Beet - Beta vulgaris

The Crapaudine beetroot is a very old French variety, once shunned because of its wrinkled and cracked skin reminiscent of the amphibian of the same name. Today, it is being rediscovered by some chefs thanks to its very fine taste. This late variety is preferably sown in July for harvest in October-November.

Crapaudine is said to be the oldest existing variety of beetroot, with its origins dating back to around the year 1000. Its very tasty and particularly sweet flesh is recognisable by the concentric pink circles on a reddish-purple background. Cylindrical in shape, it measures on average 15 cm (6in) in length.

This root vegetable has better taste qualities when cooked in the oven.

The dark green leaves with garnet veins are delicious when prepared in a salad or cooked like spinach. Choose the young shoots when thinning, they will be more tender.

Beetroots are biennial root vegetables. The first year is devoted to the accumulation of nutrients in the root. The second year, the plant draws from this reserve to produce flowering and then seed formation. The edible root is harvested in the first year, but if you want to produce your own seeds, you will have to wait until the following year by reserving a few plants for this purpose. Sometimes called red carrot or red root, beetroot varieties differ in their colour: there are red, white, yellow, orange or pink ones, in cylindrical, spherical, oval shapes, etc. and in their carbohydrate content. They fall into three main categories:

• vegetable beetroots usually planted in gardens,
• sugar beetroots grown in open fields to extract sugar,
• and finally fodder beetroots intended for livestock but very tasty in human food.

Beetroot is not only a carbohydrate-rich food, but it is also renowned for its high content of vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium.

Storage: once the beetroots are harvested, they should be left to dry for a full day on the ground. To keep them throughout the winter, it is advisable to store them in a cool and dark place such as a cellar or pantry. To optimise storage and preserve the best taste qualities, you can bury them under a layer of dry sand.

Gardener's tip: beetroots should be planted in full sunlight but also kept in damp  soil. To maintain these two conditions, consider mulching around the plants.