Growing Beets

Carillon long shaped beets

If you like cooked or pickled beets then this variety is for you! I've been growing this long cigar shaped beauty for many summers and I have found it to be the best tasting cooked beet on the market. The variety shown is called Carillon that can grow up to 12" long but I harvest them around 6" in length. The shape is unique and not like your standard round Detroit style variety. Aside from it's shape, the taste is wonderful especially when covered with butter. Opps.... did I say butter?  You will also notice the absence of white rings while the interior is ruby red. 

When cooking, keep the root and leave about 1" of stem on the beet otherwise the natural juices will run out in the pot. Gently boil for about 30-45 minutes depending upon the size. Once cooked, run them under cold water and the skin will fall off without any effort. Now they are ready to be chopped or served full size (small ones) in your dinner plate. If you like pickled beets, chop them up in slices for easy pickling in the fall. The beet greens are also full of vitamins and can be steamed and eaten with kale. The beet greens have more iron content than Popeye's spinach including many other health benefits covered on the net. 

Carillon Beets growing with my tomatoes

Another great use of beets is to make a traditional Russian Borscht soup or search the net for alternative recipes. 

This year I planted seeds in my soil blocks and got them going before they reached the garden. It's best to keep the plants 1-2" apart in rows about a foot apart. This year I'm growing them at the foot of my tomato plants and they are doing well. The good news is, they are relatively free of bug and disease. If you want to store them, they will keep for several months at a very cool @ 32°F/0°C.  Stay healthy and grow beets my friend.