How's that for size?

Yes they will start to get woody but ours are still fine at present (we cooked two last week) and should be ok for a few weeks yet. The picked and stored ones will last at least a couple of months. The woodiness starts when the beet start setting seed and this seems to happen faster during dry, hot summers.
Ours still appear to be slowly growing, albeit slowly as we've had no serious and prologed frost yet.

 

Those in the photo were sown on 6th May along with the carrots and some parsnips.

 

Thanks, I've learnt something today

So next year I'll sow some in an nice out of the way spot, where I can just leave them be until I want them. I bought a veg growing book that made me think they were only good in summer. The book says to harvest them while they're immature. Based on that, and what I've just learnt just now, I guess I can sow a lot more than I had originally planned, and then just harvest them as and when I want some, so in late summer I can get some smallish ones, and just leave the rest util I need them.

 

That's the way I do it cluless.

 

This was sown in a hotbed last January



Not woody at all



It filled the big jar in the middle.

 

Nice sized veg Dave, where they grown in your tunnel or outside?

Steve...

 

Grown outside Steve, but under enviromesh which probably helps moderate extremes in the weather as well as keeping bugs off.