harvesting beetroot

[sally wright]

Dear Granny,
beetroot go quite soft when frozen so it is best to freeze whole ones as this means less cut ends from which the beets can lose moisture and go mushy.
Regards Sally Wright.
ps I grow cylindra and also carillion another cylindrical type which can be sown early as it does not bolt. I find them very economical for pickling purposes as there is lots of evenly sized slices.
my personal pickling mix of vinegars is 1 and 1/4 pt of brown vinegar 1/2 pt of white vinegar and 1/4 pt of balsamic with no spices. I find this mix gives a light sweet vinegar which does not overpower the beetroot.

[Allan]

I find that the best flavoured beetroot are those that grow through the height of summer which allows the plant to store sugars to enhance the flavour. Earlies and those pulled immature are not necessarily bitter but lack the best flavour, likewise if sown too late you don't get the best flavour. I got the best flavoured Boltardy from a spring sowing pulled late, even better was Crosbies Egyption but it needs a long season including the Summer months to be at its best. Big beet are more likely to have good flavour than small ones. Beware of the pre-cooked beetroot sold in plastic trays, they are quite often larger beetroot peeled down to size in order to class as mini-beet, how else do you get matching size out of a random batch.
Allan

[Granny]

Thanks to all to all offers of helpful advice. And Allan, I take your point about plastic trays. I had always disliked beetroot as I had only eaten shop bought ones. It was only when I started growing my own that I realised how delicious they were. Likewise broad beans!

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granny