Beet is a plant grown for food. There are many varieties of beets. The root of the table beet is cooked as a vegetable. The sugar beet is also grown for its root, a leading source of sugar. Both varieties are important commercial crops. The mangel-wurzel is a large beet grown widely in Europe. It is used for livestock feed. Beets originally grew wild in the area around the Mediterranean Sea.
The thick roots of table beets may be round or pointed and dark red, whitish, or golden-yellow. The roots are usually canned, either whole, sliced, or diced (cut in small pieces). They may also be pickled by packing them in vinegar or acetic acid (an acid found in vinegar). Fresh roots are usually boiled in water for an hour or more before they are eaten. Table beet roots are a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate food containing iron and calcium. The greens (leaves) from young plants are an excellent source of calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
The long, pointed root of the sugar beet is creamy-white. Sugar beets provide about half of the sugar produced in the United States and much of that produced in many other parts of the world. Sugar beets are discussed in the World Book article on Sugar beet . For information on the processing of sugar beets, see Sugar .
In the United States, Wisconsin and New York are the leading producers of table beets. Beets are also a common garden vegetable. The seeds should be planted in early spring, about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) deep in rows from 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) apart. Young plants should be thinned out so they are from 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) apart.
