How to freeze beets for the winter in the freezer at home

Beets are a healthy vegetable that you should definitely include in your diet, both in winter and summer. It will saturate with vitamins A, P, group B, iodine, copper, potassium, zinc, and also folic, ascorbic acids, beta-carotene.

Thanks to this, the work of the cardiovascular system is normalized, the level of cholesterol in the blood will decrease, the possibility of the appearance of atherosclerosis is minimized and the immune system will be significantly strengthened.

But in order to preserve the usefulness of the root crop, it is better to freeze the root crop. At the same time, freezing beets for the winter at home has a number of advantages:

• raw root vegetables, if stored improperly, begin to rot and sprout, and frozen beets will delight with their unchanged taste throughout the year;
• a semi-finished product is always ready in the freezer for first courses, stews or sauce;
• in the summer you can buy a quality product at an inexpensive price, and in the winter the cost increases significantly.

Basic methods of freezing

You can freeze beets for the winter in several ways. Let's take a closer look at each of them below.

1. Bake the whole beets in the oven until the core becomes soft.
2. Then cool it down and remove the skin.
3. Chop the pulp as convenient.
4. Spread the vegetable on a pallet in an even thin layer and send it to the freezer for 1.5-2 hours.
5. The pieces will be covered with an ice crust and will not stick together.
6. Put the finished product in bags with a tight seal and be sure to sign.
7. You can store it this way for several months.

1. Rinse raw beets under running water and put in a deep saucepan.
2. Boil until cooked over low heat. If the water boils strongly, the root crop will completely lose its color.
3. Transfer the boiled vegetable to cold water to cool, and then peel.
4. Next, you need to do the same as in the first method.

The secret of the hostess You can cook the root crop without the skin. In this case, it is easier to peel the vegetable, the taste and color will not suffer, but the amount of nutrients will significantly decrease.

1. Boil the root vegetable as described above.
2. When it cools down, remove the skin and grind on a grater.
3. Divide the grated beets into bags or food containers with tight lids. Transfer the container to the freezer.

Salting (fermentation)

More often not all the tops are salted, but only the petioles, but you can also include the leaves in the workpiece. The finished product contains all the nutrients that are rich in the initial raw materials, as well as lactic acid formed during the fermentation process. Salted beet stalks are considered an excellent independent snack; they can be used in home cooking as a component of a wide variety of dishes.

Output: 3 l

Ingredients:

• petioles of beet leaves - 1-1.3 kg;
• garlic - 4-5 cloves;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• black pepper - 10 peas;
• water - 1 l;
• rock salt - 1 tablespoon.

You can add hot pepper pod, pieces of horseradish root, dill umbrellas, tarragon sprigs, currant or cherry leaves, as well as any dry spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the stalks and leaves of the beets, pour over with boiling water and cut into arbitrary pieces (you can leave them whole).
2. Cut the garlic into thin petals.
3. Put the tops tightly in a jar, layering it with garlic petals and the rest of the seasonings.
4. Sprinkle salt on top of the raw materials.
5. Pour cold boiled water over the jar so that it covers the contents.
6. Close with a plastic lid, keep in the cellar for 3 weeks, and then put in the refrigerator.

There is also a faster salting option. It can be done by pouring boiling water over a filled jar. In this case, the workpiece is tried after 2-3 days. It is impossible to store such a product for a long time, but in the refrigerator it is quite capable of holding out for 3-4 weeks.

How to defrost beets properly?

The containers with vegetables must be transferred from the freezer to any shelf in the refrigerator. This will allow the thawing process to take place gradually. To speed up defrosting, the workpiece must be removed from the refrigerator and kept at room temperature.

If boiled beets are used in first courses or sauces, you can not completely defrost them. In the case when the product is used for salads, it must be thawed, otherwise the salad will "float" in juice and melt water. You need to take the amount of vegetable that will be used from the freezer. If the workpiece remains, it is not recommended to re-freeze it.

Boiled beets are the basis for many dishes. You can make delicious salads, original spaghetti and unusual desserts from it.

Beets contain many vitamins, amino acids and minerals. It occupies one of the first places in providing the body with magnesium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorus and calcium. Its roots are high in iodine. Therefore, beets must be included in the diet, especially in the winter season.

Freezing is one of the most effective ways to prepare vegetables for the winter. Frozen vegetables retain more vitamins and nutrients than those stored in cool rooms and cellars. But in order for frozen foods to remain healthy, you need to take into account some of the nuances of the preparation. Consider how to freeze beets in the freezer for the winter.

Salads with dressing

How long a salad with mayonnaise or sour cream can be stored depends not only on the ingredients, but also on the type of dressing. Typically, the most common dressings are:

• mayonnaise;
• sour cream;
• vegetable oil;
• various sauces.

The most short-lived dressing is sour cream. At room temperature, it begins to turn sour after 30 minutes, and in the refrigerator it remains fresh for no more than 60 minutes.

The regulation of SanPiN completely prohibits in catering establishments to fill the salad with sour cream in advance. It is worth taking advantage of this advice at home. So that the dish does not acquire a sour taste, it is better to open sour cream immediately before the start of the feast.

The shelf life of mayonnaise is slightly longer than sour cream. Homemade mayonnaise will last 2–3 hours, and a store-bought product with preservatives will stay fresh for 5–6 hours. If the dish stays in the refrigerator for a day, the mayonnaise will not deteriorate, but its taste will suffer.

Unrefined vegetable oils and sauces also don't last long when used as a dressing. As soon as they stand on the table for 30-60 minutes, they begin to deteriorate. Shelf life in the refrigerator is slightly longer.

If there is no time to prepare the salad just before serving, then it is better to prepare the ingredients and put them in different containers. So the shelf life of Olivier salad or mimosa will increase significantly. Herring under a fur coat will also last longer if you prepare a dish from prepared ingredients just before serving.

Subtleties of the process

Before the start of freezing, prepare the container. It must be clean and dry. Plastic disposable containers or bags (special for freezing or ordinary packaging) are suitable.

Since the root crop loses its beneficial properties upon repeated freezing, it is advisable to freeze it in small portions, which are required for cooking.

The root crop for freezing should be fresh, ripe, small in size, with a smooth, even burgundy skin, without damage or signs of decay. Early varieties of beets with low taste are not suitable for freezing.

reference... Do not pick beets with lots of small roots at the main root - this is a sign that they are tough on the inside.

The tops of the selected root crops are cut and washed thoroughly under cold water with a brush.

Harvesting beets for the winter in different forms

Beets are suitable for freezing both raw and after heat treatment (boiled, baked, stewed).

The root vegetable is frozen whole, in pieces (cubes, strips), grated or in the form of mashed potatoes. It depends on what kind of dishes you plan to cook in the future. For soups and Korean snacks, beets are grated, for salads and vinaigrettes they are cut into cubes or strips, for diet food - in large pieces, for casseroles and baby food they are chopped in mashed potatoes.

When freezing a root crop in its entirety, the main disadvantage is that it must be completely defrosted before use. The crushed product is added to some dishes without defrosting.

Freeze the root crop alone or as part of mixtures with other vegetables.

Raw beets

The fastest and easiest way is to freeze raw beets. It is frozen whole, sliced ​​or grated.

On a note! Frozen raw beets lose color during cooking.

The washed beets are peeled, washed again and dried with a paper towel.

Peeled root vegetables are frozen whole, having previously been decomposed into separate packages, or cut or grated. The crushed root vegetable is laid out in portions in a prepared container and put into the freezer.

If you do not want the shredded vegetable to turn into a lump, you should freeze it in two stages. First, the pieces are laid out on a tray and placed in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Then the frozen pieces are laid out in bags, air is pumped out of them and put back into the freezer.

Raw chopped beets can be mixed with raw carrots. This set is used to make borscht.

Boiled beets

Boiled beets are frozen whole or chopped (chopped, grated).

Washed root vegetables are not peeled, poured with water and boiled until tender. To prevent them from losing color, the boil in the pan should be barely noticeable. Also, a little vinegar is added to the water to preserve the color.

Readiness is checked with a knife: it easily enters the pulp of the finished root crop... Pour boiled beets with cold water and cool. Then peel off the skin. Peeled root vegetables are laid out in packages whole and frozen. Either chopped with a knife or grated, packed in portions and put in the freezer.

To prevent the pieces from freezing to each other, they are frozen in two stages, like raw beets.

Baked beetroot

You can not boil the vegetable in water, but bake it in the oven. To do this, it is washed, wrapped in foil and placed in an oven (180-200 ° C).

Small vegetables are cooked in 40–45 minutes. Then the beets are cooled, peeled and frozen in the same way as boiled beets.

Beetroot puree

Beets are frozen in the form of mashed potatoes for the winter. To do this, washed, but not peeled, root vegetables are boiled or baked in the oven. Finished beets are peeled and crushed in a blender or rubbed through a sieve. The resulting mass is laid out in ice molds and placed in a freezer.

When the cubes are frozen, they are transferred into one container or bag and put away for permanent storage. Frozen puree is used to make casseroles, cereals and baby food.

Beet tops

Beetroot leaves are used for salads and soups.For freezing, they are washed and dried, then cut into strips. They are placed in bags or containers, but loosely so that everything does not turn into an ice ball, and placed in the freezer.

Pickling

The use of such preservation is universal. The finished product can serve as a full-fledged side dish, become a good addition to salads, main courses and soups.

Output: 1 L

Ingredients:

• beet tops - 600-700 g;
• garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• bay leaf - 1 pc .;
• black pepper - 8-10 peas;
• water - 1 l;
• sugar - 50-70 g;
• rock salt - 25 g;
• vinegar 9% - 50-70 ml.

Preparation:

1. Cut the washed tops into arbitrary pieces. If the finished product will be used primarily as a side dish, the petioles can be cut into 10-12 cm pieces, and the leaves can be halved or even left intact.
2. Put raw materials and spices tightly in prepared jars.
3. Boil the brine from water, salt and sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vinegar.
4. Pour marinade jars to the top.
5. Sterilize containers in a saucepan with slightly boiling water (with a volume of 0.5 liters - 10 minutes, 1 liter - 13-15 minutes).
6. Roll up the jars with hot lids, turn over, wrap and leave to cool.

If you like more pungent or spicy marinades, you can add any spices and herbs that are used in canning vegetables to the preparation. If stored in a cool cellar, the product will preserve the benefits and taste of beet tops for 2-2.5 years.

Tips & Tricks

When freezing beets, consider some of the nuances:

1. Beet juice strongly stains the work surface and hands, so it is advisable to use gloves when processing the root crop. If you do get dirty, you can wipe the stains off your hands and surfaces with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda. Then wipe the surface with a soft cloth dampened with soapy water.
2. To make boiled beets easier to clean after boiling, they are poured several times with cold water until they cool completely.
3. It is better to freeze the root vegetable in small portions. Do not re-freeze.
4. When freezing the whole vegetable, it is advisable to use the "Quick Freeze" function, if there is one. If not, the optimum temperature for freezing is -10 to -14 ° C.
5. It is necessary to freeze table varieties of beets.
6. The faster you freeze the harvested beet crop, the more vitamins and minerals it will retain.
7. Indicate on the container with frozen root vegetables when and how the harvest was made. This will help you keep track of the expiration date of the product and choose the right bag or container.

Beneficial features

Much can be said about the beneficial properties of beets, but the main thing is that they do not disappear during cooking. The mineral and vitamin composition and properties that this vegetable possesses do not disappear after heat treatment. Temperature has a detrimental effect on vitamin C, but there is not much of it in beets.

Beets have a beneficial effect on the digestive system and process. With regular use of beets (3-4 times a week), stool is normalized, constipation, bloating and heaviness disappear. It has a mild laxative and diuretic effect. Beets gently cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.

Beets help normalize blood pressure. Makes capillaries more elastic. Helps with atherosclerosis. This vegetable has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Helps fight colds and bad moods.

Beets are a great help in treating anemia. It helps to increase hemoglobin and iron in the blood.

All these properties of beets are explained by its rich composition. Beets contain a large amount of B vitamins, as well as vitamins A and E.

The mineral composition is very diverse, almost all elements of the periodic table are present in beets: iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iodine, selenium, fluorine, copper, phosphorus and many other minerals.Organic acids are present: oxalic, malic and citric.

Beets are high in fiber. All these substances are not destroyed during cooking, but are stored in the beets.

Selection and preparation of root crops

• Freezing of beets begins with the preliminary selection of fruits. These are young, not too small, but fresh products of rich burgundy or dark red color. There should be no signs of rot, mold or damage.
• The best solution is to freeze the late beets. They have a rich flavor and are freeze-resistant.
• Root trimming is carried out on both sides.
• The workpiece is well washed under running water and cleaned with a brush.
• The peel is removed, and you need to cut it very thinly. And better - a potato peeler, not a knife.

Freezing methods

Freezing methods differ not only on the way in which the root vegetable is frozen (raw or boiled), but also on the shredding methods. You can freeze grated beets for the winter, or you can puree or whole. You can combine methods - for example, freeze raw and grated, or boiled and whole products. Let's take a look at the most popular freezer storage methods.

Raw beets, frozen for the winter, will turn out delicious and will not lose their shape if each copy is isolated from the others - in a bag or container. Before use, you will need to completely defrost the fruit. This preparation is used for salads, including vinaigrette.

For borscht

For borscht, it is necessary to freeze raw beets. It can be chopped into strips, sticks or cubes - whichever is more to your liking. You can also use grated beets. In this case, they are placed in the packaging container in the proportions required for the first course and placed in the freezer. But the described type of blank is not the most successful.

Borscht dressed with fresh beets and processed with lemon juice will turn out much tastier. The fact is that boiled beets are a vegetable that has lost a significant part of its rich color. Stewing the crop with the addition of citric or acetic acid will help to save it. Here is the recipe for this dish:

• Raw beets are grated on a coarse grater;
• The workpiece is placed in a hot oiled frying pan;
• 10 grams of sugar is added - about a teaspoon per fruit, as well as a spoonful of vinegar;
• The mixture is poured abundantly with water, boils, and then stews for about 25 minutes;
• The cooled mass is laid out in cans in portions and sent to the freezer along with the resulting brine.

If the hostess is going to cook borscht, she must remove the blank from the freezer in 12-20 hours, letting it thaw.

Beet Leaves Recipes

Beet tops are used to prepare many familiar dishes for us: soups, salads, cabbage rolls, dumplings, Ossetian pies. We have selected several popular and simple recipes.

Cabbage rolls

Ingredients:

• medium-sized beet leaves;
• minced meat - 600 g;
• long grain rice - 400 g;
• carrots - 2 pcs. (medium size);
• onion - 1 pc. (large);
• tomato paste - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• sour cream - 150 ml;
• salt, spices - to taste;
• sunflower oil for frying onions and carrots.

Preparation:

1. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, chop the onion into small cubes and lightly fry in oil.
2. Boil rice until half cooked, cool and mix with minced meat.
3. Add browned vegetables, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Rinse the beet leaves under running water, remove the stalks and cut off a thick vein.
5. Wrap the minced meat in each leaf, forming stuffed cabbage rolls.
6. Place in a saucepan tightly together.
7. Make a dressing: mix sour cream with tomato paste, salt and pour in hot water. Stir and pour the cabbage rolls.
8. Place a flat plate on top with a diameter smaller than the saucepan.
9. Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour.

Green salad

This salad is a real vitamin bomb.

Ingredients:

• tops - 1 bunch;
• wild garlic - 1 bunch;
• parsley and dill - 1 bunch each;
• cucumber - 1 pc.;
• paprika - 1 pc.;
• olive oil - 3 tbsp spoons;
• apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp the spoon;
• salt, black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the greens, dry and finely chop.
2. Chop the cucumber and pepper at random.
3. Mix the salad ingredients in a bowl, salt, season with olive oil and vinegar.
4. Let it brew and serve.

Ingredients:

• meat on the bone for broth;
• water - 3 l;
• beet leaves - 2 bunches;
• potatoes - 3 pcs.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• greens, salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the meat and cover with water. Simmer and skim periodically. For pork, two hours of cooking is enough, for beef - three.
2. Cut potatoes into cubes or strips and soak in cold water. Grate the carrots, finely chop the onion. Saute until soft in vegetable oil.
3. Rinse the beetroot leaves and chop finely together with the petioles.
4. Take out the meat, put the potatoes in the broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then add beet greens and browned vegetables.
5. At the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper and add herbs. Serve with sour cream.

How long can you store frozen beets

Freezing beets is the best way to harvest them for the winter. Firstly, it is easy, and secondly, freezing - faster than winding canned food. The third argument is that a minimum of resources is spent: it is enough to send grated or whole beets to the freezer for the winter. And, finally, the root vegetable stored in this form retains the maximum benefit.

And in order for the crop to really not lose its taste and vitamins, beets should be sent to the freezer immediately after they are removed from the ground. The sooner the product goes to winter storage, the better.

Now that we have found out that it is not only possible, but also necessary to freeze beets for the winter, it remains to find out how long it is stored. On this score, gardeners do not have a single opinion. Some say - a maximum of four months. Others believe that nothing will happen to the vegetable in a year. And the optimal period is about six months to eight months.

How to defrost

• It is important to freeze beets for the winter at home in an extremely short time, and defrost them as slowly as possible. This will preserve valuable substances.
• The optimal solution is to remove the frozen blanks ahead of time and place them on the shelf that is closest to the freezer.
• Defrosting at temperatures from 18 degrees is acceptable, in the kitchen or in the room.
• It is allowed to fill dishes with frozen beets without preliminary thawing. Especially when it comes to chopped vegetables that have been frozen raw.
• It is strictly forbidden to defrost with boiling water or in a microwave oven.