beetroot in rich soil

[John Savage]

Does anyone have experience with growing beetroot (Derwent Globe) in
soil which has just had a lot of sheep and cow manure added to it?

I have warned here of problems with growing carrots in such soil, but
have no experience with beetroot in such conditions. I'm wondering
whether they are likely to develop mostly tops at the expense of the
root?

Wishing a Merry Christmas to all the aus.gardens regulars; likewise to
our casual visitors.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

[FarmI]

"John Savage" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone have experience with growing beetroot (Derwent Globe) in
> soil which has just had a lot of sheep and cow manure added to it?
>
> I have warned here of problems with growing carrots in such soil, but
> have no experience with beetroot in such conditions. I'm wondering
> whether they are likely to develop mostly tops at the expense of the
> root?

I seem to recall that beetroot is one root veg that doesn't mind rich soil.
Even if you do get more tops than bottoms, the tops can be used as a green
vag, so not a lot lost there. There's always Mr Edgells if push comes to
shove.

[loosecanon]

"John Savage" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone have experience with growing beetroot (Derwent Globe) in
> soil which has just had a lot of sheep and cow manure added to it?
>
> I have warned here of problems with growing carrots in such soil, but
> have no experience with beetroot in such conditions. I'm wondering
> whether they are likely to develop mostly tops at the expense of the
> root?
>
> Wishing a Merry Christmas to all the aus.gardens regulars; likewise to
> our casual visitors.
> --
> John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

I had read about the carrots forking with to much manure in the soil. But a
dept of ag disk I have said it makes no real difference. I used cow and
sheep manure to spruce the soil up at my place and so far the 30 or so
carrots I have pulled have been straight. I'm on WA's gutless grey sand.
Next to that spot I planted Hamburg parsley and added chicken manure to the
sheep and cow mix. So far the roots I have harvested have been like mid
sized parsnips, taste like them too, and are so good roasted. The leaves can
be used like parsley too. I have grown beetroot in the past and remember I
spruced up the soil then too. They just like water. Never grown them again
though as people around here said they tasted to earthy.

[Ross McKay[_2_]]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:36:07 +1100, LindaB wrote:

>[...]
>We are playing with the recipe in which to pickle them. A friend also
>roasts them with the beef - we didn't think much of that the one time
>we tried.

We find them best quartered or halved, a little oil or dripping, and
roasted with lamb or chicken. Better still, chop up the leaves and stems
and put them under the animal to steam while everything roasts - they
come out very tasty with the dripping and gel through them :)

For pickling, are you cooking up with vinegar or lacto-fermenting them?
For cooking, I hear that you cook with the skins on and then slip them
off to chop and bottle, is that right?

I have yet to grow them myself though, so am reading this thread with
interest!
--
Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia
"Let the laddie play wi the knife - he'll learn"
- The Wee Book of Calvin

[Ross McKay[_2_]]

On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:17:18 +1100, LindaB wrote:

>There is much inter-family discussion going on here. [...]

Thanks, very interesting to see the different methods. Your beloved's
method is the one I've read in several places. Leaving the "pigtail" and
the skin in place is to stop all the red bleeding out, IIRC. I look
forward to trying all of this sometime, and also comparing to a simple
lactic-acid ferment.

>I note preserving books give a higher proportion of vinegar (eg three
>quarters of a cup of water to two and a quarter cups of vinegar).

Books tend to go higher on both acid and salt than traditional recipes,
and I reckon it must be out of concern for lawsuits - e.g. when some
plonker par-boils dirty beetroot and packs it into jars, the higher acid
and salt will provide extra protection against pathogens :)

>Growing them, we are now moving to putting in a new crop of about half
>a dozen or so a month, and always having a few coming along.

And I thought I liked my beetroot...

cheers,
Ross.
--
Ross McKay, Toronto, NSW Australia
"Nobody ever rioted for austerity" - George Monbiot

[jules]

I love them grated raw for salad, boiled and eated fresh, baked,
pickled, pureed into soup, made into official borsch, doesn't matter,
you can do no wrong with beetroot.
jules

Ross McKay wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:17:18 +1100, LindaB wrote:
>
>> There is much inter-family discussion going on here. [...]
>
> Thanks, very interesting to see the different methods. Your beloved's
> method is the one I've read in several places. Leaving the "pigtail" and
> the skin in place is to stop all the red bleeding out, IIRC. I look
> forward to trying all of this sometime, and also comparing to a simple
> lactic-acid ferment.
>
>> I note preserving books give a higher proportion of vinegar (eg three
>> quarters of a cup of water to two and a quarter cups of vinegar).
>
> Books tend to go higher on both acid and salt than traditional recipes,
> and I reckon it must be out of concern for lawsuits - e.g. when some
> plonker par-boils dirty beetroot and packs it into jars, the higher acid
> and salt will provide extra protection against pathogens :)
>
>> Growing them, we are now moving to putting in a new crop of about half
>> a dozen or so a month, and always having a few coming along.
>
> And I thought I liked my beetroot...
>
> cheers,
> Ross.

[FarmI]

"Ross McKay" > wrote in message

> For cooking, I hear that you cook with the skins on and then slip them
> off to chop and bottle, is that right?

Yes. When cooking by steaming/water bath method, always leave some stem on
the beetroot and dont' cut off too much of the roots or it'll 'bleed' (for
want of a better word). Once cooked, the skin just slides right off.

[FarmI]

"LindaB" > wrote in message

> I wonder how it would go substituting grated raw beetroot for carrot
> in a carrot cake recipe?????

There are recipes around for Chocolate beetroot cakes. google might turn up
a recipe for you if yu're iterested.