouring, but it
has a mild and sweet flavour. The flavour is not to everyone's taste. Some say
it is delicious, others insipid. They are best eaten when young. Modern lines
are resistant to bolting. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQFACv07dITozjfhAYYoYShjSLvx7vrue5I5W-5hWwUUTZTr6IPWIpKRxhW4vrBAyGnb9T6IFURZTADRc4GOZzsm4b1vxZEebe7eSnw-dC2ba_958yARcuAUq09pETwWQ1W7KMB16afo/s1600/chioggia4+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQFACv07dITozjfhAYYoYShjSLvx7vrue5I5W-5hWwUUTZTr6IPWIpKRxhW4vrBAyGnb9T6IFURZTADRc4GOZzsm4b1vxZEebe7eSnw-dC2ba_958yARcuAUq09pETwWQ1W7KMB16afo/s320/chioggia4+taste+test.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-23079154361738955012018-02-21T16:56:00.003+00:002018-02-21T16:56:40.331+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Detroit
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Detroit Globe</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Medium-sized dark-red globe roots. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWTSyfoTdTMKG9UT0alsa7q6EBqlxXWAtVXrz4MhzVTUbR_DO6CSQW34onBI70tllGdu5C6KYOz7ji7uhHwF89kSWKcMXW_sBBQaw5ualK51mcuDBc-9psUvj8iL2vB2YYN2JzCZPZc0/s1600/detroit1+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWTSyfoTdTMKG9UT0alsa7q6EBqlxXWAtVXrz4MhzVTUbR_DO6CSQW34onBI70tllGdu5C6KYOz7ji7uhHwF89kSWKcMXW_sBBQaw5ualK51mcuDBc-9psUvj8iL2vB2YYN2JzCZPZc0/s320/detroit1+whole+plant.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<br />
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In taste tests, Detroit was said to be less sweet than other cultivars
with a tasty and sometimes earthy flavour. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuhImolpv5qgQ2e6OFZYurwRbfoKt9wl-e-X6JdiD6haarbykuRTt4L9PWqvYYHp27rRXDhZDartQKOwFfyJB0_4KO7HwrAEbgaPaKp4bj2z-699ldxmw-Xv5kOFUK3sWHC00VUc6Q3k/s1600/detroit3+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuhImolpv5qgQ2e6OFZYurwRbfoKt9wl-e-X6JdiD6haarbykuRTt4L9PWqvYYHp27rRXDhZDartQKOwFfyJB0_4KO7HwrAEbgaPaKp4bj2z-699ldxmw-Xv5kOFUK3sWHC00VUc6Q3k/s1600/detroit3+taste+test.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Detroit or Detroit Globe is a flattish globe-rooted beetroot with dark
red roots. It has been popular since its first introduction in the 1890s.
Modern lines of Detroit include Detroit Dark Red, Detroit Short Top, Detroit
Globe, Crimson Globe, Crimson Ball, Crimson King and Ruby Ball. The D.M. Ferry
Seed Company first introduced Detroit in 1892, in the state of Michigan, USA.
It was bred from a variety described as an early maturing European Blood Turnip
(Long Red). </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today, Detroit is one of the most popular varieties grown
commercially and in gardens in the USA. It is a good main crop beetroot for late
season, with mature roots that store well, while also being good as a summer
crop with its roots harvested young. It may go under different names as a
winter and summer crop. The tops are short and grow thickly. The leaves have
red veins and are good to eat when young. The roots are smooth-skinned and
bright purple-red when cooked, with a sweet flavour. Its large symmetrical
roots are popular with exhibitors. In addition to being a popular fresh market
variety in the USA, it is one of the beetroot most commonly used for
processing, especially canning. Modern lines are moderately tolerant of <i>Cercospora</i>
leaf spot and downy mildew. A number of distinct cultivars and hybrids have
been bred from the original Detroit stock, some of which are listed below. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-11853622654163005362018-02-21T16:53:00.001+00:002018-02-21T16:53:41.278+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Early Wonder
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: Early
Wonder</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Medium-sized red globe roots. Grown and harvested early. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQ6ig6D4-_pUNh5R2NICiSwtuuQwzd1Amh3OTX7wIAGo6u2svmsmFBmm-qz4IiIGdp8X_pgbboAF33RLpChy-2CGiiG27G84S8_YDVvvD96ujJ849fWaVxAPWHR3hbK4OLAkrRhj57Lw/s1600/early2+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQ6ig6D4-_pUNh5R2NICiSwtuuQwzd1Amh3OTX7wIAGo6u2svmsmFBmm-qz4IiIGdp8X_pgbboAF33RLpChy-2CGiiG27G84S8_YDVvvD96ujJ849fWaVxAPWHR3hbK4OLAkrRhj57Lw/s320/early2+whole+plant.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In taste tests, Early Wonder was said to have a pleasant earthiness and
a mild sweet flavour. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaamiTDjQQqVZ-6gTf4vcsdP96cz48VX9dyfbQJFq3V2b0HzEvK84dgCkjyUcvG50m6vLquJ8EhrjmchQK6y7MV1mAfnBRh5dLu-GPYPm9U4MdETVQ9Usg3DKR1fDzGaSiZDWU2GpL6dw/s1600/early3+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="400" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaamiTDjQQqVZ-6gTf4vcsdP96cz48VX9dyfbQJFq3V2b0HzEvK84dgCkjyUcvG50m6vLquJ8EhrjmchQK6y7MV1mAfnBRh5dLu-GPYPm9U4MdETVQ9Usg3DKR1fDzGaSiZDWU2GpL6dw/s320/early3+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Early Wonder or Early Wonder Tall Top is a globe beetroot, with large
thick roots having a slightly flattened globe shape. It is a North American
introduction that was described around 1880, but it was probably first
introduced much earlier in the seventeenth century than this in the USA. Its
origins are linked to Crosby's Egyptian beetroot, although, like Crosby's
Egyptian, its main connection to Egyptian beetroot (below) is that it also
matures early in the summer. It is less highly coloured than Egyptian and most
other varieties of beetroot. Early Wonder remains very popular in the USA. The
leaves are bright dark-green with red stems and the tops are abundant and tall.
The greens of this variety are tender and are particularly good to eat. It has
good resistance to bolting and is good for both early sowing and as a main crop.
Early Wonder grows relatively quickly in cool soils, in spring or autumn, and
is popular as a general use beetroot. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-81932959136690618782018-02-21T16:50:00.002+00:002018-02-21T16:50:57.782+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Egyptian Turnip Rooted
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Egyptian Turnip Rooted</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2006</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Flattened root shape. Yielded well in deep bed. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0-mamuRALsC2JxkkrKyeZRQVzKEXro19xz0M3Q4GzTcT_aVRYNofiWWEu0M8kYkL92DAQSsSzBEfIKwQzKr4lJ-hrV65k-DKNI_2WrKmuZV6vaYq_cmAK5hn1KqVBn9TDGEl7kIX7eI/s1600/egypt5+root+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0-mamuRALsC2JxkkrKyeZRQVzKEXro19xz0M3Q4GzTcT_aVRYNofiWWEu0M8kYkL92DAQSsSzBEfIKwQzKr4lJ-hrV65k-DKNI_2WrKmuZV6vaYq_cmAK5hn1KqVBn9TDGEl7kIX7eI/s1600/egypt5+root+close+up.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5zN9i76g2txww5wQkE4rpVOy1YJ3sX-wB03osEPnVTqrDj9T1WqbykXcyYE3lwQ6Hl7IiZptl68w2kTB6meeVNOXTsZAqJP7huUtGF8Sr8nsm60lli3TyqBbSV3rw5ii8yDccGhtBtI/s1600/egypt4+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5zN9i76g2txww5wQkE4rpVOy1YJ3sX-wB03osEPnVTqrDj9T1WqbykXcyYE3lwQ6Hl7IiZptl68w2kTB6meeVNOXTsZAqJP7huUtGF8Sr8nsm60lli3TyqBbSV3rw5ii8yDccGhtBtI/s320/egypt4+whole+plant.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Roots had a mild and pleasant flavour. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUU7shoxgX0reNjPm7L_KAvT3EDnftDv7U_NMdZoOOniICumwKyEXE_zm4rvTNlrC5i-BGun5UalxWN1vdwV-0x5ffjSiX-9ajRFTBMdbUovKDeRjrsOlwcZspRDdzkNBA4KeKW0B30g/s1600/egypt8+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUU7shoxgX0reNjPm7L_KAvT3EDnftDv7U_NMdZoOOniICumwKyEXE_zm4rvTNlrC5i-BGun5UalxWN1vdwV-0x5ffjSiX-9ajRFTBMdbUovKDeRjrsOlwcZspRDdzkNBA4KeKW0B30g/s1600/egypt8+taste+test.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-38969667283121204742018-02-21T16:47:00.002+00:002018-02-21T16:47:53.577+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Forono
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Forono</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on the allotment in 2004 in a
deep bed</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Smooth tankard-shaped ('half-long') roots. Good growth characteristics.
Roots push up out of the soil, but can be earthed up to preserve the root's
smooth skin. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAt0lSjxgX52BMDTa7PuKLlnY-uFEHcwquGiEP7apIIejsbn6dsbI1fmF74YN9ln_Pt3etiYZfhW1mCX_cpvthyH4Q5vUrAvuAdwkCvDIhUnHqKJ40NdQhI17yJzQJHMKGMIp5cWjV0k/s1600/forono3+whole+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAt0lSjxgX52BMDTa7PuKLlnY-uFEHcwquGiEP7apIIejsbn6dsbI1fmF74YN9ln_Pt3etiYZfhW1mCX_cpvthyH4Q5vUrAvuAdwkCvDIhUnHqKJ40NdQhI17yJzQJHMKGMIp5cWjV0k/s320/forono3+whole+plants.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forono is excellent for slicing. It consistently scored very highly in
our taste tests. A pleasant fresh-tasting, mild but full flavour. Less sweet
than many of the globe beetroot tasted. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pMWYUFyU4NRzPlDwvpyXrfkgC7WQgmVUFDdwfWw6QViykXP_BJibOpIT00vE2ciwUdJchCe00h4Y_1MKEYHKG3BxG-4NPl9z3rWJ6T07xEgGWM3tuNA47mPecudaDXrrN9CgOGS0l04/s1600/forono4+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="400" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pMWYUFyU4NRzPlDwvpyXrfkgC7WQgmVUFDdwfWw6QViykXP_BJibOpIT00vE2ciwUdJchCe00h4Y_1MKEYHKG3BxG-4NPl9z3rWJ6T07xEgGWM3tuNA47mPecudaDXrrN9CgOGS0l04/s320/forono4+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Forono is a medium to long, tankard-shaped, cylindrical (half-long)
beetroot that has a good flavour and yields well. The shoulders of the roots
can push up above ground level. The soil should be pushed back against the root
to keep a smooth skin. When cooked, Forono produces uniform dark-red slices. It
stores well and is good for processing (canning and pickling). It is
susceptible to bolting, so is best sown from mid-summer onwards. Its flavour is
good, although sometimes described as "earthy". </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-37899988446038173712018-02-21T16:44:00.003+00:002018-02-21T16:44:59.323+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Long Blood Red
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: Long
Blood Red</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on the allotment in a deep bed in
2005</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long Blood Red, Blood Red or Long Red has long tapering and
deeply-buried root. It is an old variety, long removed from commercial seed
lists, but can still be obtained as a heritage variety. The roots are prone to
forking. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAkyaCUSJA7dxRjaayI74FqJt5rK2C4ZUTbakPu69IxV0eOfWs7mrR81lV56E6nCyRTP5AbHFwEnO6GyZinsZwcBWOhIl719UNZNJxG2kGskGclsWFM2wanwK4iILbIudVOAyuTOkUQ8/s1600/longbloodred1+whole+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAkyaCUSJA7dxRjaayI74FqJt5rK2C4ZUTbakPu69IxV0eOfWs7mrR81lV56E6nCyRTP5AbHFwEnO6GyZinsZwcBWOhIl719UNZNJxG2kGskGclsWFM2wanwK4iILbIudVOAyuTOkUQ8/s320/longbloodred1+whole+plants.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Long Blood Red is pale red/pink in colour, with clear zoning. It has a
somewhat bland flavour. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudQSAqV9tZsGMQcka2dY1Y8pu6uIOYDg0b2JszZOsEcSmNocr4iOvHP8akq3JapyiKvTN89dPmVcP1qMGQTwJPj1yipMcs8GwnYk5Z58ma1BzSL5p4jJIO44PbomEGlpoUmbptkxw2CA/s1600/longbloodred2+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="400" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudQSAqV9tZsGMQcka2dY1Y8pu6uIOYDg0b2JszZOsEcSmNocr4iOvHP8akq3JapyiKvTN89dPmVcP1qMGQTwJPj1yipMcs8GwnYk5Z58ma1BzSL5p4jJIO44PbomEGlpoUmbptkxw2CA/s320/longbloodred2+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-12641940697284255492018-02-21T16:40:00.003+00:002018-02-21T16:40:54.722+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Monogram<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot:
Monogram</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2006</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Small globe roots produced. Grown early in season. Established and
yielded well in deep bed. Distinct advantage found, due to only one seedling
developing per seed. Virtually no maintenance required between planting and
harvesting during wet spring/early summer! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKki8Piv-ElDT6GlUk8Fd5ciHfMmUqwqDhtntwWij0urSR43MEITjTVMtOt-v0f7L-HTmbiZ-HOzQi5FDkK2hzTCAutNnorGDLdXP2Ds7Ql8jg3QGcBB-xiK_tdcrgsF7DAQgyA9azMI/s1600/monogram1+whole+plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKki8Piv-ElDT6GlUk8Fd5ciHfMmUqwqDhtntwWij0urSR43MEITjTVMtOt-v0f7L-HTmbiZ-HOzQi5FDkK2hzTCAutNnorGDLdXP2Ds7Ql8jg3QGcBB-xiK_tdcrgsF7DAQgyA9azMI/s320/monogram1+whole+plants.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu9nxfMdD1T5panD5BTQXCIKu1Ly4WLOfAunLoPY42C4coWPRAnjE-grv_Xp-r0bigBp98d4ysg6QdAwKBESldyfYDAKuP54G4V7aLn3yCdvnCI0m4xxghZJsIiXHZcJyymu-w9dhZz8/s1600/monogram2+roots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu9nxfMdD1T5panD5BTQXCIKu1Ly4WLOfAunLoPY42C4coWPRAnjE-grv_Xp-r0bigBp98d4ysg6QdAwKBESldyfYDAKuP54G4V7aLn3yCdvnCI0m4xxghZJsIiXHZcJyymu-w9dhZz8/s320/monogram2+roots.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Sweet, fairly typical beetroot flavour. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA35_bdPRLgaSgr6qvoTzV0O3tuJGZbMbGhFJrk8TKGk8KWjgg2agxuaCfm5X1G-oefHxXh1Ghtpv6kOWNX6vGnt8KGE3PcHg0P90pSEPcvA4QdPBnzkNIBRz-JfWrw8zMV582wR1eE4/s1600/monogram4+taste+tests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="400" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA35_bdPRLgaSgr6qvoTzV0O3tuJGZbMbGhFJrk8TKGk8KWjgg2agxuaCfm5X1G-oefHxXh1Ghtpv6kOWNX6vGnt8KGE3PcHg0P90pSEPcvA4QdPBnzkNIBRz-JfWrw8zMV582wR1eE4/s320/monogram4+taste+tests.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5598841845258794041.post-19403117650575425472018-02-21T16:29:00.000+00:002018-02-21T16:29:17.363+00:00Beetroot: selected cultivars: Pablo
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24pt; margin: 0px;">Beetroot: Pablo
F1</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; margin: 0px;">Grown on my allotment in 2004</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Globe roots. Very good growth characteristics. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiysivCA1_vlKc-tFb0ztQydTcLZZFZsZ9-WudHgKBUwv47r3rExSFww-IXuqDmEYPUpUtSFzG_LkpJ2WxQzO3WMda3NahAkknxVccbSXrdGQTcualaJWPceqxeCKXkjY2qOPjk0xRiLo/s1600/pablo3+whole+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiysivCA1_vlKc-tFb0ztQydTcLZZFZsZ9-WudHgKBUwv47r3rExSFww-IXuqDmEYPUpUtSFzG_LkpJ2WxQzO3WMda3NahAkknxVccbSXrdGQTcualaJWPceqxeCKXkjY2qOPjk0xRiLo/s320/pablo3+whole+plant.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Deep red colour. Sweet flavour and smooth texture. Scored well in our
taste tests. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSIQ6BKCRigb_p1m2lnZ9EwypF5ZMefO2ZfFX01lLh9TDNqmNdK2MW2eD8DSeNv0AWFOznzgw-O1MG06vG4I7MqYBL1bPVhICwjq33vQCJwIx7Neuy0kIwjqow47qxjjkCdqOp9PX8cA/s1600/pablo4+taste+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="400" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSIQ6BKCRigb_p1m2lnZ9EwypF5ZMefO2ZfFX01lLh9TDNqmNdK2MW2eD8DSeNv0AWFOznzgw-O1MG06vG4I7MqYBL1bPVhICwjq33vQCJwIx7Neuy0kIwjqow47qxjjkCdqOp9PX8cA/s320/pablo4+taste+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pablo F1 is a globe-shaped Dutch hybrid, bred by Bejo-Zaden. The roots
are smooth-skinned with dark-red flesh that has little zoning. It is relatively resistant
to bolting, and its roots mature and store without becoming woody. It is a
multi-purpose beetroot, favoured for exhibition. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Stephen Nottinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13631785676516057114noreply@blogger.com0