Beetroot

Beetroot is unique in its colour and flavour. It is more popular in Eastern Europe and the USA, where it is used more in hot dishes. In the UK it is often pickled as well as used in salads. The best beetroot is definitely home grown because you can lift small roots when they are at their tastiest and most tender.

Varieties

Beetroot come in different shapes and colours – the most popular are the red, round varieties or globe. These don’t require such a good, deep soil as the long-rooted types, and mature quicker. Always choose a bolt resistant variety if sowing early as the cooler weather may encourage premature flowering

CYLINDRICAL BEETROOT

‘Cylindra’: An oval-shaped beetroot that is excellent for winter storage.

GLOBE VARIETIES

‘Albino’: A white globe variety that does not ‘bleed’ if the flesh is cut. It does not store as well as the reds.

‘Boltardy’: A very popular red beetroot ideal for early sowings as not prone to bolting.

‘Burpees Golden’: An orange variety with yellow flesh. It is a mild and tender variety and some say it has a superior taste to the red types. The young leaves can be steamed or added to salad.

‘Detroit 2’: Another popular variety that produces heavy yields. Most varieties are ideal for the maincrop or midseason sowings.

LONG BEETROOT

‘Cheltenham Green Top’: A popular longrooted variety that needs a good deep soil that is not stony and is free-draining. Ideal for sandy soils.

Growing tips

Sowing and planting

Sow beetroot seeds in shallow seed drills about 2.5cm/1in deep and about 10cm/4in apart. If two or more seedlings appear at each sowing station, remove the excess seedlings to leave one. Leave about 30cm/12in between rows to allow room for growth.

Ideally sow short rows of beetroot every month to get a succession of roots to harvest.

Growing on

As the seedlings grow keep the ground moist and weed free. If the ground is allowed to dry out and then suddenly becomes wet it can cause the roots to split. Also periods of drought may lead to bolting. When the roots are about golf-ball size or a little larger, they can be harvested. Remove alternate roots to allow the remaining ones to grow on.

Container growing

There is no reason why beetroot should not be grown in a container as long as you can keep the compost moist. With this in mind, a larger container, at least 38cm/15in diameter, is best as it won’t dry out too often. Beetroot can be sown closer together in a container at about 5cm/2in apart and the result will be numerous smaller roots. Use John Innes No. 3 compost and place the container in a sunny spot.

Fact file

Calendar

In the kitchen

Beetroot is not just a salad ingredient but is also ideal for wine-making and soups, with its distinctive sweet, earthy taste. It can be a year-round vegetable, eaten fresh from June until September, then stored or pickled until about March. Through the season you can enjoy the young tender leaves, similar to spinach, and robust stalks, braised, as well as the globular root.

When lifting fresh beetroot, it is best to cut off the leaves leaving a short stump, as cutting into the flesh will cause it to ‘bleed’.

Preparation and cooking: Prepare the roots by washing gently in cold water; do not remove the root at the base or cut into the top to remove the stump of stalk. Leave these intact and boil for one to two hours depending on the size. On removing from the pan, simply rub off the skins, remove the tops and thin root and serve hot or allow to cool. Beetroot is best cooked slowly, to enhance the sweetness, and combined with a little acidity to lift the flavour – a squeeze of citrus juice over a raw beetroot salad or a touch of cider vinegar in soups.

Beetroot juice will stain all it touches. Either use gloves or rub your hands with lemon juice to remove stains.

Broad Beans

A great crop for sowing in autumn, or late winter, for some delicious beans when there is little else in the garden. These large, leafy plants produce big pods that contain either white or green beans for cooking. The tips of the plants can also be picked and eaten, so can the whole small pods.

Varieties

‘Aquadulce Claudia’: Grows to 1m/3ft so may need some support. Best variety for early or late sowings. White seeds.

‘Bunyard’s Exhibition’: A white-seeded variety that grows up to 1.2m/4ft so needs some support, too. It is an old variety that has remained popular because it produces good crops in all sorts of soil.

‘Crimson-flowered’: An unnamed heritage variety growing to about 1m/3ft. Superb flowers and beans.

‘Imperial Green Longpod’: Another tall one at 1.2m/4ft with green seeds. As its name suggests, it produces long pods with up to nine beans in each.

‘The Sutton’: A short variety growing to about 30cm/12in high with white seeds. A good choice if you don’t have a lot of room.

Growing tips

Sowing and planting

Broad bean seeds are large, making them easy to sow, and they are traditionally sown in a double row about 20cm/8in apart, often in a zig-zag line. Scoop out a shallow trench about the width of a spade and about 3–5cm/1–2in deep in which to plant your beans.

The double row of plants will give you a greater harvest from a smaller area. Cover the seeds with soil and water well. It will take seven to ten days for the seedlings to emerge.

Growing on

Keep the plants well watered in dry weather, especially once they flower and start to produce pods.

Some broad bean varieties grow quite tall and once they start to produce pods become top heavy. So give them some support by placing four stakes at the corners of the crop and tying string around them.

As soon as some pods have started to form, nip off the tops of the plants. This tip takes a lot of the plant’s energy, which you want to redirect into growing the pods. It will also take away the part of the plant that attracts the dreaded blackfly, a problem with broad beans.

You can harvest the pods when they are 5–8cm/2–3in long. These can be cooked and eaten whole. Alternatively, wait until they are more than 13cm/5in long and have filled out. Split open a pod to see if the beans are large enough to harvest. The smallest beans are the tastiest.

Container growing

Broad beans can be grown in a pot as long as it is at least 60cm/2ft in diameter and depth to provide enough space for up to six plants. A potful of crimson-flowered beans will look pretty but for a good reliable harvest try growing the dwarf variety ‘The Sutton’.

Use a John Innes No. 2 or 3 compost because this will hold moisture better than a peat or coir-based one. Do not let the pot dry out, especially when the pods are forming.

Fact file

Calendar

In the kitchen

Broad beans are best eaten when small, fresh from the pod.

Preparation and cooking: Toss lightly boiled or steamed, young beans in vinaigrette or into salads, or team with garlic, butter and fresh mint leaves. You can eat the small pods whole, prepared like runner beans, sliced and lightly boiled. The growing tips can be eaten too.

Older beans should have individual outer shells removed. Break open with your nail and pop the beans out. Plunge into boiling water for a few minutes until tender. Don’t be tempted to add salt as it will toughen the skins. Turn them into a delicious seasonal mash by boiling until soft, then blend to a purée and serve with lamb.

Storage and freezing: Don’t keep fresh beans too long. To freeze, remove the beans from the pods, wash well and blanch for three minutes in boiling water, then cool, pack in boxes and freeze. They will keep for about 12 months.