Crapaudine

Beta vulgaris

Believed to be the oldest beet variety still in cultivation, Crapudine offers a medium- to-large-sized, tapered root. The tops are green, with many leaves produced, making it productive for beet greens. The root flavour is less sweet than modern beets; a deep, earthy, and nuanced flavour features alongside moderate sweetness. Its flavour is accentuated by roasting. The name of this French derives from "toad", owing to its wrinkled, furrowed skin.

Crapaudine is probably at least 1,000 years old: "Crapaudine was already considered old when Vilmorin wrote about it in the late 1300s" (Deborah Madison, "Vegetable Literacy").

Transitional Organic

Growing Instructions:

Direct seed (reccommended) once danger of frost has passed — late spring to early summer. Sow 1/2" deep and 4" apart. A beet "seed" is actually a seed ball that contains between 2 and 5 actual seeds, so thin each clump to the most vigorous seedling. The ideal soil type is sandy or loamy with good organic matter. Boron is an important micronutrient for good beet production. For harvest, dig or fork to a depth of around 12" to avoid damaging Crapudine's deep roots.