question about beets...

[trunkman]

I planted beets on February 16 which makes them about 75 days since I've planted them and the package says 58 days to harvest, the beets are from quarter size to silver dollar sized so far. My question is should I harvest now or wait for them to get bigger? If I do wait till they get bigger will they start to get woody or hard? I'm also interested in trying beet greens, does anyone have a good recipe? Thanks for any feedback,

 

[Ridgerunner]

I usually don't have a problem with them getting woody. I'd let them go a while.

I've done something similar to this recipe with red beets. Delicious. I know this is not beet greens, but I think it is worth sharing.

2 bunches golden beets, about 6 to 8 beets
4 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons apple juice or orange juice
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Cut leaves and stems from the beets and scrub; put the whole, unpeeled beets in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.
Slip skins from beets and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large skillet or saute pan, combine the brown sugar, juice, and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the beets and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and beets are glazed, about 5 to 7 minutes.


Now for the greens.

I have used a variation of the below for beet greens, chard, and kale. I got the original recipe from Hattie, but copying it is less typing. I usually brown some onions before I add the greens. Don't worry about the garlic clumping together. When you add the greens and stir them up, the garlic will get distributed. I also like to add paprika while browning the onions. This is just a basic recipe. Have fun with it.

Ingredients
2 bunches beet greens, stems removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lemons, quartered
Directions
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beet greens, and cook uncovered until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the greens are cold, drain well, and coarsely chop.
2.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens until oil and garlic is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot; serve with lemon wedges.

 

[journey11]

Some people prefer them smaller for canning, but I let my beets get softball-sized and they are still tender. I've not met a woody beet yet, although I imagine if you let them go through until the heat of August, they might be then. When the greens are young, I like them fresh on salads. You can thin out your beets and simmer the baby beets and their greens all together, a real treat! When you harvest your beets larger, the greens are still good and tender, simmered in a little water or chicken broth. I eat the stems and all. I love beets. Especially pickled beets. They just might be my favorite veggie.

 

[trunkman]

Thanks for the recipe ridgerunner! thanks for the advice and ideas journey.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Another one for the greens, again beets, chard, or kale.

Boil them until they are done. Drain well. Add salt, pepper, mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Mix well.

About as quick and easy as it gets.

 

[journey11]

Another one for the greens, again beets, chard, or kale.

Boil them until they are done. Drain well. Add salt, pepper, mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Mix well.

About as quick and easy as it gets.

That does sound good. Gonna have to try that!

 

[silkiechicken]

I just stir fry all beet/spinach/chard greens.

As for size and dates on packages. I pick when they are a size I want. Dates on packages mean nothing. I have beets planted back home which were sprouted inside in Febuary, so over 60 days old, that will be at least 60 more days before we pick. It's too cold.

For example, a 64 day sweet corn takes over 100 days, easily over 120 on a cool year from planting to ripen if we are lucky.

Your location vs the location of the test beds make a big difference.

 

[jojo54]

Have you eaten Borscht? It is a beet soup.

I don't do real well with recipes as I never follow them - they are a guideline and I change them to suit me and what I happen to have in the kitchen at the time. But here is the idea of Borscht.

I make a vegetable soup with carrots, cabbage, beans, potatoes, etc. and add beets. You can use a chicken broth or some soup bones as well. You also slice up the beet leaves and stems and put them in the soup. The cut beets make the soup a lovely red but don't overcook your soup with your beets in it or the beets bleed out and you have white beets. Also add alot of dill. Finally serve with sour cream. Can't wait for my garden to grow.