selecting beets

[mskrieger]

Hey there all,

I just planted out 11 beets of a variety that I want to save. They weren't expertly grown last year, the seed was old and germinated poorly and I just saved every single individual who grew, thinking I'd start selecting from the resulting seed from this batch.

The qualities I value in this variety are the taste and smoothness of the root's flesh; also the tasty leaves. The leaves are easy to taste, obviously. But as for selecting the individuals for the next seed batch, how do I do it? Nibble a bit of each root? How much can you tell from nibbling a raw beet, and will it hurt its chances of surviving the winter in the root cellar? (My winters are too harsh to replant the roots in the garden until late March.)

Advice is most welcome.

[billw]

Just chop off the lower part for a taste test and let the root heal in a humid environment for a few days. You can then store it as normal.

[mskrieger]

Thanks, billw. That means I could actually do a cooked beet taste test, which is ideal.

[richardw]

Thats something i'm going to do winter is start tasting for the best ones

[jondear]

I thought you didn't want to cut off the tap root, but instead, take a slice off the side...

[billw]

I haven't had any problems cutting off the bottom, but I suppose it might make a difference. Usually high humidity and high soil moisture here, so plants don't have to work very hard to get water, which would be the main argument for not damaging the tap root of a second year plant I think.