Types of Beets [For People Who Hate Beets]
I hated beets growing up. It wasn’t until my 30s that I discovered they don’t all taste as bad as the canned beets grandma used to feed us. Fresh beets taste nothing like the grocery store ones that have been sitting on trucks and shelves for months either.
It’s also not only the edible root that is good but also the leafy greens it produces. The leafy greens are a great substitute for swiss chard or spinach. In fact, beets are part of the Goosefoot family as is spinach, quinoa, and swiss chard. And because I think beets are easier to grow than spinach, I usually use beet greens instead in my salads and other dishes.
I prefer beets that are not bitter and are a bit on the sweeter side. If that’s what you’re looking for as well, here are my favorite types of beets to grow.
Baby Beets
Baby beets aren’t a unique variety. Rather, they’re beets that you harvest earlier. I like to think of them as similar to new potatoes. They’re a prized possession in a chef’s kitchen.
Because they’re already bite-size, you can roast them whole without slicing. I usually enjoy baby beets as I thin my beets during the season to make room for others to grow to full size. If you’ve thinned carrots and enjoyed baby carrots, it’s nearly the same process.
Baby beets also have really tender greens that taste great sauteed or in a salad. Basically, if you’d use spinach in something, you can use baby beet greens instead.
My favorite beet cultivar to grow as baby beets is Robin Beets. I will sometimes harvest the entire crop after 45 days when the root is about 1 inch in diameter because of how great the flavor is.
You can pick any beet early to have a baby beet though, Robins are just my favorite.
Robin Beets
While I do grow Robin Beets as baby beets, they still taste good when fully grown as well, which is when the root is about 2” in diameter. These beets have a smooth round, red shape and are a great cultivar to grow in containers.
I’ve also found this variety a great option to grow when I’m up against the clock on summer temperatures. Beets don’t do well in heat over 85° F. But this one tends to hold up the best going into summer for me.
If you’re tight on space, I would recommend this cultivar. They produce short, upright green tops and don’t have a lot of foliage so you don’t need a lot of space. Plus the root is much smaller than most other varieties.
Taste: Tender, Sweet, Crunchy Root
Best Culinary Uses: Raw, Roasting, or Canning
Color: Red
Root Size: 1”-2” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 45-60 days after emergence (fast-growing variety)
Leaf Top Height: 15” to 17” tall
High Bolt Resistance, Heat Tolerant, Frost Tolerant
Grows Well In: Containers, Raised Beds
Bull’s Blood Beets
This is a French heirloom variety that I really grow for its leafy tops more than I do for the beet root. I think the deep maroon leaves have just as much flavor and taste great sauteed like swiss chard or added to a salad.
I usually harvest the root earlier than the seed packet instructions as I find they are sweeter then. I will toss the beet into a salad with the greens and some other fixings like cucumbers, feta, and dill.
I also think the greens are more tender when they are baby greens, so don’t be afraid to pluck a few from the outside during the mid-growing season.
Taste: Sweet, Slightly Earthy Flavor But Not Bitter
Best Culinary Uses: Pickling, Raw in Salads, Sauteed
Color: Deep Red Roots, Deep Purple Leaves (sometimes have candy-striped color in middle of root)
Root Size: 2”-3” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 50-60 days after emergence (start harvesting tops at 30 days)
Leaf Top Height: 14” to 16” tall
Frost and Cold Tolerant
Grows Well In: Containers, Raised Beds
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Next to a Red Ace, these are the second most common red beets I find in grocery stores. There’s a good chance you’ve seen them before. I do find that home-grown ones are sweeter and a bit more earthier than the grocery store ones.
These beets are good for storage. I think they even gain some sweetness as they are stored in the refrigerator but they do lose some tenderness in the process. I guess that’s not a bad tradeoff.
Taste: Sweet, Mild and Tender
Best Culinary Uses: Canning, Roasting, Sliced in a Salad
Color: Deep Blood Red Roots, Smooth Skin, Globe Shaped; Dark Green Leaves with Bright Red Stems and Veins
Root Size: 2”-3” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 55-60 days after emergence (start harvesting tops at 35 days)
Leaf Top Height: 12” to 18” tall
Frost Tolerant
Grows Well In: Raised Beds
Golden Boy Beets
This is one of my favorite beet varieties to grow and eat. My wife and I even had golden boy beets as part of our signature salad at our wedding if that gives you any idea about how good I think they are.
I find that golden beets are more mild in flavor compared to red ones and because I have PTSD from beets as a kid, these were my segway back to loving beets.
I also love that they don’t stain my hands and cutting board when cooking with them like red beets do. My favorite thing to do with them is to put them in a salad with some balsamic dressing, but they’re really good roasted in a balsamic glaze too.
The younger beets are sweeter and more tender if you don’t mind picking them on the small side and the greens are also very tender and delicious.
Taste: Milder in Flavor and Sweetness
Best Culinary Uses: Chopped in Salads, Roasted
Color: Golden, Orange Fleshed Uniform Globe Shaped Root with Green Leaves
Root Size: 2”-3” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 65-70 days after emergence (start harvesting tops at 40 days)
Leaf Top Height: 12” to 18” tall
Frost Tolerant
Grows Well In: Containers, Raised Beds
Touchstone Gold Beets
This is a popular hybrid variety and it’s high on my preference list. I love to make use of the beet root and the leaves in a stir-fry. I’ve also experienced that touchstone gold beet seeds have a higher germination rate than other beet seeds.
Taste: Sweet and Mild, Less Earthy Than Red Beets
Best Culinary Uses: Chopped in Salads, Roasted; Leaves Great in Stir Fries
Color: Bright Yellow Root Flesh with Smooth Deep-Orange Skin; Light Green Tops with Yellow Stems
Root Size: 1”-3” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 85-90 days after emergence (start harvesting tops at 45 days)
Leaf Top Height: 12” to 18” tall
Frost Tolerant
Grows Well In: Raised Beds
Early Wonder Beets
Early Wonders are also sometimes called Boston Crosby or Nuttings Gem Beets. They’re great for mild climates and I’ve found they grow the best in cooler soils.
Since I’m in Southern California and we rarely experience extreme frost, I find that these grow best through the winter when my soil temperatures are their lowest. If you’re in the north, I would assume you could plant these earlier than other cultivars.
This is also one of the fastest-growing beets I’ve grown, next to Robin Beets. The tops grow very fast and taste great as baby green in a salad or sauteed. This is one of my go-to beets if I am planting later in the fall or winter.
Taste: Sweet, Mild Flavor; Leaves have a pleasant, slightly spicy taste when harvested as baby greens
Best Culinary Uses: Roasted, Sauteed, in Salads
Color: Deep Red Roots with Slightly Flattened Top; Dark Green Leaf Tops with Red Stems
Root Size: 1”-2” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 48-55 days after emergence (fast-growing)
Leaf Top Height: 12” to 18” tall
Frost and Cold Tolerant (Grows Well in Cooler Soils)
Grows Well In: Raised Beds
Chioggia Beets (Striped Beets)
These are at the bottom of my list of favorites, but I still grow them and eat them and they’re nothing like the bitter beets you had as a kid.
They’re an heirloom variety from Italy and are sometimes also called Candy Cane Beets or Bassano Beets. And they’re the coolest looking beets I’ve ever grown. When you slice them open, they look like a candy cane with pink and white stripes.
They will lose their color and stripes during roasting. I personally prefer them for pickling because of the colors.
These beets do have the highest amount of geosmin compared to other beets which gives them more of an earthy taste. I wouldn’t eat them raw by themselves because I personally think it tastes like dirt.
But with other flavors, you won’t notice any dirt-like taste.
Taste: More Earthy Tasting and Sweeter than Other Varieties
Best Culinary Uses: Roasted, Steamed, Pickled
Color: Round, Pinkish Root with Interior Concentric Rings of White and Red; Green Leaf Tops
Root Size: 1”-3” Diameter
Maturity Timeline: 50-60 days after emergence (start harvesting tops at 50 days)
Leaf Top Height: 12” to 18” tall
Frost Tolerant
Grows Well In: Raised Beds
Sugar Beets
These beets should probably be in an entirely different article because they are much different than any of the others. In fact, 55% of domestic sugar production is from beets, not sugar cane (USDA). I bet you didn’t know that!
Sugar beets have nearly 3 times the amount of sugar content compared to red beets and they look more like a turnip. They have an off-white color and a cone-shaped root.
I wouldn’t eat these like red or golden beets, but if you want to make sugar from beets, this could be a fun crop to grow.
Other Types of Red Beets
While I’ve listed my favorite beets above, there are many types that you can grow. Here is a list of other red beet varieties if you wish to try them.
Boro
Formanova (Cylinder Beet)
Merlin
Lutz Green Leaf
Moneta
Red Ace
Moulin Rouge
Ruby Queen
Warrior
Subeto
Zeppo
Butter Slicer (Cylinder Beet)
Crosby Egyptian
Other Types of Golden Beets
And here is a list of other golden beet varieties if you want to try them for yourself.
Boldor
Golden Detroit
Mangold
Burpee’s Golden
Other Types of White Beets
I’ve not grown any of these, but I’ve been told that they are favorites of other gardeners.
White beets are typically sweeter and less earthy than red beets.
Avalanche
White Detroit
Different Types of Beets FAQ
What are the different types of beets?
Beets can be divided into X categories. There are red beets, golden beets, and white beets. Within those, you can find a diversity of cultivars including sugar beets, which are used to make 55% of the sugar domestically in the US.
What are the best beets to eat?
My personal favorites are the Golden Boy and Robin Beets. I find that they are milder and less earthy tasting than most beets.
What is the most common beet?
Red Ace and Detroit Dark Red are the most common beets found in the US and are the varieties typically found in many grocery stores.
What are the best beets to grow?
It depends on what you want to use them for, but for many gardeners, Robin Beets are an excellent choice because they mature quickly and are heat and frost-resistant, making them a bit more versatile in the garden.
Early Wonder cultivars also reach maturity faster than most and will tolerate cooler soils, making them an excellent choice for northern gardeners.
What is the fastest-growing beet?
The fastest-growing beet I’ve ever grown is a Robin Beet.
Are beets a superfood?
I think so because they are packed with vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B and C; and antioxidants. There is science that suggests they can reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.
What is the difference between beet and beetroot?
There is no difference. They are the same thing. Beets are beets.
Which beets have the best greens?
Bull’s Blood Beets and Early Wonder Beets are hands-down the best beets to grow for the greens. They are both incredibly tender as baby greens.
What color of beets are the healthiest?
Red beets and golden beets are basically identical in nutrition and both would be considered healthier than most white beets such as sugar beets which have 3 times the amount of sugar in them.
What type of beet is best for storage?
I haven’t noticed a difference in storage between varieties. If processed correctly, beets from the garden can last five or six months.
Types of Beets Recommended Reading
How to Plant Beets
When to Plant Beets
Thinning Beets
