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I just tasted my very first home grown beet. It's the very first time I've had a beet not from a can. Simply roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt. OMG *big sigh* I will forever grow these in my future gardens. Forever and ever. I'm a homegrown beet gal for life

Yum.

Glad you are happy. I will have to remember this, I have not been the beet guy myself. But I do look at them at the garden shops, I have this thing a bout planting anything and everything.

lets not disparage all pickled beets though.


good pickled beets rocks.

Toil wrote: good pickled beets rocks.

As far as I'm concerned, good picked *almost anything plant-based* rocks! Bring 'em on!!!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

I had the same reaction first time I grew beets in my garden 25+ years ago. WOW....... fresh garden beets are good, nothing at all like grocery store can beets. I hate can beets.

Funny story. I ate several helpings of beets for dinner and the next day the toilet was blood RED. I was shocked. I thought maybe I was having a bleeding problem. After thinking about it a minute I realized it was the beets. A few hours later I heard my wife scream in the bathroom. Guess why. LOL.

lol I did the same thing with beets.


there are colors other than red too. I like yellow beets.

Funny story. I ate several helpings of beets for dinner and the next day the toilet was blood RED. I was shocked. I thought maybe I was having a bleeding problem. After thinking about it a minute I realized it was the beets. A few hours later I heard my wife scream in the bathroom. Guess why. LOL.

BAAAAAAAAhahahahahaha I was just getting online to post about such beet caused potty problems


I would love to grow any kind of beet from this year on! I guess I could do the reseach, but for lazyness sakes...what are your favorite kinds of beets to grow?

Oh! and, I love, love, LOVE pickled okra!!! I have okra in my garden but it's only about a foot high right now. The weather hasn't been quite abusive enough for them yet.

Would like to make some pickled beets! I bet the yellow ones look very pretty in mason jars.

all this talk about picking garden produce, reminded me of when I read One Straw Revolution by Manasobu Fukoka. He seemed to be extremely fond of pickled stuff..he said that all the old timers lived on pickled vegetables in the wintertime..I'd like to have a little more history of ancient Japanese pickled vegetables some time.

Lactic-acid fermentation is the topic you're looking for, Brenda; many...ah...cultures have taken advantage of this method to have nutritious vegetables available during cold weather.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

-sigh- Soooooooo....how long do beets take to grow? To late for me to plant them? I love canned beets so I can only imagine fresh!
I can make room for them somewhere......

ronbre wrote:all this talk about picking garden produce, reminded me of when I read One Straw Revolution by Manasobu Fukoka. He seemed to be extremely fond of pickled stuff..he said that all the old timers lived on pickled vegetables in the wintertime..I'd like to have a little more history of ancient Japanese pickled vegetables some time.

So you like zuke? Try Elizabeth Andoh's book "Washoku". The procedure is there for pressed pickles (basically instant), miso pickles, little vinegar pickles (good for lotus root and such), and finally, nuka zuke, or rice bran pickles. Those are the fermented ones, using bacteria from the air, your veggie scraps, and most of all your own hands.

Good nuka zuke is my holy grail, but I warn you it is time intensive, requires commitment similar to owning a dog (if you leave you need a sitter), and it is very difficult to do it right without a Japanese grandma like Ms. Andoh got to consult. My last effort, I got some unfiltered beer in there, and it took over completely. Every pickle tasted like old Chimay.

If you find yourself in a restaurant that serves both natto and nukazuke, you are in for a nice time mention you want some authentic dishes to the chef. And nukazuke, of course. After, ask them where in town you can find good ramen.

Dix, you could try to plant again now, but they will probably bolt. It gets too hot here in SC to plant them any later that early April, and that's pushin it. Many of my roots crops have bolted or started bolting. Lettuces and herbs, too. I know you can do winter crops down here, prolly fall crops in your area I would only imagine they would be even sweeter harvested Chilled

I think I'm gonna try em I think fall crops would be tough for me to do, we're pretty well known for going from 98 degrees and humid as all get out to frost almost overnight.
Has anyone ever done beets in containers?

I believe they can take the frost, just not hard freeze. My grandparents grew turnips here in this very garden all winter long without a hitch. Had greens and roots even through snowy days.