Beetroot - to lift or not?

[Lovage]

That is the question
The old books used to reccomend lifting and storing in sand
I've generally left them in the ground and not noticed any damage by frost

However I have noticed a loss of flavour as we go through winter - does anyone think this would be less if they were lifted and stored or is it just part of the aging process.
Come to think I'm not as sweet as I was either!

[Glaurung]

I just lifted mine today. If I'd read this first I'd have tried lifting & storing half & leaving the other half for comparison. You could try that if it's not too late & report backinthe spring.

[rustylady]

I leave mine in - no room to store unless I pickle them or make them into chutney etc.

[zazen999]

I pick some to pickle and leave the rest in; if I've got a spare bit of net it will be draped over them to try and keep a good microclimate [just a smidgen above the air temp on the outside would be good], as our site can get really frosty in deep midwinter.

[realfood]

On our allotment, we cannot leave them growing because they will be eaten by mice. Some people cover the roots with a foot of soil to protect them.

[Snadger]

I think that any vegetable tastes better when feshly picked. My sweetcorn are always eaten within a few minutes of being picked. (Only I in the family like them so they never make it home, along with Gardeners Delight toms.)
I only pick enough carrots to use that same day as by the second day they are tasteless. As are stored, or worse still, frozen carrots!
I would think that beetroot left in the ground and freshly picked as required would be far superior in taste to stuff thats been stored a couple of months in peat or sand?

[Nicos]

I used to lift mine from the lottie cos the mice would eat them - They seem fine with a light frost or being covered over.
I'll leave mine for another month- and then store in sand.
But nows a good time for soups and stews etc- hopefully we'll eat most of them first!!!

[Two_Sheds]

I leave some in the ground, not to eat but for the fresh green leaves that will shoot in March: it's nice to have a bit of salad in early spring

[Lovage]

the consensus seems to be for leaving them in the ground

has no one else noticed the loss of flavour or is it just me?

[jackie j]

One of my lottie neighbours freezes hers, I have never tried this so dont know about the taste if you did. I pickled mine last year but I prefer fresh beetroot and the pickled went brown even though they were covered with pickling vinegar and in proper jars with seals.

[smc999]

Might sound like a daft question but can you do something with the leaves so that they can be eaten?

[realfood]

Beetroot loose their texture if they are frozen.

[Two_Sheds]

I leave some in the ground, not to eat but for the fresh green leaves that will shoot in March: it's nice to have a bit of salad in early spring

Might sound like a daft question but can you do something with the leaves so that they can be eaten?

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

[Glaurung]

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

Or you can cook them like spinach/chard.

[smc999]

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

Or you can cook them like spinach/chard.

Thanks for the info guys. I threw the first ones into the recycling bin (no compost heap). I'll give it a go.