SERIOUS LOATHING. Yeah, yeah…we know “they’re so good for you, blah blah blah.” One of us used to get practically force fed pickled beets as a child. And once you’ve thrown up a stomachful of pickled beets, well, they lose their charms for a long long while.
And then, because we felt like we had to, we held our nose and planted beets last year. Then, on the advice of a chef friend, we roasted them as we roast most of our cooked veggies. Ohmigod. They’re amazing. We’re complete converts. Evangelists, almost. You have to plant the Cylindra beets. Really, you gotta. And then the Italian Chioggia. So pretty sliced paper thin in a salad.
Below are the varieties we’re planting this year. Please let us know what you’re planting in the comment section below the photos.
CHIOGGIA BEET – An Italian Heirloom, with alternating pink and white concentric circles.
CYLINDRA BEET– Introduced in the 1880’s, resembles a carrot in shape.
DETROIT DARK RED BEET – Introduced into the United States from Europe in 1892. This beet was developed from the popular European Early Blood. It is mildew resistant. The flavor is excellent.
2 Comments
Is it true you should not plant beets & carrots next to each other?
Hi Linda. I have not heard of that particular companion planting warning, but i would guess that perhaps people advise against it because the two differently sized root vegetables might compete for space under the soil.