Beetroot

Can you keep beetroot in the ground over winter. I always lift mine in late autumn as I assume they won't grow much more, but can they survive until the spring without deteriorating ?

I used to leave them in the ground until the local rodent population discovered they are edible, so now dig them and store them in damp compost, which works well

I know perceived wisdom appears to be to lift them but I've always left mine in the ground with no problems. I harvested a couple on Tuesday which were absolutely fine even after the recent snow and frosts. I probably should add that they were a white (can't remember the exact variety but possibly Albino) and Golden Detroit, not red ones.

I have successfully harvested red type (boltardy) in the winter. In fact I have 3 jars pickling away nicely, lifted a few weeks ago. They looked, cooked and tasted fine prior to pickling. For last few years I've sown 2 lots of beet per year, one for normal harvest time and 1 for winter harvest. For me, they're fine until the soil starts warming up, when I'd fear they'd start to go bad.