The Real Dirt on a Veggie Family
Beets and Mangels and Chard, Oh My!
Beets, mangels, and chard share the scientific name Beta vulgaris.
The deep red beet is a familiar table treat, but if you have never tried one outside of the can, this is a worthy addition to this year’s Garden. They are relatively easy to grow in well drained soil, and can be found in colors ranging from red to pink to golden to nearly white.
The Mangel wurzel (mangel translates to beet or chard and wurzel means root) looks similar to a beet, but is slightly more elongated and larger. The most commonly available mangel is the heirloom yellow intermediate mangel. The flesh and skin of the yellow intermediate mangel is golden with the same rings as the beet. Mangels have a milder beet flavor, and no staining red juice. Though traditionally grown as animal fodder, the mangel deserves to be brought to the table. Prepare mangels as you would a beet by peeling the outer skin, dicing, and boiling or steaming. Thin slices of raw mangel or beet can also be added to salads for some extra color and crunch.
Chard is the name for the subspecies of beet selected for leaf growth. The leaves come in a variety of yellows, oranges, and reds that add some color to the garden. I have found chard useful as a fresh green when it starts to get warm and the lettuces have bolted. Select young leaves for use in salads for a mild beet-like flavor. The mature leaves can be steamed, wilted, or stir-fried. I separate the firm stalks from the leaves before cooking, dice, and stir-fry for several minutes to soften. The leaves of beets and mangels are similarly edible.
Sow beet/mangel/chard seeds directly into prepared soil. No matter how much I try to loosen the soil, it always seems to be very chunky, making it difficult to make a nice seed bed. I rake off the largest clumps, and make small little pockets or rows of potting soil where I am going to put the seeds. This gives the seed some fine soil with better moisture conditions than the native soil allows. I also cover the seed with a bit of potting soil, allowing me to see where I have planted items already if I have forgotten to label them. I use about a bag of potting soil per year, and it has been well worth the money and effort in improved seed germination.
I have had good luck planting beet/mangel/chard seeds two to three weeks before the official last frost date, though I covered seedlings with plastic if frost was forecast. The seed for the beet family consists of a cluster of several seeds, so be sure to plant the seeds the recommended distance (about 12 inches apart) and thin once the seedlings have emerged. Keep the seedbed moist, but do not overwater once well-established. Plant seeds again in late summer for a fall crop.
Although most sources recommend picking beets when they are relatively small for tenderness, I have picked forgotten beets when they have reached the size of a softball and larger, and found them to cook up perfectly. I found the mangels to be very surprising in size when I first picked them, believing them to be just yellow beets. Each one weighed several pounds, and can weigh up to ten pounds!
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Photo Credit: www.seedsofchange.com
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