1-Preparation: After harvesting, clean the beets thoroughly and cut off the greens. Dice or shred the beets into small cubes to maximize the surface area for sugar extraction.
2-Boiling: Place the diced beets in a large pot with water just enough to cover them. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for about an hour, then strain the beet pulp from the liquid, reserving the liquid which contains your sugar.
3-Reducing the Liquid: Return the strained liquid to the pot and simmer until it reduces to a syrupy consistency. This process can take several hours.
4-Drying and Grinding: Once reduced, pour the syrup into trays to dry. This can take several days to weeks. After it’s fully dried, break the sugar up and grind it into a granular form.
5-Yield: Expect about 1 pound of sugar for every 10 pounds of beets. The final product will be a dark brown sugar with a flavor similar to molasses.