A beet (called beetroot in the United Kingdom and its former colonies, as well as table beet, garden beet, blood turnip or red beet) is a plant of the genus Beta of which both the leaves and root are edible. There are many varieties. The word beet often refers to the thick, red, fleshy taproots of such plants, some of which are eaten as root vegetables, and some of which are used as a source of sugar (see sugar beet). Beets are sometimes pickled. The red color in the beet roots (betacyanin) causes red urine and feces in some people who are unable to break it down.
While it is the root that comes to mind when people talk about beets, the leaves, known as beet greens are also used. Chard is essentially a beet which has been bred for the leaves instead of the roots.
Nutritional Information
Beets contain good amounts of vitamin C in the roots, and the tops are an excellent source of vitamin A. They are also high in folate, and soluble and insoluble fiber and several antioxidants.
An average sized cup of sliced beets will contain:
The sugarbeet is directly related to the beetroot, chard and fodderbeet all descended by cultivation from the sea beet.
The harvest and processing of the beet is referred to as "the campaign," reflecting the organization required to deliver crop at a steady rate to processing factories that run 24 hours a day for the duration of the harvest and processing (for the UK the campaign lasts approx 5 months).
Although beets have been grown as vegetables and for fodder since antiquity (a large root vegetable appearing in 4000-year old Egyptian temple artwork may be a beet), their use as a sugar crop is relatively recent.
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