Beets belong to the family Chenopoiaceae and
Beta vulgaris L. encompasses red beet, sugar beet, fodder beet and chard.
Beets require 50-70 days from planting to harvesting. Beetroot harvesting begins in mi-August and lasts until mid-September. The timing of the harvest is important by beetroot ripeness, average root size and weather conditions.
The top of the beet root will usually become visible near harvest time. Roots have the highest quality when they are 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Before harvesting, the mass of the root must be almost twice that of the crown, and the leaves start to turn yellow. They are harvested by machine and brought to the processing plant in hoppers or trucks. Generally they are not cooled prior to processing. Beets are canned but are not frozen.
Harvesting beetroot
