beetroot & turnips

[flighty1]

hi folks. I am after a bit of advice please. My daughter has just decided to move back in with us. She wants to help on our allotment & wants to grow some beetroot & turnips, Neither OH or I eat them as we can't stand the things. My daughter wants to try some, insisting there must be some nice tasting varieties. Can anybody suggest any half decent, tasty varieties to enable me to get a few for her to try. I appreciate that taste is a personal thing but as OH & I really can't stand beetroot or turnip we are at a loss to know what to grow.
many thanks

[zazen999]

All beetroot is lovely.

All turnips are evil.

Them's the rules in our house.

So, lets go through beetroot.

You can get red types, white types, yellow types and stripey types.

Only the red ones are really suitable [in my book] for pickling, the others just look wrong.

The best ways of cooking [IMHO] are to either boil in it's skin, tip out, rinse fully and cool; and you can pull the skin off then chop and dress [I use mayo and cumin with a spring onion chopped - makes a nice fresh cold salady side dish] or just slice and have on the side of a salad. Tastes out of this world compared to shop bought.

Or

Esp for the yellow or stripey ones [I don't grow the white ones]...peel [they don't bleed like the red ones] and chop into chunky chip sized pieces and throw into a roasting pan with either a mix of veg or on their own and have as part of a roast dinner. Lushness on a plate. Add herbs of your choice as it goes in.

Good types of Red are Sanguina [round] Bulls Blood [round] or Cylindra [long]

Good type for the Yellow are Burpee's Golden and top type [and only I think] for the stripey is Chioggia.

[northepaul]

Chioggia (sp ) are really pretty, Zazen sent me some Sanguina beetroot ages ago, and they are the strongest most healthy ones I have growing. I have got some white ones too.
I cant understand why anyone one would dislike them....unless you have only had pickled (major yuk!!) Have you seen River cottage autumn...beetroot ice cream....need I say more....

[Bramble_killer]

I've never liked beetroot until OH found some in Lidl that were just cooked. NOT pickled.


I've never eaten a turnip still

[zazen999]

Chioggia (sp ) are really pretty, Zazen sent me some Sanguina beetroot ages ago, and they are the strongest most healthy ones I have growing.

That's SO good to hear as they were self saved. Phew!

[Snadger]

Not struck on beetroot (and i've grown loads of different types, so its not for the want of trying!) but Swedes and snowball turnip are probably my favourite veg!

[shirlthegirl43]

Try turnip variety Snowball, pick small (tennis ball) and steam or lightly boil and serve with butter

[Snadger]

Try turnip variety Snowball, pick small (tennis ball) and steam or lightly boil and serve with butter

Touche!!!!!!!!

[flighty1]

Thanks guys & girls. I know this is a cheek buy has anybody got a few Sanguina seeds they can spare. I have done a google search for them &the only place I can find selling them is Real Seeds. Unfortunately they have a minimum charge of £8 plus p&p of £1-69 which means a packet of beetroot will cost the best part of £10. I am happy to send a few stamps or an SAE to cover costs. If I can get a few I can start saving my own to pass on. Thanks

ps thanks for the recipes I will give them a try as all I have ever tried are jars of pickled beetroot & to be honest I don't like them.


quick update, I have just ordered some burpees golden beetroot and snowball turnip. Thanks for your help folks

[zazen999]

Thanks guys & girls. I know this is a cheek buy has anybody got a few Sanguina seeds they can spare.

Not sure about that, I've only got about a shoe box full.

PM me your address and I'll pop some in the post...

[gojiberry]

Planted some chioggia this year and have just started using them but they are all colours and none with the distinct pink and white rings. They are a mix of yellow and red but not the deep beetroot red, still the taste marvelous.

Ian

[womble]

I like the white ones and the reason is that they are so easy. No worrying about getting red on anything (toilet included) but they still taste the same as red and the leaves are dead nice.

I still grow red for salads, how can you not like beetroot in salads>

[Bramble_killer]

where does one get white beetroot from? I could look but I'm lazy and tempted to try one more sowing

[womble]

One could always look at real seeds, that's where this one got one's from.



Minimum spend though, I expect there are other suppliers.

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

I just ate for the first time a hot fresh beet, as side veg, nowt on it, exquisite. There not just for salads. I will investigate what else can be done with em. Just sowed more seeds.