what is a beet (vegetable)?

Question

I need to know what a beet means it's a vegetable I know that I just need more.

Answer 1

A beet is considered a vegetable but scientifically "vegetable" does not exist.
The "beet" is the root part of the plant (the top is also eaten- beet greens).
Beets are also used in sugar production.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beet The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a flowering plant in the family Chenopodiaceae[1], native to the coasts of western and southern Europe, from southern Sweden and the British Isles south to the Mediterranean Sea. It is important because of its cultivated varieties, fodder beet, beetroot and the sugar-producing sugar beet.

It is a herbaceous biennial or perennial plant with leafy stems growing to 1-2 m tall. The leaves are heart-shaped, 5-20 cm long on wild plants (often much larger in cultivated plants). The flowers are produced in dense spikes, each flower very small, 3-5 mm diameter, green or tinged reddish, with five petals; they are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a cluster of hard nutlets.

There are three subspecies:

* Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. Sea Beet. Northwestern Europe. Plant smaller, to 80 cm tall; root not swollen.
* Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. Mediterranean Europe. Plant larger, to 2 m tall; with a rounded fleshy taproot. The ancestor of the cultivated beets (not subsp. maritima, as sometimes stated).
* Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla - see Chard

The cultivated forms are thought to have come from sea-coast plants of Europe and Asia. With the imposition of the blockade of the continent during the Napoleonic wars there was an impetus to develop beet for their sugar content.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable Vegetable is a culinary term. Its definition has no scientific value and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective. All parts of herbaceous plants eaten as food by humans, whole or in part, are generally considered vegetables. Mushrooms, though belonging to the biological kingdom fungi, are also commonly considered vegetables. Though the exceptions are many, in general, vegetables are thought of as being savory, and not sweet. Culinary fruits, nuts, grains, herbs, and spices are all arguably the exceptions.

Answer 2

the part of the beet that we commonly eat is actually the root of the plant. the tops, or greens, are actually much healthier for you and contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals--vitamin C, A, K , and the minerals iron, calcium, and potassium. the beet root itself contains much smaller amounts of these nutrients. too bad most people throw the tops away! the tops can be cooked just like swiss chard or spinach. the root stores a large amount of starch and sugar and is very high on the glycemic index--it is possibly the sweetest of all vegetables next to carrots. The red juice of beets can be used as a dye.the red color of beets may be a source of anti-oxidants which are beneficial in removing toxind from the body and possibly helping fight some forms of cancer. even tho beets are bright red, they do not contain any lycopene which is found in large quantities in red tomatoes and red watermelon. beets are sweetest when harvested young and small, and grow tougher and more bitter as they get larger. this is because the sugar present in young beets is gradually converted to starch as the beet matures. best to harvest them when they are between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball.

Answer 3

Beets are both sweet and earthy tasting and pair well with other root vegetables as well as with tangy-sweet fruits like pineapple. While most beets are deep red in color, there are a number of beet varieties that range in color from white to yellow to red. There’s even one variety, known as the Chioggia beet, which has red and white concentric rings. Beets come to us from the Chenopodiaceae family and are related botanically to spinach. In fact, one variety of beets is known as the spinach, or leaf beet, and is grown for its greens, which are actually more nutritious than the root itself.
Beets are available both canned and fresh at your grocer’s market, although fresh beets are considered to be crispier and more flavorful. If you’re shopping for fresh beets, choose smaller beets over larger, tougher beets, and pass over any beets that are cracked, shriveled or very dry looking. If the beet greens are still attached to the root, they should be crisp-looking and not at all wilted or slimy. Baby beets are available in some specialty and farmer’s markets and are considered a delicacy for their tenderness and delicate flavor.
Once your beets are home, you can refrigerate them in a perforated plastic bag, separate from the greens, for up to three weeks. Greens will only last for a few days in the refrigerator and should be used right away. Wash both the roots and leaves before using to remove any soil still clinging to them.
You can either enjoy your beets raw on salads or sandwiches or cook them in any variety of ways, including boiling, baking, sautéing with other vegetables, or even pickling. Beets should be cooked with their peel on to preserve nutrients and to prevent their deep red color from leaking out, which turns them brown, making them unappetizing in appearance. You should also leave about half an inch of the stem on while cooking so that the pigment doesn’t leak out of the top. Adding an acidic food to the pot can also help preserve the color of the beets. Both lemon juice and vinegar work well for this purpose. Once your beets are done cooking, peel the skin off while wearing gloves, unless you don’t mind having your hands stained a deep red

Answer 4

It's a root vegetable that has a hard flesh. Beet greens are used in cooking and salads too. Beets have a bunch of varietals, red, baby, white, yellow, other. They are high in beta carotine and other anti oxidents. The red ones make your pee red if you eat a lot of them. they can easily stain your hands and fabrics. I like to cut the leaves and stems off, leave them unpeeled, wrap them in tinfoil and bake them for an hour at 375. The flavor really intensifies and then you can serve them hot (with butter and fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon) or cold in your favorite salads.

Answer 5

As everyone else has said it's a root
vegetable. The most popular one
comes in a red color. The are a rich
source of iron and zinc.

Answer 6

it is root vegetable.in hindi called chukander..it is of red colour nd has high iron content u can use it in salads mix juicesnd boiled beet in curd or raita.

Answer 7

It's a root, usually red or white. It's sweet, and sugar can be extracted from it. It's good pickled or in soups. You can also eat the greens.

Answer 8

beets

Answer 9

See that little search bar below? Type b-e-e-t in there and click search. It should pull up all kinds of information on the edible root.

Answer 10

Red bulbous root that good raw, steamed, boiled, pickled. They turn anything that you cook with them red. They are the primary ingredient in borscht. Good for you too.