How to Dig Sugar Beets

Beets began their ascension to sugar-beet status halfway through the 18th century when Andreas Margraff, a German chemist, found out that sugar equal to the kind that sugarcane provides could be extracted from the root vegetable. The discovery was important because beets do not require a tropical climate to thrive. European sugar production became viable, making the sweet condiment economically accessible to more people. The plant’s roots and greens are also edible, and probably your reason for growing it. Digging beets out of the ground is a simple matter. Just make sure you time it right.

Shovel or trowel
Tape measure
Garden scissors
Plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Dig around the base of one of your sugar beet plants when the variety you have is expected to ripen. Beets usually mature 60 days after you plant them. The seed packet or the nursery that sold you the seedlings has the information specific to the plant type you have. Use a shovel or trowel to loosen the soil carefully to avoid cutting into the roots. Start digging about 1 foot away from the plant so the blade is not directly above the root, but to its side. Pull it out of the ground with your hands when the vegetable becomes exposed.
- 2
  Measure the root. Your beet crop is ready for harvest if the sample root has reached at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter, the average size for ripe beetroots. They continue to grow if left in the ground. Vegetables larger than 3 inches are usually too tough and fibrous to make a good meal. If the root is still too small, replant it. Repeat this step every few days until the root is the right size.
- 3
  Dig all the sugar beets as described in Step 1. Prune the greens 1 inch above the roots. Otherwise, the foliage continues to sap nutrients and moisture from them. Wash and steam or stir-fry the greens.
- 4
  Examine the roots and discard any that do not look whole unless you can eat them right way. Cracked beets rot in storage.
- 5
  Place the sugar beets in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator at 32 F.

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