is this cannibalism

[MalcolmP2]

I retract my humorous comment - in disgust!

it'll be bracing if nothing else!

Sorry about shooting that fox !!!
I was going to try a humorous comment about "have they run out of good British beet ",,, until I discovered (Wiki again) that beet is a Mediterranean import
it is chilly enough down here in the usually mild SW

So where to now ,,, back to Tina,,

Oops I do,
Tequila

Looks like that is ok for veg. & vegan use, as the "worm" is not allowed in it. Only in other Mezcals.

[Tina]

Oops I do,Tequila

There is a new cocktail at our local restaurant that has tequila as its main ingredient but son was not impressed when I went home n said I had ' sex on the beach twice' .
It was too cold last night and I put the heating on, very not impressed with the weather I might have to put the heating back on in the greenhouses, luckily its never turned off in the 'hot house'.

[Chris in Leeds]

Tina if I remember right your good friend Colin once was after some Agave nectre syrup
Not 100% sure but I think it was for his daughter you could ask him about it
Or look here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar

[MikeDom]

it is chilly enough down here in the usually mild SW

Excellent cool weather for winter growers to get a head start. Vanheerdea, Dactylopsis, Tylecodon and Conophytums germinating well. Othonnas in flower. Baby Othonnas putting out large cabbage like leaves. Cuttings of winter growers all putting down roots. Conophytums breaking cover. Winter growing tuberous Drosera germinating. Nice.

[Chez2]

I retract my humorous comment - in disgust!

it'll be bracing if nothing else!

Sorry about shooting that fox !!!
I was going to try a humorous comment about "have they run out of good British beet ",,, until I discovered (Wiki again) that beet is a Mediterranean import
it is chilly enough down here in the usually mild SW

So where to now ,,, back to Tina,,

Oops I do,
Tequila

Looks like that is ok for veg. & vegan use, as the "worm" is not allowed in it. Only in other Mezcals.

Not quite sure what you mean with your comment on good British beet then discovering its a Mediterranean import. Do you mean you haven't seen the sugar beet being harvested in the UK? If you haven't then go and see the vehicles waiting to enter the factory in Newark. Its quite amazing to see them queue up. It is if you are going in the other direction anyway, not if you take a wrong turn and end up stuck behind them.

I have never tried that agave syrup. What is its intended use? What does it taste like?

[el48tel]

@Chez2
"Not quite sure what you mean with your comment on good British beet then discovering its a Mediterranean import. Do you mean you haven't seen the sugar beet being harvested in the UK? If you haven't then go and see the vehicles waiting to enter the factory in Newark. Its quite amazing to see them queue up. It is if you are going in the other direction anyway, not if you take a wrong turn and end up stuck behind them. "

You are quite right --- I did wonder about the plant not working anymore from previous comments.
The father of a girl I used to work with 20 years ago, was a senior engineer at the plant. She used to regale us with stories about the plant when it was in full production.

As for the beet, it is a plant adapted to grow on the high salt concentrations in the land reclaimed from the salt marsh.

[MalcolmP2]

Not quite sure what you mean with your comment on good British beet then discovering its a Mediterranean import. Do you mean you haven't seen the sugar beet being harvested

Ah yes, sorry I was not very clear.
Yes I know that it is grown here, but it is a plant of Mediterranean origin (if I am understanding Wiki) My comment had to be read in the context of Tel and I chiding each other on UK/Britishness See earlier remarks about the Agaves maybe being grown here by SS and not in Mexico.

As an aside, it may amuse you all to know that from time to time I make my own beer and wine and once thought it might be a good idea to grow my own suger beet ! First obstacle ( long time ago ) was getting the seed. Only available to commercial growers back then, so I had twist the arm of a friendly farmer over there in the east

[MalcolmP2]

As for the beet, it is a plant adapted to grow on the high salt concentrations in the land reclaimed from the salt marsh.

True.
Which is probably why it didnt do very well on my clay on limestone hillside
Gave up on that idea !!

[Galliher]

Very interesting. Honestly, the clay on limestone hillside sounds like a great environment for it in theory. At least I would have thought so. Guess not.

[el48tel]

As for the beet, it is a plant adapted to grow on the high salt concentrations in the land reclaimed from the salt marsh.

True.
Which is probably why it didnt do very well on my clay on limestone hillside
Gave up on that idea !!

You could try adding mega quantities of rock salt as per winter drive clearing stuff. It would add marl which they also need.

As for extraction of the sugars .... I seem to remember that the process required some chemical addition .... and a large amount of energy to remove the large amount of water in which you extract the sucrose.