Topic: Anyone ever grown sugar beet?

[weedin project]

This may be a stupid idea, but I was wondering how easy it is to grow sugar beet, where to get the seeds, and how to process the stuff if/when it grows.

And of course how much sugar you'd get out of a little patch (say an 8'x8' bed for testers)?

The reason I ask is that I had to add sugar to my grapes to get the juice up to a "sensible" original gravity for my Chateauneuf du Pup to generate a decent %alcohol.  It would be nice not to have to rely on processed stuff :-\

[HO]

No, but I have harvested it on farms . I suggest you ring up your local NFU rep and ask for the nearest farmer who grows it , nip along and offer him a couple of quid for a few sacks of the roots. Not so commonly grown in the SW where I live but very common in the midlands and east of the country where hundreds of thousands of acres are grown. I would'nt bother anyway because the roots are very  hard to cut up...I used to cut and chew a bit occasionally. Then you have to peel them, chop then crush the stuff, boil it up bit by bit, strain it, concentrate the liquid etc. etc. It is just not worth it. If you are still keen then write to British Sugar Corporation who used to make most of their sugar from sugar beet ( not Tate and Lyle who make theirs mostly from sugar cane) and ask for details of their processing and the best of luck to you, too.

[PREMTAL]

Hi weedin project,
                             I have not grown it before but intend to do so next season.

Being a home brew beer type for the last 30 odd years I am always on the lookout for ingredients which will enhance the end product. ;)

Two large beets when processed will convert to one cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of blackstrap molasses.

In Canada Sugar Beet is use to brew high quality real ales hence my interest in its cultivation. ;D

I think that using beet sugar for wine making may not solve your problem as I would imagine that it would impart its own flavour to whatever wine that you were fermenting.

I may be wrong but if you feel adventurous give it a go. ;D

                                                     PREMTAL

 

[jennym]

Interesting this one.
I don't use much sugar in the house, except when it comes to wine-making/jam-making, and have often wondered about sugar beet too. I use beet sugar (purchased) now, but as it is refined there appears to be no change in taste.
Might try this too. Especially as I'm sure I read somewhere about the removal of the subsidy paid to farmers - means that prices will rise over the next few years.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you don't like using processed sugar, had you thought of honey? The supermarket stuff's been heat treated and microfiltered, but at least it doesn't have any additives.

[PREMTAL]

Hi weedin project,
                             Just found that one of the International seed Companies that I buy seeds from also supplies home refining instructions for Sugar Beet with each order for said seeds.

I intend to place my order within the next couple of weeks, on receiving the order I will send you a PM containing the instructions sent to me. ;)

                                                    PREMTAL

[wardy]

I think they grow sugar beet near Newark in Notts and out towards Lincs and there's a processing plant in Downham Market.  Apparently sugar beet is the preferred choice for bakers  :)

[lancelotment]

As a North Lincolnshire lad, the fields around my home town (Scunthorpe) were full of beet and we even had a geography field trip to the beet works at Brigg.  The beet was delivered by the wagon load, washed, chopped and boiled in tanks that resembled the inside of vacuum flasks, only about 40' high.  The resultant 'molasses' was then cooled,spun, rinsed and spun again in huge tumble driers and then bagged.  Very hot and smelly in places but interesting to see all the same.  The sweet, sickly fumes used to waft over the five-a-side pitch at the leisure centre in autumn when production was in full flow.  I'm sure I put pounds on and needed a couple of fillings after each match!  Lance

[redimp]

I have stayed out if this thread until I knew more but one of my best mates works for British Sugar (at Bardney - they do not make sugar anymore but sugar based products).  I will ask him what the process is and let you know.