Sugar beets

Sugar beets are the roots produced by Beta vulgaris, the plants from which sugar is extracted commercially in temperate regions. Sugar is present in specific cells of the tap root, accumulating to 16 to 20 percent of the root’s weight at harvest. Major producing regions include Europe and the USA. After harvest the beets are washed, sliced into cossettes, and diffused with hot water to extract the sugar, which is then purified and crystallized. Breeding for higher sugar content and disease resistance continues to improve the efficiency of this remarkable sugar-storing root.