Every beet cooked and sold by the Loiret’s five processing companies goes through draconian quality control procedures, with two goals in mind: respect for the product and customer satisfaction.
Some beets may have to meet additional demands as itemised in a list of specifications. That is the case with beets which are certified “Organic” or “Red Label”.
- Organic: beets certified as organic were produced according to the Organic Farming list of specifications, which among other things prohibits the use of chemical fertiliser or synthetic phytosanitary products. Quality procedures used by the processing companies are certified by an independent agency.
- Red Label: Beets bearing the Red Label certificate are guaranteed to contain a minimum amount of sugar and to be medium-cooked.
- New Harvest: Beets that are stamped “New Harvest” have been cooked straight after harvesting, during the production period from August to October.
Conseils
“Organic”, “Red Label”, “New Harvest”… How do I make head or tail of all this?
How do I preserve raw beet?
- It is possible to preserve raw beet, without its leaves, for up to 6 months in a temperature ranging from 0 to 5°C and close to 95% humidity.
- If kept in the refrigerator, it should be eaten over 2 weeks.
How do I preserve cooked beet?
- Cooked beet should be kept in the refrigerator and eaten quickly.
- Vacuum-packed beet can be kept at room temperature, if possible away from the light, and may be eaten until the expiry date shown on the package (several months after processing).
Are there any preservatives in beet bags?
No, the vacuum-packing process requires no preservatives. The beets are simply peeled and steam-cooked, then sterilised, with total respect for the product throughout. The juice found in the packs comes from the cooking of the beets.