Sokerijuuri

Sokerijuuri is the Finnish term for the root of the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). This root is a primary source of sucrose, a common sugar, and is cultivated globally for this purpose. The sugar beet is a variety of the common beet that has been bred for high sugar content. Its flesh is white and dense, and the sugar is extracted through a process of diffusion.

The cultivation of sugar beet is an important agricultural practice in many temperate regions. It requires fertile soil and adequate rainfall or irrigation. The harvested roots are transported to sugar factories where they undergo several stages of processing. These include washing, slicing, diffusion to extract the sugar into water, purification of the resulting juice, and finally crystallization to obtain refined sugar.

Beyond sugar production, sugar beet pulp, a byproduct of the extraction process, is used as animal feed. The molasses, another byproduct, can be used in various industrial applications, including the production of ethanol. Sokerijuuri plays a significant role in the global food industry and contributes to the economy of agricultural regions where it is grown. The plant itself is a biennial, but it is typically harvested in its first year for sugar extraction.