Not all beets are the same. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. Counting on tried and tested varieties is certainly not a mistake. But the new varieties also have something special
What different types of beetroot are there?
There are different varieties of beetroot, such as 'Detroit Dark Red', 'Early Wonder Tall Top', 'Rote Kugel', 'Egyptische Plattrunde', 'Formanova', 'Forono', 'Coven Garden', 'Bull's Blood', 'Crapaudine', 'Krötchen', 'Tonda di Chioggia', 'Albina Vereduna', 'Burpee's Golden', 'Golden' and 'Boldor', which differ in color, shape, taste and growth behavior.
Blood red with different advantages
Who doesn't know the typically red, spherical and juicy tubers of the beetroot? The fact that there are significant differences within the red variety category sometimes makes it difficult to decide which variety to grow.
Among the blood-red specimens of beetroot, the following varieties have proven themselves in recent years and decades:
- ‘Detroit Dark Red’: ideal for cooking and frying
- ‘Early Wonder Tall Top’: early variety with particularly delicate leaves
- ‘Red Ball’: round and tried and tested
- 'Egyptian flat round': flat round and fast growing
- ‘Formanova’: cylindrical
- ‘Forono’: cylindrical and productive
- ‘Coven Garden’: egg-shaped
- ‘Bull’s Blood’: light and dark red stripes, decorative leaves
Red-white to white varieties
The red and white varieties are particularly decorative for cold plates and raw vegetable salads. The white varieties generally form a nice contrast to the colorful varieties and are also extremely tasty. The best-known varieties include:
- ‘Crapaudine’: red-white, pointed, high-yielding
- ‘Toads’: red-white, irregularly shaped, very sweet
- ‘Tonda di Chioggia’: red-white, ideal for raw food
- 'Albina Vereduna': white, round, delicate, ideal for raw vegetables and cooking
Yellow to orange-yellow varieties
The yellow and orange-yellow varieties of beetroot are among the mildest and sweetest specimens. Gardeners usually choose between the following three varieties:
- ‘Burpee’s Golden’: orange-yellow, small, round, very sweet, ideal for raw food
- ‘Golden’: sunny yellow, mild in taste
- ‘Boldor’: orange-yellow, delicate, sweet
It's all in the mix
How about a colorful beetroot? Growing several varieties is not only worthwhile because of their diversity. The tubers ripen at different times, resulting in a longer harvest period. This means you can enjoy the entire beetroot season.
Tips & Tricks
The red varieties in the world of beetroot are generally earthier in taste than other colored varieties and are well suited for both raw consumption and further processing such as lactic pickles and cooking.
