My very favorite crop

[jackb]

Today I am picking one of my very favorite veggies: beet greens. And, it works our perfectly, as my wife loves the beets, and I love the greens.

Jack B

P. S. We received a flyer in the mail today from Harbor Freight and the 6' x 8' greenhouse is on sale for $199.99. The regular price is $399.99 in case anyone is interested.

 

[digitS']

. . . P. S. We received a flyer in the mail today from Harbor Freight and the 6' x 8' greenhouse is on sale for $199.99. The regular price is $399.99 in case anyone is interested.

What!?!

What am doing building a hoophouse that isn't all that much bigger when I could get something like that for $200!? Or, 2 for $400?

Ooohh, I hate competing with the Chinese . . .

Steve
Jack, you could eat the greens and the root together when they are at that nice stage .

 

[jackb]

. . . P. S. We received a flyer in the mail today from Harbor Freight and the 6' x 8' greenhouse is on sale for $199.99. The regular price is $399.99 in case anyone is interested.

What!?!

What am doing building a hoophouse that isn't all that much bigger when I could get something like that for $200!? Or, 2 for $400?

Ooohh, I hate competing with the Chinese . . .

Steve
Jack, you could eat the greens and the root together when they are at that nice stage .

Steve,
This is the first time this greenhouse has been sold at this price for several years. A coupon is needed to get the price, and the coupon is valid until 6/24/13. I have had one for six years and have been happy with mine.

The 8' x 10' is on sale for, I think, $599. That one is too big for my needs.

And we do eat the roots and greens together. I only let them grow for five or six weeks and then harvest them. The beets are small and sweet, and I find Early Wonder the best variety for the way I grow them.

Jack B

 

[digitS']

I've got a Rion greenhouse in boxes, Jack. It was a discontinued model and the price was good.

It is 18' long. Unfortunately, the space I have (or Neighbor Ken has) for me to put it up is 16'.

Obviously, I wasn't planning on using Ken's garden when I bought the thing. Dad would never commit to keeping track of it in his yard and putting it in a garden 20 miles from home sure wouldn't work. I've now gone slightly beyond what the building codes say I'm allowed in my own backyard . . . I should see about one of the other neighbors . .

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

Beets are a favorite here too. I grow Detroit Red and they get a lot bigger than yours before I harvest. We're about the opposite. I like the beets more and my wife likes the greens more but we often cook them together. We both like both. Heres a favorite recipe.

Itll be a lot later in the year when I do this but Ill go pull usually three beets in the morning. Thats plenty. Ill cut the leaves off leaving about 2 of stem on the beet so it doesnt bleed out too bad, rinse the leaves and put them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Ill clean the beet roots pretty well and put them in a solar oven for several hours. Ill add a small amount of water but you dont need much.

Before supper Ill bring them in, let them cool a bit, and clean the skin off the beet. It slips right off. Slice the beet to bite size. Put some honey, vinegar (usually Balsamic but others work), and some fruit juice, usually apple or orange, in a skillet. Heat it up and glaze the beets. A few minutes before you are done, add the beet greens. It does not take long to cook beet greens. Its been a while, maybe 4 to 5 minutes?

Then, enjoy.

I canned about 18 pints of beets last year and froze several servings of beet greens. We opened a pint of beets last night.

Jack I have to agree with you. Around here it is a real popular vegetable.

 

[jackb]

Beets are a favorite here too. I grow Detroit Red and they get a lot bigger than yours before I harvest. We're about the opposite. I like the beets more and my wife likes the greens more but we often cook them together. We both like both. Heres a favorite recipe.

Itll be a lot later in the year when I do this but Ill go pull usually three beets in the morning. Thats plenty. Ill cut the leaves off leaving about 2 of stem on the beet so it doesnt bleed out too bad, rinse the leaves and put them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Ill clean the beet roots pretty well and put them in a solar oven for several hours. Ill add a small amount of water but you dont need much.

Before supper Ill bring them in, let them cool a bit, and clean the skin off the beet. It slips right off. Slice the beet to bite size. Put some honey, vinegar (usually Balsamic but others work), and some fruit juice, usually apple or orange, in a skillet. Heat it up and glaze the beets. A few minutes before you are done, add the beet greens. It does not take long to cook beet greens. Its been a while, maybe 4 to 5 minutes?

Then, enjoy.

I canned about 18 pints of beets last year and froze several servings of beet greens. We opened a pint of beets last night.

Jack I have to agree with you. Around here it is a real popular vegetable.

Your recipe sounds great. My wife likes the greens to be young and tender. It is no big deal, as I usually have a batch growing. I also have the Detroit dark red and Ace seeds but think the Early Wonder works best for greens hydroponically.

Best,

Jack B

 

[jackb]

I've got a Rion greenhouse in boxes, Jack. It was a discontinued model and the price was good.

It is 18' long. Unfortunately, the space I have (or Neighbor Ken has) for me to put it up is 16'.

Obviously, I wasn't planning on using Ken's garden when I bought the thing. Dad would never commit to keeping track of it in his yard and putting it in a garden 20 miles from home sure wouldn't work. I've now gone slightly beyond what the building codes say I'm allowed in my own backyard . . . I should see about one of the other neighbors . .

Steve

When I bought mine my wife suggested the 8' x 10', however it is so high it would be well above the stockade fence and visible from the road, so I passed it up. I am glad I did though, as the small one if fine for me. There are only the two of us and I can grow plenty enough for our needs.

Jack B