Organic - Beetroot - Chioggia

Seeds:  70  / Botanical name:  Beta vulgaris

Traditional Italian beetroot with attractive markings

Chioggia is a traditional Italian beetroot with pinkish skin and attractively white and red striped flesh. Its white and red rings inside provide a lovely contrast to the otherwise typical deep red color. However, the red and white stripes tend to blend together when cooked. Beetroot is low in calories, versatile, easy to prepare, and rich in folic acid, potassium, B vitamins, and iron.

Origin:  Beetroot originally comes from the coastal regions of the Mediterranean. Today, however, it is cultivated throughout Central Europe.

In the kitchen:  Beetroot has the best sweet and spicy flavor when harvested young. Mature beets should therefore be eaten when they reach a maximum diameter of 6 centimeters. Beetroot can be washed, peeled, and grated for raw salads. Not only the root but also the young greens are edible when cooked. They can be steamed, eaten raw in mixed salads, or cooked like spinach. To cook beets, twist or cut the leaves down to about 5 centimeters. Then boil the vegetables with the skins on for about 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can bake them in foil in the oven at 150° Celsius for 2 or 3 hours.