Beta vulgaris.
An 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.
A 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.
Grower's tip: 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.
- Open-pollinated.
- Biennial: 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.
- Top height: 30-50 cm.
- Maturity: 90-110 days.
- Exposure: full sun.
- Deep, loose, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Thin to 15-20 cm.
- Direct-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.
