Beet: Encyclopedia - Beet

Beet

The Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae, native to the coasts of western and southern Europe, from southern Sweden and the British Isles south to the Mediterranean Sea.

It is a herbaceous biennial or perennial plant with leafy stems growing to 1-2 m tall. The leaves are heart-shaped, 5-20 cm long on wild plants (often much larger in cultivated plants). The flowers are produced in dense spikes, each flower very small, 3-5 mm diameter, green or tinged reddish, with five petals; they are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a cluster of hard nutlets.

There are two subspecies:

• Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. Sea Beet. Northwestern Europe. Plant smaller, to 80 cm tall; root not swollen.
• Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. Mediterranean Europe. Plant larger, to 2 m tall; with a rounded fleshy taproot. The ancestor of the cultivated beets (not subsp. maritima, as sometimes stated).

Beet - Cultivation and uses

The root and leaves of subsp. vulgaris are edible, and an important food crop. Numerous cultivars have been selected and bred for several different characteristics; the major Cultivar Groups are:

• Beetroot or table beet (or, in the 19th century, "blood turnip") used as a root vegetable.
• Fodder beet, wurzel or mangold used as animal fodder.
• Sugar beet grown for sugar.
• Chard, a beet which has been bred for the leaves instead of the roots and is used as a leaf vegetable.

Beetroot are cooked or pickled and eaten cold. The leaves and stems can be sliced and stir-fried, and have a flavour resembling that of taro leaves. The stems can also cooked with black beans to increase their nutritional value. The red colour in the beet roots (betacyanin) causes red urine and faeces in some people who are unable to break it down.

Beet is used as a food plant by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species - see List of Lepidoptera which feed on Beet.

Beet - Nutritional information beetroot/table beet

Beets contain good amounts of vitamin C in the roots, and the tops are an excellent source of vitamin A. They are also high in folate, and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and several antioxidants.

Beetroot is among the sweetest of vegetables, containing more sugar even than carrots or sweet corn. The characteristic "earthy" taste of beet comes from the presence of the chemical compound geosmin. It is unknown whether beets produce geosmin themselves, or whether it is produced by symbiotic soil microbes living in the beet.

An average sized cup (250 ml) of sliced beets will contain:

• Food energy 31 cal (130 kJ)
• Carbohydrate 8.5 g
• Dietary fiber 1.5 g
• Folate 53.2 µg
• Phosphorus 32 mg
• Potassium 259 mg
• Protein 1.5 g

Beet recipes include borscht.

Beet - Beetroot Colour

It is a popular misconception that the colour of beetroot is due to a pigment known as anthocyanin, the pigment in red cabbage. It is in fact due to the purple pigment betacyanin and a yellow one betaxanthin known collectively as betalins. There are other breeds of beetroot that are not the usual deep red, such as 'Burpee's Golden' with an orange red skin and yellow flesh and 'Albina Vereduna' which is white. These have a greater or lesser distribution of the two betalin pigments.

The pigments are contained in cell vacuoles. Beetroot cells are quite unstable and will 'leak' when cut, heated and when they come into contact with air or sunlight. This is why red beetroots will leave a purple stain. If the skin is left on when cooking however this will maintain the integrity of the cells and therefore minimise leakage.

The pigment stabilises in acid conditions, which is a major reason why beetroot is often pickled. In the United States, it is the traditional colorant for pink lemonade. Beet juice is also a common choice for edible ink, for example in marking grades on cuts of meat.

Beet - Beetroot cultivars

Notable cultivars of beetroot include:

• 'Red Ace', the principal variety of beet found in U.S. supermarkets, typical for its bright red root and red-veined green foliage.
• 'Bull's Blood', an open-pollinated variety originally from Britain, known for its dark red foliage. It is grown prinicipally for its leaves, which add colour to salad.
• 'Chioggia', an open-pollinated variety originally grown in Italy. Its roots contain concentric rings of red and white flesh, giving a striking visual appeal when sliced.
• 'Lutz Greenleaf', a variety with a red root and green leaves, with a reputation for maintaining its quality well in storage.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Beet", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki