You can freeze boiled beets in the freezer. And this is done quite simply. The product will retain its beneficial features and original taste.
Preparing beets for freezing:
- It is best to choose medium-sized root crops. Before cooking, the tops and tails are not removed. This way, maximum nutrients will be preserved in the vegetable.
- During cooking, pour a little vinegar into a pot of water. It will fix the color of the beets and help preserve their flavor.
- The skin is removed from the finished vegetable. The pulp is crushed in any convenient way (straws, cubes, large slices or small chips).
Basic freezing methods
You can freeze beets for the winter in several ways. Next, we will consider each of them in more detail.
Method number 1:
- Bake the whole beetroot in the oven until the core is soft.
- Let it cool and then peel off the skin.
- Cut the flesh as you like.
- Spread the vegetable on a pallet in an even thin layer and send it to the freezer for 1.5-2 hours.
- The pieces will be covered with an ice crust, and will not stick together.
- The finished product is decomposed into bags with a sealed clasp and be sure to sign.
- You can keep it this way for several months.
Method number 2:
- Rinse raw beets under running water and put in a deep saucepan.
- Boil until fully cooked over low heat. If the water boils strongly, the root crop will completely lose its color.
- Transfer the boiled vegetable to cold water to cool and then clean.
- Next, you need to do the same steps as in the first method.
Hostess Secret
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 quantity useful substances will decrease significantly.
Method number 3:
- Boil the root crop as described above.
- When it cools down, remove the skin and chop on a grater.
- Place grated beets in bags or food containers with tight lids. Transfer the container to the freezer.
How to defrost beetroot?
Containers with vegetables should be transferred from the freezer to any shelf in the refrigerator. So the thawing process will 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 from the freezer the amount of vegetable that will be used. If the workpiece remains, it is not recommended to re-freeze it.
Boiled beets are the basis for many dishes. From it you can cook delicious salads, original spaghetti, as well as unusual desserts.
Description
Beetroot frozen for the winter is a very necessary and valuable preparation, because its use in cooking is quite diverse. In order not to constantly stock up on such a valuable vegetable from stores in the winter season, beets are frozen for the winter in freezer. At the same time, freeze such a sought-after product for this step by step recipe with a photo and technological instructions at home, you can absolutely in any quantity.
Beets frozen in this way for the winter will be very useful in the kitchen of every home, because you can cook a lot of delicious dishes from it. Borscht alone is worth something ... However, in addition to borscht, there are others no less delicious dishes prepared using beets. Currently, frozen borscht beets, like fresh ones, are used to prepare various salads, snacks, and even when cooking some first and second courses, one cannot do without it.
For freezing vegetables and fruits, special bags and containers of various sizes are sold in stores. However, it is not necessary to stock up on them. Beets can be frozen for the winter in ordinary plastic bags. Although the size of such packages is sometimes not quite small, it is undesirable to fill them with beets to the fullest. It is better to prepare such a burgundy vegetable for the winter in portions. For example, put half a kilogram of grated beets in one such bag. This is just the amount that will definitely be consumed at a time, because vegetables are no longer subject to re-freezing.
So, let's start freezing beets for the winter!
Ingredients
Beets frozen for the winter - recipe
Beets should be washed very well before freezing. To freeze in this way suitable beetroot fruits of any size and even the smallest. In any case, the vegetables will subsequently be chopped.
Prepared beetroots must be cut into very thin strips. You can also grate beets, but the option with stripes is still better.
Now we take clean plastic bags and place the beets cut into strips in portions. It is not recommended to place more than half a kilogram of chopped beets in one bag.
It is necessary to release all the air from the bags with beets, after which the blanks should be tied into a strong knot.
Recently, housewives are increasingly looking for information on the Internet about whether it is possible to freeze beets for the winter. The answer is unequivocal - beets can and should be frozen! Firstly, it will save you time when preparing dishes with this vegetable in winter period, secondly, it will save the crop from premature spoilage, and, thirdly, it is very profitable and convenient.
The first step is to choose high-quality vegetables for freezing. The root crop should be dense, small in size, with a smooth skin, without damage.
Another important aspect of beet selection is its tail. He must be alone. Numerous root shoots indicate that the vegetable is tough.
We cut off the tops from the selected specimens, and wash the fruits themselves with a brush under running water. This must be done very carefully so that no sand and dirt remain on the root crop.
See the video on how to choose the right beets - Beets Store for the winter
Freezing beets for the winter: recipes
How to freeze raw beets
Since raw beets can stain not only dishes and cutting boards, but also your hands, it is reasonable to arm yourself with a pair of plastic or thin rubber gloves.
Clean beets are peeled, and rinsed again with water to prevent sand from entering. Then you need to give time for all the liquid to be glassed from the root as much as possible.
Now you need to decide on the shape of the slicing of the vegetable. It largely depends on what you are going to do from the workpiece in the future.
Ways to grind beets:
- cut into cubes, sticks, straws or circles;
- grate;
- grind until puree.
Chopped beets can be sliced into packing bags and, removing as much air as possible from them, put them in the freezer.
To keep the freeze crumbly, beet slices are frozen in stages. To do this, the cuts are initially laid out on a flat surface in one layer, and sent for preliminary freezing. After a few hours, the beets are poured into one container, and put into the freezer for long-term storage.
Grated fresh beets are packed in small bags, flattened, hermetically sealed, and put in the freezer.
In order to freeze raw beet puree, it is first crushed into small pieces, and then pierced with a blender. Puree is laid out in silicone or plastic molds and frozen. Such briquettes are convenient to use for making sauces.
Watch the video from the channel "It's my Life" - Freezing food for the winter
How to freeze boiled beets
This method differs from the previous one only in that the beets are subjected to heat treatment before grinding.
Beetroot can be boiled with or without the skin.
In order to boil the beets in their skins, they are placed in a saucepan and poured with cold water. Water should completely cover the root crop. Boil the beets, depending on the size, for 40-60 minutes.
You can also boil beets in microwave oven. To do this, the unpeeled vegetable is placed in several plastic bags, tightly tied and placed in the oven for 10-15 minutes at maximum power.
Without peel, beets can be steamed in a double boiler or slow cooker.
Also, the vegetable can be baked in the oven before freezing. Bake the beetroot directly in the skin for about 1 hour. Readiness is checked by piercing it with a knife.
After heat treatment root crop, it is cut into wheels, sticks or cubes.
Undoubtedly, a winning option is grated beets.
Also, boiled beets can be mashed with a blender. Frozen mashed potatoes are very popular for cooking children's menus.
Many people ask, is it possible to freeze whole beets? This method of freezing is, of course, possible, but in order to use such a vegetable, it will need to be thawed first. In addition, ice crystals will still have a destructive effect on the structure of the fetus, therefore beautiful cutting don't have to wait.
Watch the video from the channel "Recipes from Lirin Lo" - Freezing beets for the winter
Is it possible to freeze beet tops
young beet tops Be sure to freeze for the winter. From this product it will be possible to prepare a wonderful vitamin green borscht.
The tops are washed, dried on a towel, and then cut into strips. And the red stem also comes into play. Chopped greens are packaged in bags, tightly closed, and put in the freezer.
How much to store and how to defrost beets
The shelf life of beets, subject to temperature regime freezer, no more than 10 months.
The process of preparing soups with the addition of frozen beets does not require its preliminary defrosting. At the same time, raw frozen beets are placed in a dish in the middle of cooking, and boiled - at the very end.
Defrosting boiled beets for salads is carried out at room temperature or in the main section of the refrigerator.
Beets are a useful product. And so it must be included in your diet. And especially in winter, because at this time of the year the body receives vitamins much less than in summer or autumn.
But not every housewife likes to mess with this vegetable, especially if beets are needed in boiled. Because it takes so long to cook! Yes, and the workplace after it has to be washed.
But beets can be frozen. What is the advantage of this harvesting method?
- You just need to devote time to beets once, preparing them for the winter, and then washing everything in the kitchen after that. But then you can just take a bag of beets, which are already cut, as required by the recipe, and add to the dish. As they say, with one hand!
- Almost all useful substances are preserved in frozen beets. But if there is no special room for storing root crops (cellar, basement), then it is unrealistic to store beets in an apartment for a long time. It will still begin to germinate, rot or deteriorate.
- In winter, beets on the market are much more expensive than in autumn. And not the fact that it will be of high quality. Very often in winter, beets are sold either frozen, or with black spots, saying that the beets have begun to deteriorate.
Preparing beets for freezing
Beets are frozen both raw and boiled. But in any case, beets intended for freezing should be without flaws. The root crop should be smooth, strong, maroon in color.
You should not freeze very large beets, as well as those on the tail of which there are a lot of hairs (thin roots). It is believed that such beets are very tough, which can affect the quality of frozen products.
- At the beets, the base of the tops is cut off, leaving part of the tail.
- Root crops are thoroughly washed with a brush.
How to freeze raw beets
Although it is considered to be frozen raw beets changes in color during cooking, this harvesting method is very popular because of its simplicity.
- Washed beets are peeled and washed well again.
- Spread on paper towels and wait until all the water drains and the beets dry.
Method 1. Beets are cut into cubes, straws or slices. It depends on the preferences of the hostess and on what dishes the vegetable is harvested for. Chopped beets are laid out in small bags, preferably designed for freezing food, and sealed or tied, not forgetting to make a note that the beets are raw. If you want the slices not to be frozen one to the other, the beets are frozen in two stages. First, the chopped beets are laid out in a thin layer on a tray, covered with a film and put in the freezer for 1-2 hours. During this time, the beets will freeze. Then it is laid out in small bags, the air is pumped out of them and closed well. The bags prepared in this way are put into the freezer.
Method 2. The beets are rubbed on a medium or fine grater and laid out in bags, giving them a flat shape. Or placed in plastic containers. The container is well closed, signed and put in the freezer.
How to freeze boiled beets
Method 1. Washed root crops are baked directly in the peel in the oven until soft. Peel off the skin and cool well. Cut the beetroot according to your preference. For example, for vinaigrette it is better to cut into small cubes, and in a snack, beets will look better if they are cut into strips. So that the chopped beets do not turn into one big lump during the freezing process, they are frozen in two steps. To do this, the beets are laid out in one layer on a flat dish and placed in the freezer for 1-2 hours. During this time, the pieces of beets will be covered with an ice shell and will no longer stick to each other. After that, the beets are packaged in portioned sachets, hermetically sealed, signed, indicating that the beets are boiled, and put into the freezer.
Method 2. Washed, but not peeled, beets are placed in a saucepan, poured with cold water and put on the stove. Cook until done. So that the beets do not lose their color, you need to monitor the boil - it should be barely noticeable. Some housewives add a little vinegar to the water, which helps keep the color of the beets. Cooked beets are immediately dipped in cold water, and then peeled. Beets prepared in this way are cut into cubes or otherwise. Freeze according to the same principle as in the first option. Some housewives are interested in whether it is possible to freeze beets cooked without peel. Of course. But in such beets there will be a little less useful substances, although appearance vegetables will not be affected. So that the beets do not lose their rich color, they are boiled at a low boil, and the boiled beets are quickly rinsed with very cold water and placed in the refrigerator until completely cooled. This technique returns the beets to their original color. Proven in practice!
Method 3. Boiled and cooled beets are rubbed on a medium or fine grater and laid out in small plastic containers or tight plastic bags. Well soldered, closed or tied and put in the freezer for further storage.
How to freeze beetroot puree
This puree is prepared for baby food.
- Washed beets, without peeling, boil until tender.
- Rinse with cold water and peel off the skin.
- Cut into pieces and grind in a blender.
- Arrange in small plastic containers or bags, close well and clean in the freezer.
This puree is added to the dish at the very end of cooking, both frozen and thawed.
The shelf life of beets frozen in any way is 8-10 months.
How to defrost beets
Beets are thawed in the positive section of the refrigerator or at room temperature, for example, beets grated, which they want to use for salad.
Raw frozen beets require further heat treatment. But you need to remember that frozen beets cook much faster than fresh ones. It can be added to the dish during cooking, without defrosting in advance.
Often a large crop of beets grows in a summer cottage. The best way to preserve it is to use the freezer. A basement or a cold balcony will not give such a result. Freezing technology is simple. This is the best way to preserve the product for a long period, the main part of the nutrients is preserved. It should be remembered that after harvesting, the faster the vegetables are in the freezer, the more vitamins will be preserved. Previously, root crops are carefully inspected, spoiled specimens are removed.
Preparation and freezing rules
In order to freeze beets for the winter at home, the following procedures are carried out:
- in young root crops, beet tops are cut under the base;
- vegetables are washed under water and peeled with a grater;
- peel is removed with a knife;
Early varieties are not subject to freezing.
During operation, the following points are taken into account:
- 1. Freezing is carried out in small portions. This amount should be enough to prepare a pot of borscht or a container of vinaigrette.
- 2. Re-freezing is not recommended, because the product loses its beneficial properties.
- 3. If the vegetables are packed whole, then it is advisable to set the “Quick Freeze” function in the refrigerator.
- 4. Food storage in the freezer should not exceed 5-8 months.
Freezing methods - experience of housewives
Depending on the condition of the beets, there are several ways to freeze. She is subjected to raw vegetables, boiled or mashed. The beet tops are not thrown away either.
You can lay the beets whole or cut into pieces. Sometimes the options are combined so that it is possible to cook at the same time. different dishes.
Fresh produce
Often raw blanks are placed in the freezer as a whole. This makes the job easier. To do this, they are washed and placed in plastic bags. Before using, the vegetables must be thawed first.
A good option is a chopped product. This is done with a grater and a knife, which cut into cubes. Then the grated product is placed in bags and placed in the freezer. It is this cut that is used in borscht.
boiled
Like raw products, boiled beets are frozen whole or crushed. In order for boiled beets to retain their color, they are cooked unpeeled.
In time, root crops are boiled for a long time. To check their readiness, use a knife or fork. As soon as the blade effortlessly enters the pulp, the vegetables are ready.
Then the product cools down. You can put it whole in bags or grate it. Then they are placed in the freezer.
You can freeze beets with brine. There is a special recipe for this. The beets are rubbed on a grater and poured into a cauldron, in which there is a heated vegetable oil. Added 1 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar and 1 tsp sugar. The whole cut is covered with water and brought to a boil. Then, for 20 minutes, it is stewed. After cooling, the mixture is laid out in jars and placed in the freezer. Before use, you should wait for the defrosting of the brine.
In order for the root crop in borscht to retain its color, it must be stewed in acid. It can be vinegar or citric acid.
Puree
Use a blender to make puree. Then the whole process completely coincides with the freezing of ordinary cutting.
This method is used if there are small children in the family. When the mixture is laid out in jars, they try to choose a volume equal to 1 serving.
beet tops
From the upper part of the root crop, borscht is obtained, resembling green with sorrel.
The recipe for freezing tops is presented in the table.
| The photo | Description | |
 | The best leaves are selected and washed under running water. | |
 | Then they are dried and cut into small pieces. | |
 | At the last stage, the material is laid out in bags and placed in the freezer. | |
