Beetroot (not beetroot!) is a herbaceous biennial plant belonging to the Amaranth family (beetroot used to belong to the Marev family). There are also annual and perennial representatives of this family. Of the 13 species included in the beet genus, only two are grown in culture - common beet and leaf beet.

Leaf beet (chard) is annual and biennial. It does not form root crops, it has a taproot or fibrous highly branched root. All the strength of the plant goes into the formation of a powerful rosette of succulent leaves on thick, strong petioles.

The common beetroot is a biennial plant. In the first year, it forms a large fleshy root crop, and in the second year, a flower stalk on which seeds are tied and ripen. However, beetroot is usually grown as an annual crop for the sake of a tasty and healthy root crop. To obtain seeds, only small special uterine plots are left.

Ordinary beets are divided into three subgroups:

• dining room;
• sugar;
• stern.

Table beets

It can be divided into two categories: red and white. Red-fruited varieties are the most common, it is them that we habitually call "beets".

White varieties are less popular and not even always known to the general consumer. The taste of white beet is very similar to its red relative. It has a green color of the leaf rosette and small elongated roots with light skin and pulp. It is used in salads, marinades, and also in dishes where coloring of other ingredients is not desirable. The most popular all over the world is the white-fruited variety "Albina Vereduna".

Do not confuse table white beet with sugar and fodder. Sugar and fodder beets also have light flesh, but are not eaten.

Red varieties of beets have the color of the pulp and skin of root crops from carmine red to maroon, almost black. On the transverse section, light concentric rings are clearly visible. The shape of the root of the red beet can be the most diverse: flat, round, elongated-conical, cylindrical and spindle-shaped. Varieties with a rounded and flat root crop are the earliest ripening, productive, good presentation. They are grown for summer consumption. Mid-season and late varieties have more elongated root crops and a well-developed root system. Such root crops are well stored in the winter.

Red table beet is usually divided into three varieties:

• Vindifolia is a group of varieties with green leaves and petioles. Petioles may be faintly colored pink. Root crops have an elongated-conical shape, with powerful roots.
• Rubrifolia - this group of varieties from the very seedlings has a dark red color of leaves and roots. The fruits are quite diverse in shape: elongated-conical, round, flat. Varieties do not tolerate heat well and do not have the highest productivity.
• Atrorubra - this group includes the most common varieties of table beets. Characterized by dark-colored root crops, bright green leaves on red or pink petioles, high productivity. The leaves have prominent red veins.

The group includes the following well-known varieties:

• Bordeaux. It has oval or round dark red mid-season root crops. Light rings on the cut are almost invisible. The leaves are erect, green, on pink petioles, turning red by autumn.
• Egyptian. It has a pronounced flat shape of root crops. They are medium in size, very dark in color, sometimes with a purple tint. The leaves are dark green, with red veins and petioles. By autumn, the red color intensifies. Varieties are usually early, low-flowered.
• Eclipse. The leaves of this cultivar are very similar to the Egyptian one, but have a more powerful rosette and a lighter color. Root crops are oval-round and rounded, dark in color. Varieties are early, low-flowering, some are resistant to drought.
• Erfurt. Combines late-ripening drought-resistant varieties. The root system is highly branched, which makes harvesting difficult. Root crops are large, elongated-conical and cylindrical. On the cut, characteristic rings are clearly visible.

Varieties of this type are intended for winter storage. This group includes the famous Dutch "Cylinder", which has a spindle-shaped root crop, immersed in the ground by only a third of its length.

IN last years breeders have bred new varieties of table beets: yellow and striped. These beets have retained the taste qualities and the entire set of useful substances of the usual red beets. The advantages of these new varieties are in their high decorativeness.

The most famous yellow-fruited varieties are Burpee`s Golden and Golden Surprise. Of the striped varieties, the Chioggia variety is the most popular.

In Russia, early-ripening varieties of table beets are grown for summer consumption and mid-ripening varieties for winter storage. Late-ripening varieties have time to ripen only in the south of the country.

Table beets are used for fresh food and after heat treatment. A wide variety of dishes are prepared from it: soups, side dishes, salads, desserts. It is boiled, stewed, baked. Eat in combination with other vegetables or as an independent dish.

In addition to root crops, healthy beet tops are also used as food. They make delicious diet meals. The inclusion of beets in the daily diet contributes to the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

Swiss chard

Leaf beet (chard, Roman cabbage) is grown in culture as an annual. This plant does not set root crops. The leaves and petioles of the aerial rosette are eaten.

The leaves of the chard are large, wavy, shiny, resilient, from green to dark purple. Petioles also exist different lengths, thickness and color. The color range of petioles is truly diverse: they are deep purple, scarlet, pink, green, milky white, silver. For high decorativeness in some European countries, chard is even used as a flower bed plant.

Chard is divided into two forms: petiole and leaf. Leaf varieties, along with petioles, are used as food in salads, soups, stews. Petiole varieties are considered the most delicious and are highly valued in European restaurants. Red-leaf varieties are more often used for dishes with heat treatment, green-leaf varieties - for salads.

In Russia, the following varieties of chard are best known:

• Krasnochereshkovye - "Red", "Scarlet" and "Beauty".
• Zelenochereshkovy - "Green".
• Silver stalked - "Belavinka".

The average term of ripening of leaf beet leaves is 2-2.5 months. Chard is harvested selectively, cutting off large leaves on thick petioles. With this method of collection, the plant continues to increase the leaf mass. Sometimes the rosette of chard is cut off completely. The leaves must be cut very carefully so as not to stain the ground.

sea ​​beet

Another subspecies of edible beets is the wild sea beet. It belongs to the leaf group. Sea beet got its name because it grows on sea coasts close to water. It can be found in India, Africa, England, in the Crimea. Sea beet plants tolerate heat and salt saturation of the soil well, growing more than a meter in height.

Locals eat its fresh or dried leaves. Thanks to the sea beet, which is considered the forerunner of all cultivated varieties, ordinary table varieties, when grown, are watered with saline several times a season.

Sugar beet is an important industrial crop cultivated in large quantities for the production of sugar and ethanol. Its roots contain 8-22% sucrose. Received this species beets back in the 18th century by artificial selection of table varieties.

Sugar beet is a biennial plant, but cultivated as an annual for root crops. The mass of root crops, depending on the variety, ranges from 300 g to 3 kg. The root crop is unattractive in appearance, yellowish-white in color, white on the cut. Rosette of bright green leaves.

Sugar beet is thermophilic and demanding on soils. It grows best on black soil. The most popular all over the world varieties of German selection. In Russia, the varieties Bona, Bohemia, Nancy, Clarina, Sphinx, Mandarin are most often grown.

This type of beet, like table varieties, has many healthy substances in its composition. Modern summer residents have recently begun to successfully master the cultivation of sugar beets on their plots. It is used as a natural sweetener in compotes, jams, pastries, syrups, and salads.

If you are going to use sugar beets in cooking, be sure to peel them, as the peel of the root vegetable has an unpleasant aftertaste.

fodder beet

Fodder beets also belong to industrial crops and are grown for animal feed. Also, like sugar, fodder beet was bred by breeders from ordinary table beet and is cultivated as an annual. In terms of composition, fodder beet almost does not differ from table beet, but contains more protein, coarse plant fibers and fiber.

Root crops of fodder beet grow very large, up to several kilograms. Individual specimens grew up to 30 kg.

They have a very diverse shape: oval, round, elongated-conical, cylindrical. No less diverse are the colors of root crops: white, pink, green, yellow, orange, burgundy. The flesh on the cut is usually white, but it can also be red. Fodder beet root crops do not go deep into the soil, many of them grow directly on the surface, which makes harvesting easier.

The variety of types and varieties of beetroot makes it one of the indispensable products in our lives. Beet roots contain a large amount of important vitamins and minerals. Therefore, we all just need to choose a variety to our liking and settle this unpretentious vegetable in our garden.

How to grow beets - video

Beetroot is a biennial plant that belongs to the amaranth family. Previously, this plant was attributed to the haze family. To date, there are both annual and perennials this family. The beetroot genus includes 13 plant species. But only two of them are grown in culture - ordinary and leaf beets.

To the delight of culinary gourmets, there is a wide variety of this plant. Tired of the usual colors? Do you want to diversify the vegetable table? Culinary experts recommend paying attention to the special bright varieties of this root crop in alternative colors. So, what color is beetroot?

rainbow plant

Experts say that the tissues of any beet contain various plant pigments. It is they who color the root crop. In many varieties, these shades are clogged with a dark red color, so others do not appear. Exactly according to the same principle, all components of borscht or vinaigrette are painted in bright beetroot tones.

But what color can beets really be? After all, we are used to using only varieties of dark red.

Few people know that beets can be not only red or burgundy. Today, edible root vegetables with a white, striped or golden core are common. There are varieties whose root crops change their color from white to red as they ripen. But what variety and color is the most delicious beetroot?

Not only roots, but also tops - leaves and petioles can boast of original coloring. Many gardeners will appreciate these varieties, because the beds will look very original and elegant.

Beets with golden roots

You may be surprised, but in our market you can find various varieties of beets. What color to choose a root vegetable? For example, yellow fruits are sold under the name "golden globe" or "golden ball". But these plant varieties are not included in the State Register. Therefore, we can assume that these vegetables are simply renamed foreign ones.

The most common varieties with light flesh include:

• Burpee's Golden.
• Boldor.
• Golden Detroit.

The oldest varieties of such beets include Burpee's Golden. The disadvantage of this plant is the low germination of seeds. For this reason, agronomists recommend sowing in several stages. The name of the variety is not accidental. The bright flesh glows like gold. Even if you do not take into account the color features, the root crop would have earned its name due to its excellent taste and rich composition of nutrients.

Among the representatives of the yellow beet, the Boldor variety occupies a special place. The flesh is a bright sunny color, and the skin is orange. The contrast of colors is especially noticeable with bright green leaves. This variety is characterized by higher seed germination compared to the previous one. And all root crops have almost the same size and shape.

Beet pulp is tasty and sweet. Young leaves can also be eaten. They are eaten raw, fried or steamed.

Another beet variety with bright flesh is the rare variety of Detroit - Golden Detroit. Fruit c golden, rich color pulp and excellent palatability. Compared to other varieties, adult roots of this beet do not coarsen and do not lose juice when damaged. The foliage of the plant is also used in cooking. They can be collected throughout the season. The leaves are used like spinach.

The variety Golden Detroit keeps well and is resistant to bolting.

White beets

What color beets can please any housewife? The answer is simple - yellow and white. After all, these varieties do not stain hands during cooking and do not leave stubborn stains on clothes.

Popular varieties of white beets:

• Albina Veredun.
• Yellow Cylindrical.

In Europe, the white beet variety Albina Veredun is considered popular. Sometimes this root crop can be seen on sale under the name Albino, Snowhite or Albino White. This variety is interesting to buyers not only because of its snow-white pulp. Its wavy beautiful leaves are very valuable.

Many housewives will say with confidence that this root crop is not suitable for making borscht. And it is. But all cooks say that soups with the addition of white beets will have a pleasant, soft and rich taste. Puree from this vegetable is served as a side dish for poultry and fish.

Leaves of this beet are also used. They decorate dishes, they contain a lot of minerals and vitamins. Therefore, greens are also eaten.

Today, the Yellow Cylindrical variety is also gaining particular popularity. It is a cylindrical root crop that is yellow on the outside. The pulp is white, tasty and very juicy.

Incredible colors

The Chioggi variety can be called a surprise. After all, growing this root crop for the first time, many do not even know with what bright colors will have to face during cooking.

Round bright root covered with orange-red skin. Foliage is glossy, dark green. Petioles ruby ​​red. But, cutting the root crop, you will see the alternation of red and white rings.

As they mature, all red rings gradually expand, while white ones, on the contrary, narrow. During cooking, the paints are mixed, and the root crop inside becomes a pale pink hue.

The attractive appearance also corresponds to the taste of the root crop - sweet, tender and juicy.

Such a vegetable in any form will be a worthy decoration of any dish.

So, we learned what color beets are. These varieties are actively used for cooking various dishes. Undoubtedly, there are technical grades that are also very important.

Sugar beet

It is intended for the production of ethanol and sugar. The roots of this plant contain up to 22% sucrose.

What a beet, everyone knows. The skin is yellowish, the flesh is white. This biennial plant is grown as an annual for good harvest root crops. Depending on the variety, the mass of one vegetable reaches from 300 g to 3 kg. Leaves are bright green.

This heat-loving plant is very demanding on the composition of the soil. Sugar beet grows best on black soil.

Agronomists have proven that the roots of this plant contain many useful trace elements and vitamins. IN folk medicine sugar beet treatments are also known. And the benefits of using this root crop are in no way inferior to the effect of other varieties. Today on household plots this variety is often grown. It is used as a sweetener in pastries, compotes, syrups and salads.

Be sure to clean the root crop before use. The peel has a characteristic unpleasant taste.

Conclusion

To date, there are many types and varieties of beets. This root crop has become an indispensable product in our lives. It contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the body. So experiment, try. After all, now you know what color beets can be found on the shelves. Believe me, from a wide variety of varieties, you will find exactly the one that suits your taste the most.

It has long been believed that color carries a semantic load. This was reflected in customs, art, clothing and lifestyle. different countries.

Bright, juicy tones - foreshadowed the good, faded and faded were a symbol of destruction, old age, failures; dark tones have always been considered harbingers of evil.

White color has always meant purity, innocence of thoughts and desires, the joy of life, not overshadowed by suffering, the sincerity of words, declarations of love, the purity of the soul. Brides were dressed in white, angels and saints were always white,

It is customary to give white flowers for a wedding. It is customary for Catholics to give white flowers to funerals. And then White color becomes a symbol of cleansing from sins, calling on angels to protect the soul of the deceased in the other world.

Brilliant - shine has never been considered by astrologers as a color that brings good luck. Brilliant attracts the eye of an envious person, the eyes of a madman sparkle in the dark, tears glisten in the eyes, a dagger gleams ominously before striking.

In a dream, this color means envy, danger, illness, mourning, the intrigues of enemies, the hypocrisy of friends, the betrayal of a loved one or loved one.

Blue color has always been considered a symbol of honors given to people for their wisdom, the justice of wisdom. Blue often became the color of kings or knights. In combination with gold, he personified the inviolability and justice of power, which required submission and worship.

Therefore, these combinations were so often used in the clothes of noble people and crowned persons, in the interior of magnificent palaces, in porcelain ornaments and jewelry. In combination with red, it became even more powerful, and those around or courtiers bowed their heads from a distance seeing the colors of kings.

Yellow is the color of the sun, flooding the sky and earth with its light, with which no one and nothing can equal, the color of glory, luxury. If it was about flowers, then yellow became a symbol of impermanence.

And the elders taught the young that it was impossible to bring into the house yellow flowers so that there is no confusion.

Yellow bedding (according to legend) predicts discord between spouses. Yellow is both the color of betrayal and the color of gold, which attracts the eyes of greedy people and scammers.

Green is a sign of safety and reliability. Doctors believe that it soothes the eyes, brings peace. So, the greenery of trees and grass pleases the soul and inspires confidence that everything will be fine.

The beginning of spring, new life symbolizes the awakening of all living things, the beginning of a new year. No wonder in the East New Year meet at the end of February, on the holiday of lovers, and Valentine's Day falls on February 14th.

Plants give fresh young green shoots, predicting the growth of all living things, our being, our forces. Greenery also represents the growth of children, their birth.

The golden color, like the brilliant one, attracts the eyes of envious people, foreshadowing dangers due to intrigues started by enemies.

People go to great lengths to get hold of the gold. In the course is slander, slander, force, weapons, cunning. Gold is the personification of wealth. But in a dream, everyone is rich in their own way.

If the sleeper is sick, then his illness is his wealth. And after such a dream, he has nothing to hope for a health improvement.

The poor man is rich only in his debts and groans. The glitter of gold does not promise him wealth, but only reminds him that he suffers because of his absence.

For the rich, such a dream is only a reminder that he must take care not to lose him and beware of the intrigues of enemies, betrayal and hypocrisy.

Red color has always been a sign of love, honor, reverence, passion, shame and blood.

Red roses have always been considered a symbol of love and recognition of their feelings.

The red dress of the Roman patricians, trimmed with gold, called on the lower ones to bow their heads before them.

Red velvet embroidered with gold was often a symbol of royal power and the glory of knights won with blood in a fair fight.

The color that appeared on the cheeks of a lover testifies to the ardor of his feelings.

The red corner (the main, richly decorated, with icons in shimmering bronze and gold icon cases) was in each peasant hut. It was located in the house in the most prominent place, and those who entered were baptized on it.

Brown in a dream means great experiences, grief, a joyless existence, need, lack of funds. Not a single coat of arms, a single flag, the interiors of palaces or the clothes of kings will be dominated by Brown color. It does not please the eye, gives an earthy tint to the complexion. There is neither joy nor freshness in it. He is inconspicuous. The color of dirt, autumn with a blurry road, a joyless existence.

Lilac color is a symbol of honors, wealth, mutual love. A mixture of pink and blue means tenderness and purity of feelings. In a dream, he predicts the fidelity of a lover, the joy of meeting him, the delights of love, gifts with meaning.

Orange comes from mixing yellow and red. This is a mixture of ambition, desire for glory, contempt for other people, selfishness, indifference to other people's misfortunes.

Shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, it is a harbinger of an unusual event that will surprise and delight you, like a peacock's tail suddenly opening before your eyes, like sparkling disco lights, like masquerade costumes shimmering with all colors.

Purple means power, power, health, enviable position in society, respect, lofty thoughts and plans. This is a rich red color, the color of royal robes, military banners, tart red wine that has absorbed heat. sun rays, glitter rubies.

Pink color symbolizes tenderness, innocence, naivety, joy.

Gray means a joyless life, sadness, melancholy, boredom.

Blue color - a sign of sadness, bad omen, illness, color dark night, the color of witches and sorcerers.

Purple is a sign of wealth, prosperity, honors, power, wisdom.

Black color is a sign of sadness, mourning, death, burial, enmity, disasters. Black clouds bring downpours, a tornado looks like a black pillar, blowing everything in its path.

All criminals, sorcerers, thieves, swindlers, murderers, dressed in black clothes, do their dirty deeds in dark nooks, basements, attics on dark nights. See interpretation: paint, clothes, face.

Interpretation of dreams from the Family Dream Book

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Multi-colored varieties of beets and carrots

So at the turn of the century in the UK, a variety of purple carrots was bred, which, in addition to a high content of beta-carotene, is also rich in anthocyanin, a substance known as an antioxidant and with the ability to suppress viruses. True, the purple carrot has one significant drawback, which, apparently, once forced European housewives to refuse to grow it: in its purified form, it stains everything it comes into contact with, and molts when cooked.

But, knowing about its benefits, you can somehow come to terms with this or use this quality of it to color salads and other cold dishes (for example, sauerkraut with purple carrots gets a nice pink color). But in varieties of red, yellow and white carrots, the color is absolutely stable, and such root crops can turn the most ordinary dish (for example, vegetable soup or garnish) into a very beautiful and appetizing.

Beetroot is a vegetable with a very rich and varied set of pigments. Their quantity and composition make it possible to greatly vary the colors and shades of both the root crop itself and its leaves. Therefore, today on the sites well-known manufacturers seeds, we can see a fairly wide warm range of colors different varieties beets - from traditional burgundy to golden and white, as well as iridescent and changing their color as they ripen - from white to red.

External decorativeness is also important, so a bed with different varieties of beets looks elegant thanks to multi-colored petioles and leaves that can be eaten both fresh and boiled. Another trend of breeders of the twenty-first century is the breeding of summer varieties of this crop.

Their advantages are precocity, a small amount of root crops that do not need to be cooked for a long time (long heat treatment destroys many useful material beets), with a fairly tender pulp that can be consumed even raw.

In addition, all other colors and shades of beetroot (except beetroot) do not color food, so this wonderful and very useful root crop can be used in the kitchen much wider and more varied, and therefore more often. Important: all these multi-colored varieties of root crops are grown in the same way as traditional ones.

Unusual varieties of beets

Albina Vereduna - white root vegetable with beautiful curved and wavy leaves high in vitamins.

Boldor-with yellow flesh and orange peeled. The yellow stems contrast with the bright green leaves. The roots are delicious, sweet, and the young leaves can be eaten raw, steamed, or fried.

golden globe - early ripe variety with perfectly aligned root crops 5-6 cm in diameter. yellow the flesh is sweet and tender. Well stored without loss of taste. The leaves are used for salad.

Golden Detroit- a variety of the Detroit variety with golden pulp, preserved during cooking, and excellent taste. Mature root crops do not become fibrous and do not lose juice when damaged. Leaves can be harvested throughout the season and used like spinach. C ort is resistant to shooting and keeps well.

Burpees Golden - orange root crop, very juicy and tasty. Sow often, as it does not have a very high germination rate.

Kestrel F1- a hybrid with good resistance to shooting. Pulp under the red skin dark flesh colors with increased level sugar and sweeter flavor. The variety is tasty both boiled and raw.

Chioggia- bright round root crop with orange-pink skinned, with glossy dark green leaves and ruby ​​red stems. The root crop is an attractive "apple" of red and white rings, when cooked it becomes soft pink. Sweet, tender and juicy.

Bulls Blood Scarletta- a bright variety with maroon-purple leaves, stems and peel. Inside the root crop has cherry and pink concentric rings.

Unusual varieties of carrots

Atomic Red– unique coral color is obtained due to the high content of lycopene. When cooked, it remains just as beautiful.

Purple Haze F1 – purple outside and orange inside. It is better to use it fresh, as it loses color during heat treatment.

Cosmic Purple- one of the popular varieties in the line of colored carrots, bright purple outside and orange inside. Very early.

Purple Sun F1- bright violet color right down to the core. Excellent taste. High level antioxidants makes these root vegetables ideal for juice. Disease resistant.

White Satin F1- snow-white roots with an exquisite smooth texture and crisp, sweet, juicy flesh. One of the best white varieties.

Lunar White- almost fruits white, up to 30 cm in length, very tender and tasty.

solar yellow- bright- yellow carrot variety. Root vegetables 16-19 cm long, very juicy and crispy.

Yellowstone- has an unusual canary color. Delicious both raw and fried

Rainbow F1- the name of the hybrid Rainbow speaks for itself. There is a whole range of shades: from yellow and cream to orange.

Beets are probably not the most popular vegetable in the beds of summer residents. Indeed, why bother with its cultivation and storage, if it is always in the store, it is inexpensive, and how much is needed: even with great love for borscht, vinaigrette and herring under a fur coat, we cook these dishes every day.

MULTICOLORED BEET

Meanwhile, the choice of varieties of table beets is increasing, and seeds of varieties of foreign selection are becoming more accessible. And they are not only the usual beet color. The fact is that this vegetable has a rich and varied composition of plant pigments, which allows you to vary the colors and shades of the root crop - from traditional burgundy and dark cherry to yellow and completely white, as well as with white rings inside and even changing their color as they ripen. - from white to red. Not only the roots are diverse and beautiful in beets, but also the tops - cuttings and leaves - therefore a bed with multi-colored varieties

looks very elegant. True, domestic breeders mainly improve the taste and productivity of the usual burgundy beets, but among foreign varieties, multi-colored ones are increasingly common. Although they can hardly be called novelties, the history of the emergence of some varieties has been lost for centuries, but they have only just begun to appear on our seed market and are still quite rare, and sometimes there is confusion with names.

On sale, you can most often find seeds of varieties with yellow root crops called ‘Golden Ball’ or ‘Golden Globe’. But they are not registered in the State Register, their origin is unclear, so it can be assumed that these are just renamed imported ones.

One of the oldest and most popular American yellow beet varieties is ‘Burpee’s Golden’. It was not called “golden” by chance, the bright flesh of the root crop literally glows, and the taste is very pleasant. Weak side varieties - low germination of seeds, so it is recommended to sow them more often. Handsome and variety ‘ Bokior' - with yellow flesh and orange skin. Bright green leaves with yellow veins and yellow petioles also look pretty pretty.

Seed germination of this variety is higher, root crops are more even in size. The pulp is also tasty and sweet. The leaves and stalks of these beets can be eaten raw in salads, or, like spinach, steamed, boiled, or sautéed. By the way, this also applies to the varieties ‘Golden Surprise’ (we sell it under the name ‘Golden Surprise’) and ‘Golden Detroit’.

One of the most popular foreign varieties of white beets ‘Albina Vereduna’ (sometimes sold under the names ‘Albino’ ‘Albino White’ or ‘Snowhite’). In addition to the sweet root crop, it also has beautiful wavy leaves that contain many vitamins and minerals, so they are also used as food.

Of course, all these varieties are not suitable for borscht and beetroot (after all, color is important in these dishes), but they will enrich any soup, mashed potatoes, vegetable stew with their pleasant mild taste, they are also suitable as a side dish for poultry and fish. And they diversify the diet, especially for vegetarians and raw foodists, because young small root crops can be eaten fresh in salads.

One of the big pluses of white and yellow beets, which every housewife will appreciate, is that these root crops do not stain hands when cooked and do not leave stains.

COMING TO ITALY

Perhaps the most unusual variety of table beets is ‘ Chioggia’.

Its bright round root vegetable has orange-red skin and glossy dark green leaves with ruby ​​red stems.

And under the skin - almost white flesh with thin red rings. But as it grows, the red rings expand and the white ones narrow. When boiled, the entire root crop becomes pale pink. Appearance the taste is also consistent - tender, juicy, sweet. Boiled and raw, cut across into circles or lengthwise into hearts, such beets will decorate any dish.

This beet variety got its name from the Italian city of Chioggia, located on the islands of the Venetian lagoon (as, by the way, a wonderful pumpkin variety with the same name). But with the translation of the name into Russian, this variety was not lucky. We sell its seeds not only under the original name ‘Chioggia’, but also under “translated” in different ways: ‘Chioggia’, ‘Chioggia’, ‘Chioggia’.

Sometimes you can find a set of seeds for sale called "Rainbow Beet", which usually includes one traditional red variety, one yellow, white and striped 'Chioggia'. This is probably convenient for those who want to get to know all the colored beets at once without taking up much space in the beds. These varieties are grown in the same way as ordinary ones.

Their advantages are in early maturity and a small volume of the root crop, which can be quickly cooked (long heat treatment destroys many of the beneficial substances of beets), and with fairly tender pulp - it can even be eaten raw.

BEET: CHUBBY GIRL IN THE DUNK

It seems: what unusual can be fraught with the usual table beets? But if you look closely, you can admire and admire the beets - in general, another vegetable contender for a beautiful flower bed!

Beets belong to the haze family (or swans). Her closest relatives are also vegetable - spinach, chard, garden quinoa and quinoa.

It is believed that this vegetable was brought from Byzantium. In any case, beets have long been grown in Slavic lands and are highly valued.

COMING FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN

Homeland beets - the Mediterranean. Mentions of it are found in the writings of Theophrastus (III century BC). True, its leaf form, chard, was initially domesticated. About chard (leaf beet) is a different story. Until recently, the culture was considered rare and was grown only out of curiosity. Perhaps we will talk about it separately next time. She deserves it.

THORNY WAY But let's get back to the table beets. Her path to our table is thorny and full of bitter events. Beetroot leaves were originally used as medicine. When the number of wild-growing specimens began to decrease, and the cities moved further and further from the coast, the beets were transferred to the monastery gardens. But the opinion still continued to exist that beet leaves were only a medicine.

The taste of the beet-vegetable was appreciated by the ancient Romans. A dish of leaves soaked in wine with the addition of pepper was considered a delicacy. The more powerful the Romans were, the more they planted their culture on the barbarians. This applied to completely different areas, including crop production.

One of the plants that the Romans forcibly forced to breed in their lands was the beetroot. The floodplain lands of the Rhine turned out to be especially favorable. So beets safely moved to Germany.

The next wave of beetroot invasion came in the Middle Ages. True, in XII -XIII centuries in Central Europe, root yellow beets were preferred. The crusaders were the next to have a hand in spreading this vegetable throughout Europe.

TIP: The great advantage of beets is the possibility of growing everywhere from the subtropics to the northern latitudes.

Its root crops are relatively well stored and withstand even long-term storage without loss of taste and commercial qualities. Also, beets are fruitful and healthy.

More or less peacefully appeared beets in our country. For example, in the X-XI centuries. in Kievan Rus, beets were already common garden plant, that is, not at all a delicacy or a rarity.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. first introduced into the culture of sugar and fodder beet. And the breeding work begins immediately. The modern part of the history of beets is as follows: the breeding direction of the last decades is the breeding of so-called baby varieties or summer varieties with a short growing season. The goal is to reduce the growing season and replace huge root crops with small ones with excellent taste and keeping quality.

MULTICOLORED BEET VARIETIES

We are used to thinking that the red color of the root crop is in table varieties. For example, varieties ‘Borschovaya Dona’ or ‘Borschovaya Diva’ with red root pulp and typical light rings - for a rich color of borscht and vinaigrette.

White beets in our view - to obtain sugar; and the big yellow one is for livestock feed. Modern world selection changes our view and mixes the familiar.

Even 200 years ago, yellow-fruited varieties were grown on a par with red-beet, familiar to us beets. Folk selection did a good job with beets, but even more stunning results were achieved by special scientific work genetic breeders. Now we can enjoy beets (besides chard) and root beets. The color of the root crop is burgundy, cherry, golden, white, striped or changing from white to rich red as it ripens. With differently colored petioles of leaves - and the leaves themselves.

Dishes prepared from table beets are easily recognizable by their beautiful burgundy color. True, sometimes he gets bored, and then we start to turn up our noses from this healthy vegetable. Luckily, beetroot comes in a variety of forms. If you want to diversify the vegetable table from time to time, pay attention to the varieties of beets in alternative colors.

chameleon plant

Beet tissues of any variety contain a wide variety of plant pigments (peculiar dyes). But in most varieties, this palette is “clogged” with a dark red color and is not visible: in the same way, the multi-colored components of a vinaigrette or borscht eventually turn into beetroot tones.

However, beets have varieties not only with burgundy or cherry roots, but also with golden, white or striped. There is a beet that changes color as it ripens from white to red. The original coloring can be not only at the roots, but also at the tops - petioles and leaves. Therefore, a bed with such varieties will look very original and elegant.

Pure gold

In our market, yellow beet seeds are quite common. They are sold under the names "Golden Ball" or "Golden Globe", but since these varieties are not listed in the State Register, it can be assumed that these are simply renamed foreign ones. One of the oldest varieties of yellow beets is "Burpee" s Golden ". Its weak point is low seed germination, so it is recommended to sow them more often. The variety was called "golden" for a reason: its bright flesh literally glows, and even if it were not so, he deserved his name for the rich composition of nutrients and great taste.

Beautiful and variety "Boldor" with orange-colored skin and "sunny" flesh. Its yellow petioles contrast spectacularly with bright green leaves. This is already an improved golden beet: the germination of its seeds is higher, the roots are more even in size. The pulp is tasty, sweet, young leaves are eaten raw, steamed or fried.

‘Golden Detroit’ is a rather rare variety of the popular ‘Detroit’ variety with golden flesh and excellent taste. Unlike other varieties, its adult root crops do not coarsen and do not lose juice when damaged. Leaves can be harvested throughout the season and used like spinach. ‘Golden Detroit’ is resistant to shooting and keeps well.

white clothes

One of the most popular varieties of white beet in Europe "Albina Vereduna" (sometimes sold under the names "Albino", "Albino White" or "Snowhite"). In addition to the sweet "blonde" root crop, it is also interesting for its beautiful wavy leaves. Of course, it is not suitable for borscht, but it will enrich any soup and puree with a pleasant mild taste, and is also suitable as a side dish for poultry and fish. The leaves of this variety are not only decorative, but also contain many vitamins and minerals, so they are also used as food. The "Yellow Cylindrical" variety is also gaining popularity - its cylindrical root crop is yellow on the outside, but the flesh is white, tasty and juicy.

Beet Surprise

Very interesting variety "Chioggia". Its bright round root vegetable has an orange-red skin and glossy dark green leaves with ruby-red petioles. But inside, an interesting alternation of red and white rings is found. As it ripens, the red rings expand, the white ones narrow, and when cooked, the entire root crop becomes a soft pink. Appearance corresponds to the taste - sweet, tender and juicy. Such beets, simply boiled and cut across in circles or along (hearts), will decorate any dish.

Did you know

The Italian beet variety "Chioggia" was first grown in the gardens of the city of Chioggia, located in the southern part of the Venetian lagoon on the Adriatic Sea. Beets have been cultivated here for many centuries under conditions similar to those in which their wild ancestors grew.

summer joy

Multi-colored varieties are grown in exactly the same way as traditional ones. The only thing to note is that they all, as a rule, have short term vegetation. This is another direction of breeders of the 21st century - the breeding of summer beets (both colored and ordinary red too) - the so-called baby varieties. Their advantages are in precocity, a small amount of root crops that can be quickly cooked (long heat treatment destroys many of the beneficial substances of beets), and in tender pulp, which is consumed even raw.