Chioggia beet is an beautifully coloured, old heirloom beet from Italy that was originally called Barbabietola di Bassano. It is a unique beetroot that has purple and white concentric rings. This beet contains the highest content of geosmin, an organic compound which gives beets their earthy taste and aroma. Also has a very high tolerance to bolting.

Other Names:Candy Stripe, Candy Cane, Bull’s eye, Turnip Bassano

Chioggia beets was named after the northern coastal Italian town where it was first cultivated early in the early 1800’s, the island fishing village of Chioggia, also called “Little Venice”, because it is just outside of Venice. The surrounding region is known as the Veneto and it's famed for it's vegetable production.The original bassanobeet was a little flatter and duller-red than this one, but otherwise the same as the Chioggia we know today.

Grown exclusively as a table beet. With alternating white and purple coloured rings, the young beets  it makes a beautiful slicing beet for salads. You can also plant extra and use the baby greens from thinning for your salads. They are excellent if slightly steamed, but roasting the Chioggia brings out the most flavour. When cooked whole they keep their colours well, but not if sliced beforehand.  Chioggia beet does not bleed like other beets.

Planting Instructions

Best directly seeded as they do not transplant well. Soak the corky seeds overnight to ensure good germination. Plant in full sun, about three weeks before the last spring frost. Beets do best in well preparedsoil with lots of organic matter.Keep the soil moist and weed-free for best results. About 50-60days to maturity.

Coastal Areas:            Feb-Apr, Jul-Nov

Inland Areas:               Feb-Mar, Aug-Oct

Subtropical Areas:      Feb-Apr, Jul-Aug