2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Sugar beet is a biennial plant that produces a rosette of leaves and an extended root in the first year and fruiting stems in the following season. The seeds are planted in the spring and the beets are harvested in the fall. The leaves in the first year grow from the crown of the extended root.
The largest leaves can reach 18 inches or more in length. Half of this length is a stalk and the rest is a petiole. The petiole is usually oblong and sharp, irregularly shaped and rough. One plant can have up to 75 leaves.
The first formed leaves die after about a month, but the rest remain until mid-summer. The roots are usually cone-shaped and average about 4 inches in diameter and nearly twice as long. Under favorable growing conditions, the roots of varieties with a high sugar content may contain 20% sugar by fresh weight at harvest. Picking up sugar beet it is usually possible in the latest period before the ground freezes. Sugar beet roots are delivered to sugar mills.
Sugar beet is a major source of sugar for temperate climates. In general, the production of sugar beet worldwide is about 18, 5 million acres (average for 1966-67).
Cultivated beets are believed to originate from the Mediterranean regions of Europe. Although it has been used much earlier as a vegetable and fodder crop, it has only been used as a source of sugar for the last 170 years. In 1811, after discovering that some types of beets were rich in sugar, Napoleon began intensive production of these types of beets and the construction of sugar extraction plants in France.
Around the middle of the 19th century, a significant industry was established in Germany and France, based on high-sugar beets and advanced sugar production techniques.
Although sporadic attempts to produce sugar from sugar beet in the United States observed from 1830 onwards. Today the production of sugar beet and sugar are major industries in many countries.
Sugar production
The process of extracting sugar is brief as follows: the roots are washed thoroughly and then cut into thin strips. The sugar is removed from them by diffusion with warm water through a series of compartments.
The warm water first reaches the beet strips, from which most of the sugar has already been removed, and gradually shifts to those containing more sugar. This hot water appears as "raw juice" with a sugar content of 10 to 15%.
This juice is first treated with lime to remove the sugar-free part, then with CO2 gas and filtered. This is done by a series of five steam heating and vacuum drying. Crystal sugar is added to the final super-saturated solution to promote sugar crystallization.
The crystals are separated by centrifugation. The separated molasses is boiled and centrifuged to separate the extra sugar. Finally, the molasses is treated with lime and mixed with "raw juice" to extract even more sugar.
Benefits of sugar beet
Since ancient times sugar beet is used in the treatment of various diseases such as headaches, fever and constipation. It has a purifying effect on the body, increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, helps to form blood cells, clears toxins and more. It is rich in phosphorus, potassium, manganese. Beets are rich in vitamin C, and its leaves also contain vitamin A.
Folic acid c sugar beet used as an antioxidant. It has a beneficial effect on various heart diseases and birth defects. Due to its oxalate content, it is not recommended for people with kidney and bile problems.
Sugar beet is also the sweetest vegetable - its sugar content is higher than that of carrots and sweet corn. In red beets the sugar content is up to 10%, while in sugar beet - 15 - 20%. It contains few calories.
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Red Beet Diet
Beetroot is extremely good for human health. Its consumption provides a strong influx of minerals and vitamins. The diet with red beets, in addition to helping you lose weight, will restore your body after exhaustion, helps to grow and strengthen hair.
What To Use Beet Leaves?
Beet tubers, along with leaves, belong to the sweet grass family. There they fall along with other greens such as spinach, kale, white quince and other wild plants, all included in the dark green leafy vegetables. Because it grows quickly and copes well with low temperatures, beet cultivation began as early as 2000 years ago, first in the Mediterranean region.
Russian Red Beet Dishes
Beetroot is widespread in Russian cuisine not only because of its attractive color, but also because of its extremely good taste. And it is also proven useful. The variety of Russian dishes prepared with red beets is great, but here we will offer you 3 of the most popular Russian recipes in Russia and its surroundings, which can not be prepared without the presence of red beets.
Beet Leaves - Benefits And Application
Most people eat only beetroot, not knowing that its leaves are no less useful. Most often they are introduced into the diet of grazing animals, but if you have certain knowledge and appropriate recipes with beets, you will be able to cook healthy and delicious food with useful beet leaves them.
