Pablo F1 Red Beetroot - Beta vulgaris

The 'Pablo' Beetroot is almost a miniature variety, ideal for pickles. Small and cute, with its very dark cherry tomato-like silhouette, it can be proudly presented as an appetizer during summer aperitifs if picked early.

This pretty round and small-sized beet pairs very well with radishes and other raw vegetables. If picked later, its size approaches the average. Its skin and flesh, both uniformly dark red, are slightly sweet. Like radishes and cherry tomatoes, this variety can easily be grown in a container on a balcony.

The dark green, veined leaves will add colour and can be deliciously prepared as mesclun or cooked in spinach. Prefer the young shoots when thinning, as they will be more tender. The yield of this beet usually reaches around 3 kg per square metre when harvested when ripe.

Beetroots are biennial root vegetables. The first year is devoted to the accumulation of nutrients in the root. In the second year, the plant draws from this reserve to produce flowering and seed production. The edible root is harvested in the first year, but if you want it to go to seed, you must reserve some plants and wait until the following year. Sometimes called red carrot or red root, beetroot varieties differ in their colour: there are red, white, yellow, orange, or pink varieties, as well as their shapes, such as cylindrical, spherical, or oval, and their carbohydrate content.

They can be classified into three main categories:

• vegetable beetroots are usually planted in gardens,
• sugar beetroots are grown in open fields to extract sugar,
• and finally, fodder beetroots intended for livestock but also delicious in human diets.

Beetroot is not only a carbohydrate-rich food, but it is also known for its high content of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium.

Storage: once the beetroots are harvested, they should dry out entirely on the ground for a full day. Keeping them in a cool and dark place such as a cellar or pantry is advisable to store them throughout the winter. You can bury them under a layer of dry sand to optimise storage and preserve their taste qualities.

Gardening tip: beetroots should be planted in full sun and cool soil. To maintain these two conditions, consider mulching around the plants.