MORGAN HILL, CA – The golden beet is trending in produce aisles and restaurant menus, being utilized in everything from juice, to salads, to side dishes. Sakata’s new golden beet, the Touchstone Gold, looks to capitalize on the demand for this unique item with its bold color and sweet flavor.
After submitting Touchstone Gold for a third-party analysis conducted by SCS Global Services in August 2015, trained professionals ranked this golden beet as the highest among the competition in terms of physical characteristics including external color, uniformity, firmness, and juiciness in raw testing results, and, similarly, ranked highest in overall flavor balance in pressure-cooked form, according to a press release.
In fact, Sakata says that both raw and pressure-cooked forms of Touchstone Gold prevailed in overall appearance, aroma, texture, and quality.
“Touchstone Gold has a richer, more vibrant exterior color than competing golden beets,” said Laura Ann McLoud, Sakata’s Beet Breeder. “It holds its color better after harvest, and has a sweetness that gives it a richer flavor than the competition. These beauties are literally edible treasures.”
The sensory analysis involved sowing, growing, and harvesting Touchstone Gold samples in unison with top competitive varieties. The yielded beet samples were then tested for color, flavor, texture, and sweetness.
Sakata is continuing to analyze data from researchers to further strengthen its beet program in both yield and consistency in the field.
“Sakata Seed America is very excited to be in discussion with Renee Prasad, Professor from the University of the Frasier Valley, on beet storage,” said Delita Pardue, Sakata’s Beet Product Manager. “Renee has conducted beet storage trials in BC Canada over the past couple of years. And we are reviewing her data for our beet material.”
For more on Sakata’s extensive beet line-up and genetics, check out the following links and tools.
Beet Bulletin ft. Touchstone Gold Sensory Analysis
