{"title":"Beets","description":"Beet variety seeds.","products":[{"product_id":"semences-betterave-chioggia-ancestrale","title":"Chioggia Heirloom Beet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most beautiful beets in the world, originating in the small fishing town of Chioggia, at the southern tip of the Venetian lagoon, where it has been cultivated since at least the start of the 19th century, documented in Italian seed catalogs from the 1840s onward. The variety's signature lies entirely in its cross-section: sliced raw, it reveals a spectacular pattern of concentric circles alternating bright magenta-pink and cream-white, like a target painted by a Cubist artist, or like the growth rings of a tree miniaturized in full colour. This unusual structure comes from a rare recessive genetic phenotype where successive layers of the root develop with alternating concentrations of anthocyanins — a trait that would probably have disappeared in industrial culture if Venetian gardeners had not patiently preserved the variety for two centuries. Rediscovered today by modern cooking, it appears regularly on the menus of fine restaurants and makes a sensation the moment it lands on a plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA round, smooth root 5-7 cm in diameter, with uniform dark-pink skin — nothing on the outside hints at the inner pattern. A particularly mild and fruity flavour, far less earthy than traditional red beets (less rich in \u003cem\u003egeosmin\u003c\/em\u003e, the volatile compound that gives classic beets their \"earthy\" character) — making it the perfect beet for those who usually don't like beets. The essential way to feature it: raw. Finely sliced on a mandoline, the zebra-striped pattern is on full display and stays intact — ideal in a \u003cem\u003ecarpaccio\u003c\/em\u003e drizzled with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, on a toast with fresh goat cheese, or in a warm salad with arugula and walnuts. Alas, the pattern disappears when cooked: the red pigments diffuse uniformly under heat and the root turns a monochrome pink throughout. To preserve the stripes through cooking, add white vinegar to the water (the acid stabilizes the anthocyanins) or cook the beet whole in the oven wrapped in foil. The leaves (young or mature) are also delicious, sautéed like the Swiss chard already described in our pages — it's actually the very same species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like all beets, the \"grain\" of seed is actually a false fruit (a \u003cem\u003eglomerule\u003c\/em\u003e) containing 3 to 5 true seeds that all germinate together — so it's essential to thin after emergence, keeping only one plant per spot. The thinned seedlings are edible in salad. Direct-sow only, as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec), at 1 cm deep. Soaking the seeds 4-6 hours before sowing speeds germination. Harvest at about 5-7 cm in diameter; beyond that, the flesh tends to turn slightly fibrous. Like the golden beet, Chioggia keeps somewhat less long in the root cellar than the classic red beets — 2-3 months in cold humid storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Italian heritage variety predating 1840. Biennial; flowers in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with all other beets (sugar, salad, fodder) — isolate rigorously for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 55-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Thin imperatively to 7-10 cm in the row after emergence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow early May in Québec, at 1 cm deep. Staggered sowings possible until late July for fall harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":42119850426540,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":42119850459308,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42119850754220,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-2K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42119851540652,"sku":"GC-H-BEECHI-10K","price":42.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/chioggiah.jpg?v=1664221181"},{"product_id":"semences-betterave-sucre-ancestrale","title":"Heirloom Sugar Beet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn agricultural curiosity that became geopolitical. It all began in 1747, when the Prussian chemist Andreas Marggraf isolated, for the first time, crystallized sugar from a European root — proof that tropical cane was not the only thing that could sweeten the world. But it was Napoleon who really launched it, ordering in 1811 its mass cultivation in France to circumvent the British blockade on Caribbean sugar. Two centuries later, nearly 30% of the world's sugar still comes from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA conical, long cream-white root, reaching 1 to 2 kg, packed with 16 to 20% sucrose. Not a table beet — its flesh is pale and fibrous — but a treasure for anyone who wants to make their own beet syrup (a sort of homemade molasses, dark and caramelized), experiment with artisanal fermentation, or produce a luxurious winter fodder for backyard animals. Bonus: the young leaves, like those of Swiss chard, are edible cooked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Each beet seed is actually a glomerule — a cluster of several seeds fused together; expect several seedlings per hole, to be thinned without mercy. For the taproot, work the soil deeply (30 cm minimum), loosened and cleared of stones that would force the root to fork. Ideally neutral soil (pH 6.5-7.5): the beet hates acidity — a common situation in Québec soils, where a preliminary liming is often welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiennial: flowering only occurs in the second year. To produce your own seeds, the roots must be kept frost-free over winter and replanted the following spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30-50 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 90-110 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeep, loose, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Thin to 15-20 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (mid-May in Québec). To make a syrup worthy of the name, plan on several kilograms of roots — it reduces a lot in cooking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"20","offer_id":42119857930412,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-20","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100","offer_id":42119857963180,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-100","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500","offer_id":42119858192556,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-500","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500","offer_id":42119858225324,"sku":"JV-A-BETSUC-2500","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/sugarbeet.jpg?v=1664221188"},{"product_id":"semences-betterave-ruby-ecologique","title":"Bull's Blood Beet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unique beet grown primarily for its leaves, and probably the most ornamental in the vegetable garden. An old European variety, pre-1840 and probably of Hungarian or Alsatian origin, Bull's Blood (\u003cem\u003esang de bœuf\u003c\/em\u003e in traditional French) owes its name to the astonishing colour of its foliage: a deep burgundy red, almost purple, with a dark metallic sheen that does indeed recall the colour of dried blood. This extraordinarily dense pigmentation comes from an exceptional concentration of \u003cem\u003ebetalains\u003c\/em\u003e — the red-violet compounds that give beets their characteristic tint, the same pigments that sometimes turn urine pink after eating beets, a harmless and unevenly distributed phenomenon in the population (about 10 to 15 % of people are sensitive to it — it's genetic).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a long time, this variety was grown mainly in European ornamental gardens as a colourful border plant; only recently, in the wake of the mesclun and microgreen wave, has it rediscovered its full vegetable-garden vocation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fairly modest plant 30 to 35 cm tall, which forms from the start a rosette of leaves of a particularly bright and lustrous deep burgundy red, even more intensely coloured under cool conditions (spring and fall). To be harvested in three stages: as microgreens at the cotyledon stage (10 to 14 days), perfect for decorating a plate of tartare or a \u003cem\u003ecarpaccio\u003c\/em\u003e, where they bring an unequalled visual punch at minimal dose; as tender young leaves at the 7-10 cm stage (35 to 45 days) for mesclun and mixed salads, where they bring character and colour to the usually too-green mix; and as mature leaves (55 to 60 days) cooked like Swiss chard, sautéed with garlic in olive oil, added to soups or stir-fries. The roots, which mature at the same time as the mature leaves, are a classic deep red, more modest in size than the root-type varieties (5 to 7 cm), with a classic beet flavour slightly more earthy — good but not exceptional. It's not for them that you grow Bull's Blood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo note for aesthetes: the intense red of betalains is also used as a natural food colouring (E162), and cooking Bull's Blood produces a magenta-pink cooking water of extraordinary beauty that can be used to naturally tint homemade pasta, rice, or even cake fondant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Like Chioggia, the seed \"grain\" is really a glomerule containing several true seeds, so thinning after emergence is imperative. For microgreen or young-leaf culture, sow in a relatively tight band and harvest by cutting at the base with scissors — the plant often regrows in smaller secondary shoots. For standard culture (roots + mature leaves), thin to 8-10 cm in the row and harvest outer leaves as they go throughout the season, leaving the heart to keep producing. Soaking the seeds 4 to 6 hours before sowing speeds up germination. Direct sowing only, as soon as the soil can be worked (early May in Québec), and staggered sowings possible through late July for a fall harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated. Heirloom variety pre-1840. Biennial — flowering in the second year. Wind-pollinated; crosses with all other beets and Swiss chards — isolate for seed saving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 30 to 35 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 10 to 14 days for microgreens, 35 to 45 for young leaves, 55 to 60 for mature leaves and roots.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun; part shade tolerated in summer (foliage colour is even more intense in light shade).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoose, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Thin according to intended use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDirect-sow early May in Québec, 1 cm deep. Staggered sowings through late July for a fall harvest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"200","offer_id":41741393658028,"sku":"GC-O-BEERUB-200","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":41741393690796,"sku":"GC-O-BEERUB-1K","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false},{"title":"5000","offer_id":41741393723564,"sku":"GC-O-BEERUB-5K","price":12.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/rubybeet.jpg?v=1698701225"},{"product_id":"betterave-doree-ancestrale","title":"Golden Beet Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn heir of 19th-century gardens, rediscovered in recent decades by chefs and lovers of seasonal cooking. Its coppery-orange skin hides flesh of a brilliant solar yellow — hence the name — with a noticeably milder, sweeter, less earthy flavour than that of its red cousin. And above all, it doesn't stain anything: not your fingers, not the cutting board, not the salad you slip it into raw, finely grated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrated raw with a drizzle of lemon and olive oil, roasted whole in the oven then peeled by hand, marinated in mustard, or laid out in thin slices in a carpaccio alongside goat cheese — the golden beet is the darling of seasonal cooking because it's pretty, versatile, and preserves the colours of the ingredients around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDon't forget the tops — tender, mild, to be cooked like spinach or Swiss chard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower's tip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Each beet \"seed\" is a glomerule containing several seeds — sow less densely than you think, and thin early. The golden one has a reputation for a more capricious germination rate than red beets — soak the seeds 4 to 6 hours in warm water before sowing to give emergence a boost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrows in ~55-60 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop height: 30 to 40 cm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaturity: 50 to 65 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposure: full sun. Loose, deep, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThin to 10 cm. Direct-sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, then a new wave in mid-July for a fall harvest. Harvest preferably before the roots exceed 7-8 cm across — beyond that, they tend to turn fibrous.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"80","offer_id":42689373012140,"sku":"GC-H-BEEGOL-80","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400","offer_id":42689373044908,"sku":"GC-H-BEEGOL-400","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2000","offer_id":42689373077676,"sku":"GC-H-BEEGOL-2K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10000","offer_id":42689373110444,"sku":"GC-H-BEEGOL-10K","price":54.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/products\/goldenbeet_725ed818-f632-4230-aff9-79de9b276617.jpg?v=1664221186"},{"product_id":"betterave-lutz-green-leaf-ancestrale","title":"Lutz Green Leaf Beet Heirloom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeta vulgaris.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA red-rooted beet variety that stands out for its lush, edible green leaves. Its round red root is mild and flavourful, with a tender, juicy texture. This variety is loved not only for its delicious root but also for its leaves, which can be used as a nutritious leafy vegetable in salads, stir-fries and soups. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Lutz Green Leaf beet is also known for its ability to reach an impressive size without sacrificing flesh quality. Easy to grow and care for, it's ideal for beginner and experienced gardeners looking for a versatile, productive beet variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen-pollinated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEasy to store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduces ~15 cm (6\") roots in ~70 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Joual Vert","offers":[{"title":"40","offer_id":43200261914796,"sku":"JV-A-BETLGL-40","price":0.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200","offer_id":43200261947564,"sku":"JV-A-BETLGL-200","price":3.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000","offer_id":43200261980332,"sku":"JV-A-BETLGL-1K","price":15.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000","offer_id":43200262013100,"sku":"JV-A-BETLGL-5K","price":63.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0532\/1388\/8684\/files\/blutz.jpg?v=1711913110"}],"url":"https:\/\/joualvert.ca\/en\/collections\/beets.oembed","provider":"Joual Vert","version":"1.0","type":"link"}