Mangels
I’d read about Mangelwurtzels (say that three times fast) a few years ago, and am still intrigued by them. They’re a species of beet which, historically and by the suggestion of my local seed catalogue, are fit for animal fodder, not human consumption. Some investigation shows that people do grow them for home use, and one shares a tip about forcing their leaves for a nice gourmet entree.
This is an interwsting thread to me as I have been growing them for a few years now for my own consumption.
Can I first say that the 20lb root used to be grown as I can recall watching the men working the fields in my childhood harvesting by hand the pumpkin sized beet, but they do not fit into modern automation so smaller varieties have been bred. Smaller varieties can grow closer together keeping the yield per acre similar, but seed catalgue writers are notorious for exagerating.
My worzels typically get to 1+ kilo but this could probably be doubled or tripled if planted in the best soil. These beet are very nutritious and sweet, but like anything else new, an aquired taste. My feeling is that these fell out of use as human food simply because it became far more valuable as animal fodder.
Worzels are sweet enough to make ethanol without bothering with trying to make a new cross but as has already been said, they are wind polinated and will cross easily with any other beet including chard. As for feeding them to the chickens, throw one in the run whole or better still, let the birds forage over the beet patch during the autumn/winter till there is nothing left.
Incidently, I found out by accident that if the stored roots are left to sprout in a covered container, the blanched shoots produce a gourmet sprouting dish.
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